[February 18, 2013]

Students From Taiwan's NCKU Service Learning in Singapore

Ten student volunteers for service learning from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, traveled to Singapore, Jan. 21, to carry out elderly care and familiarize with the concept of "Happy Elderly," which has been highlighted in Singapore for years.

The students who participated the cross-cultural opportunity of practicing community-based service learning in Singapore accompanied older people to do exercise, read newspapers and books, take a walk and play games for 15 days, from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4.

NCKU students offered their help for many Singapore-based charity institutes including Filos Community Services, Care Community Services Society (CCSS), and Concern & Care Society (CCS).

"We appreciated the timely aid from the people in Singaore for the victims of Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan," according to Chao-Huang Chu, the teacher who was headed the voluntary team, "and in return, we'd like to offer a helpful hand for the needed service in Singapore."

Students' enthusiasm and care for the happiness and health of the seniors had been acclaimed and induced positive responses among the older people at the institutes.

Chu said, "Students from Singapore Management University came to NCKU for a service-learning program last year and at that time we had panned this project to Singapore."

Service learning has positive effects on not only the student personal development but the academic learning, Chu added.

During the 15-day visit, the students were involved in the services provided by the local community service centers and they observed how to help the elderly and visited the senior citizens' homes and apartments.

How to communicate with each other is the first obstacle the students came across when providing service in Singapore, according to Yi-Ju Chen, a history major in NCKU; however, with a little English, a little Chinese, and the help of body language and smile, the communication gaps have been bridged.

There are many students from Taiwan and Singapore endeavoring into the service-learning in elderly care and the voluntary service from the students is important to the older people who are in need, noted Yu-Hsiu Yu, a junior from the Department of Life Science, NCKU.

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