Taiwan: Last Day

Tomorrow morning I fly out of Taiwan and head for Manila were I will assist with the relief and recovery work being carried out by The Salvation Army in the Philippines.

At least 140 people have died, officials report, and more than 270,000 were left stranded in flooding after Typhoon Ondoy (localy known as Ketsana) battered The Philippines. The capital city, Manila, and surrounding areas experienced wind speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour and the heaviest rainfall on record.

The major Tumana and Marikina Rivers – which flow through densely populated areas in the northern and eastern parts of the city – burst their banks, triggering a rush of water that quickly submerged entire houses. Other parts of the country have also been badly affected.

The Salvation Army has been tireless in its attempts to assist in the emergency response. In Rizal, for example, a landslide and flash flooding killed 35 people and many were stranded on rooftops more than a day after the storm.

The Salvation Army is providing shelter for more than 30 families, and preparations are being made to transport supplies from Manila as all the shops have been swept away.The task seems overwhelming but Salvation Army teams are being mobilised to provide an initial response of supplying food, drinking water, blankets and medicines.

Lieut-Colonel Ron Clinch, The Salvation Army's Chief Secretary of The Philippines Territory, reports: "This is only the initial response. Many people have lost everything, even household items and clothing. Supporting families in re-establishing their lives will be the next stage, including the need to help with funeral expenses."

Maolin - Mountain Magic

Maolin was one of the places on the "must see" list of Taiwan. Known for it's scenery: mountain ranges covered in green forest that reach for the sky, hugged a wide river that meandered through the valley. Aboriginal villages appear out of nowhere with their art and craft stalls, and statues that tell the story of their journey.

At the end of the road, deep in the mountains, and almost at their foot is the little village of Duona - famous for its Hot Springs - or it used to be! Today the springs are buried beneath what looks like half a mountain. And yet miraculously, no one died in this place, the village still stands and the school still stands proudly, even today, at the top of the village.

On the days following the typhoon over 2.5 meters of rain fell in two days in this area. Roads that hugged the mountains just disappeared revealing what looks like a mountain of solid rock. Bridges that closed the gaps over the rivers were swept away, roads (like the one above) just finish in mid air.

It's hard to describe the scene, and photos just don't do it justice. At one stage we drove on a new 'road' alongside where the old was, its obvious remnants 2 meters above our head. Huge concrete support structures have been swept into the valley hundreds of feet below, and houses that were in the way ended up half buried in the mud and silt that settled in the river beds.

On the way in we asked for directions - a man who we think was serious told us just to follow the yellow line down the middle of the road. We did, and normally it would have ended in Duona. But now it's the road that ends in mid air (just as well we didn't follow it).

Almost two months after the event the villages themselves have been cleaned up and people are back to normal. But so much has been lost - for the people of Maolin and Duona their livelihood was tourism - there are few tourists heading this way at the moment. Life has a long way to go before normal can describe it here.

School Projects

The Salvation Army in Taiwan has had the privilege of supplying a number of schools with essential equipment to replace damaged or destroyed materials. Included in the shopping list has been over 2,500 books, 1,000 uniforms, 1,500 sports uniforms, 2,000 pairs of shoes, 1,500 school bags, a mountain of stationary and a few commercial grade water filters.

As well as the practical stuff, which also included feeding and cleaning up in the early days, the team has conducted interviews with hundreds of victims of the typhoon and established new partnerships and bridges with government and other community organisations.

Yesterday, I was welcomed into one of the schools in Tainan like a rock star. It was very embarassing actually. 250 grade 6 and 7 kids standing and clapping as I entered a school assembly. (That never happened at my school.) I gave them some of the gifts and then I had to speak. They were told to listen carefully to some one that would "speak the English more proper than your English teacher". Talk about presssure!

This work can be taxing, it has major frustrations and complications, but the privilege of being part of a persons life when they need it the most is so amazingly humbling. To be able to share what I have with those that have lost everything reminds me of what it really means to try and be like Jesus. I have the privilege of doing what I can to rebuild and transform a life, not just physically but spiritually, (and not with the Bible and 4 spiritual laws under my arm either).

So tomorrow I'll tell you about my journey into Maolin and Duona - two villages in the mountains that were devastated by the landlsides and rain. Until then...

Do Not Beat

Located at convenient intervals along the super highways of Taiwan are great Convenience Stops. These vary in size but always contain a good, clean set of toilets, (a must on any long trip) and a 'Food Court' that boasts flavours (and smells) from all over the world.

Usually they also contain a 7 Eleven store with a full compliment of Slurpee flavours including some varieties that Australian connoisseurs would find interesting - and of course the usual Coke flavour. Regardless of the flavour these sugar water frozen delicacies attract children of all cultures - and hype them up. In a confined space one could be forgiven for wondering if the sign (above) doesn't have the sentiment right after all!

Of Mice & Rice

Have you ever sat in a little road side restaurant listening to the sounds of frying, smelling the amazing aromas of fried food and spice, eating beef fried rice, with ‘green things’ on the side only to look down and see a cute little brown mouse eating some of the food that’s been dropped next to you?

It’s about that time that you begin to wonder why the beef you’re eating is in such dainty little pieces! Is it really just to test my chopstick skills – or is there perhaps another reason that just ran out the door with its latest trophy between its protruding teeth?

It was beautiful fried rice too!

Puli

My hosts in Puli, Captains Jonah Wu and Jenny Chen have been gracious. They are passionate Christians who when people were needed to assist in the recovery of the 1999 earthquake in Puli shut down their own business and became officers. With almost ten years experience now they manage a multifacted, vibrant front line mission.


One of their passions is education and discipleship: with this same passion they have introduced me to the foods of Taiwan, including the Steam Boat experience, up until this stage they have avoided the McDonalds and KFC in town. (The fork in the picture was not used - only the chopsticks - I passed the test of picking up a pea with them the other day - but I have not yet been able to catch a fly; sorry Mister Miyagi.)


In addition to his Corps and Centre responsibilities Captain Jonah has been assisting IES personnel with translation and driving for over a month now. He's a good man - without him, (and his team) I would be lost -literally. Over the next days we will be doing a fair bit of travelling together as we re-visit mountain schools and city offices throughout the southern half of this beautiful island.

Moon Festival

Last night I had the privilege of attending a Moon Festival dinner at The Salvation Army’s Boys Home here in Puli. The local Lion’s Club has taken an interest in the Boys for a while now, and once a year they bring their club, and lots of food, including Moon Cake, to the Basketball Court at the back of the Community Development Center is Puli.

In three locations around the town of Puli (in Taiwan 80,000 people is a small town!) 80 boys, up to the age of 18, are offered a future through the care and love of a team of generous people. These boys come to The Salvos through 14 courts around the island. Each of them have ‘problems’ that have resulted in a run in with the law – and rather than confinement, they are housed with The Salvos. (Unfortunately some, when 18, will go from here to Prison.)

But, whilst here at Puli they attend a local school, and are part of the community. 36 of the older boys have part-time jobs, and all of them find the chance of family. Some of them learn to play brass instruments and join one of three bands – another opportunity not just to learn music but to learn teamwork and reliance on others. They learn to listen to others.

One of the teachers from the local Junior High says, “Boys in The Salvation Army have the opportunity to experience family and in that environment they build [some for the first time] their self-confidence and worth”.

Here, at the Puli Centre the boys get a second chance and they experience hope!

Pan Jia Pao (10 years old)

When Typhoon Morakot swept over the island of Taiwan in the early days of August, there was not too much notice taken of it. Morakot seemed to be no worse than any of the numerous typhoons that carve their paths across ‘beautiful island’, (the literal translation of Ilha Formosa, the name given to the island by Dutch explorers on a Portuguese ship in 1544).

But Morakot was different: in the two days that followed 2.5 meters of rain fell on the southern mountains: a tourist mecca of amazing natural beauty and home to hundreds of aboriginal Taiwanese people: for many these lands had been in their families for centuries.

The torrential rain caused massive mud and land slides, rivers flooded and together they destroyed 42 bridges and numerous roads. The mud and water, together with the vegetation they collected, buried entire villages and resulted in the death of approximately 614 people, the displacement of over 25,000 and, as of this week, approximately 75 are still missing.

Pan Jia Pao, a 10 year old boy, lived with his family and 395 other people in the village of Shoulin in the mountains. On the 8th of August, the land sunk into the ground and every single person was buried. Pan was not there, two weeks earlier he had been placed in the care of The Salvation Army Boys Home at Puli – today he is the sole survivor.

As The Salvation Army, and numerous other organizations, try to identify the best way to assist the victims of this natural disaster we continue to be hampered by the fact that it is impossible to access some of the villages deep in the mountains. Government is responding, and donations are coming – but the fact remains that there are over 25,000 people who have lost everything: ancestral land, homes and belongings, not to mention family members and friends.

The challenge ahead is both long and short term: how do we engage and re-energise people that have lost not only family, but material possessions, homes and livelihoods that they will probably never reclaim. What do they need and how can we provide for the immediate; how do they rebuild their identity and self-worth when all that they have relied on to define themselves is buried and/or unstable?

Day 2…

[Don’t worry this is not going to turn into a dear diary!]

After a warm night on a hard bed, today started with a breakfast of bean curd soup, a rice ball and cold black tea in a street side café in central Kaohsiung. I had awoken to the sounds of bird song in the meditation garden below me, but the birds were soon joined by the commands of what sounded like a martial arts class, but in fact was senior citizens aerobics.

After vacating the aged care facility we were on our way to another meeting, another temperature check and sanitisation. Each time I enter (not just me!) a government building or a hotel, I have had an electronic temperature gun aimed at my forehead, my hands sprayed with sanitiser and either a sticker or stamp applied to signify I am N1H1 safe. This morning was no different as I headed into the Kaohsiung County Government building to meet with the Governor’s staff – my temperature in the safe zone (36.5 degrees), my hands sanitised, and another cup of Chinese tea.

The Taiwanese people are a gentle, generous people – and so far the reception by all the people I have met, regardless of status and faith ideology, has been welcoming and grateful. (Even Starbucks gave us free coffees when they heard who we were and why we were here.)

The Salvos have been involved in the response and recovery of Typhoon Morakot since 8/8 and at the moment are assisting 42 schools in 3 counties with materials for students, water filters and generators. This assistance (in excess of $100,000) has been very gratefully received and will continue for a while yet.

The challenge now is to identify the gaps in response needs. The Taiwanese government and the ‘big’ NGOs have the material aspects of the recovery fairly well sown up – or so it seems at the moment. But there are numerous gaps – so with the help of local Salvos, and in partnership with local governments, we are currently conducting a needs assessment of the affected peoples in 4 areas – so that we can deliver some hard facts and design a focused portfolio of response options.

I’m now back in Puli (IES base) so that I can be briefed on the response so far, and officially take over as Team Leader from Captain Julian who heads back to Singapore in the next few days. Something tells me there are some ‘fun and games’ to come.

Day 1...

The day started early as I stepped out onto the unexpectedly quiet, but already warm, humid street to catch a taxi to the High Speed Rail (HSR) to Kaohsiung. The train, mercifully comfortable and cool, sped the 300km south to Taiwan's second largest city in 96 minutes, (that's about 200km per hour), depositing me in the city just in time to be whisked away to my first government meeting with the Director of Social Welfare for the County of Kaohsiung.

As I sat, sipping oolong tea, I found myself in an exercise of patience and frustration control: I understood not a single word that was spoken and smiling when everyone else laughed, or when the Director smiled at me, seemed like the appropriate thing to do. Apparently it was a good meeting!

Despite there being 22M people in a country only 400km long and 120km wide, the streets were unexpectedly quiet. Except for the constant bee hive like sound of hundreds of motor scooters buzzing and dodging cars, trucks and busses it appeared organised - if that's possibile in amidst the organised chaos. But, by the evening the streets came awake, street stalls appeared and people seemed to morph out of the shadows and fill the street side restaraunts.

After another drive north to Tainan, and a meeting with the Corps Officers, we headed for Cijin, apparently famous for it's seafood restaurants, and lucky me, (B&P I tried the, "I don't eat fish line") I got to choose my menu from the tanks and ice racks. Seaweed soup, sour gourd, bugs, crabs, snails, frogs, prawns and rice, all washed down with sweet, cold green tea. I did enjoy some of it!

So now it's back to tonights base. A room in a Buddhist Aged Care facility in Kaohsiung. It's been a day of culture, gastronomic and linguistic shock! But for now, I join Captain Julian Wong (Singapore) and Captain Jonah Wu (Taiwan) - before Julian leaves me on Thursday to begin his trip home.

Tomorrow? I'll wait and see.

ROAD TO TAIWAN

The next 'venture begins this morning. I wait for the flight out to Taiwan with both a sense of excitement about being involved in work I believe in and am passionate about, and a sense of concern - hoping that I know enough to stay above the water and maybe even learn to ride another wave and discover ways in which I can make life better for the people affected by Typhoon Morakot.

So right now I sit waiting for the flight to Hong Kong and onto Taiwan. I read the available material and learn about the culture, the history, the politics and the goegraphy of Taiwan and her people. I read what the INGO community is up to, and what the Salvos have done (and its excellent work) and dream about ways in which we might yet be involved in the ministry of transforming lives in the South of Taiwan.

TAIWAN - TYPHOON MORAKOT

On 8th August 2009, typhoon Morakot swept across Taiwan, particularly affecting the south of the island and especially in mountain regions. The Salvation Army personnel in Taiwan, despite the comparatively few that there are, immediately set about trying to find ways of assisting the victims of the disaster. In the initial days, it was thought that there was not a great deal of difference between this typhoon and ones seen regularly on this island. However, as the first week passed by, it became very clear that the mountainous region south of where Morakot tracked, took the heaviest rainfall for many years – 2.5 meters in 2 days. This rain produced floods and landslides, with rivers breaking their banks, homes being swamped with water and mud, and homes being washed away, especially on the mountain roads. Many roads and 44 bridges were destroyed, making many areas inaccessible and leaving many families displaced and stranded. To date, the estimated loss of life is in the region of 200+ with up to 300 still missing. In addition to this 25,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are being cared for in churches and Buddhist temples throughout the central and southern region of Taiwan.

I am being deployed by The Salvation Army to assist the Region in the recovery programs and will be in Taiwan for 6 weeks from next Monday (21 September).

If you are interested in more details check out these links:
The Salvation Army Taiwan: http://www.salvationarmy.org.tw/web/489357/1
Photos of Taipei Central Corps’ work: http://tpcsatw1.blogspot.com
News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8202821.stm