▲A group photo of the new Chinese class, which is even more precious under the pandemic.
"I wish you all the best! Safe and healthy!" People wished each other their best wishes. This is the graduation ceremony of the Chinese class for migrant workers in the Rerum Novarum Social Service Center. Migrant workers used newly-learned Chinese congratulations to show their skills.
On January 9 this year, Rerum Novarum held a graduation ceremony for the migrant workers who had studied Chinese seriously in the past year at the "Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St. Robert Bellarmine ", which has been assisting the Chinese class for migrant workers for a long time. On weekdays, migrant workers came to meet in different places and different jobs. As we all know, the pandemic has disrupted many plans. The courses in the past year have not been easy. Online classes also require adjustments to the teaching methods so that students can better absorb them. However, the teacher was very moved that everyone still participated with heart. Many people have studied for more than 100 hours, and even the most is more than 150 hours! It is really not easy to study so hard while working so tirelessly at the same time. The students are so willing to learn and of course, Rerum Novarum and teachers will continue to provide them with these courses.
The feedback from the students was very rich during the time to share their experiences on the stage. "Thank you for your teaching, my speaking ability has become better and better!" "I have participated in Chinese classes before, but unfortunately I was unable to participate stably for a while due to job change. I am very happy that I can finally continue the class now" "I hope the pandemic can end soon. I am so lonely studying in the dormitory. I really want to interact directly with teachers and classmates” “I spend an hour reviewing every day and I really hope to learn Chinese well!” After sharing, everyone also blessed each other in Chinese, as if it was like a New Year's greeting.
The teachers also shared in their speeches that this group of migrant students were really serious about studying in class or doing homework. Last year's learning content was mostly about the pandemic and life terms. They hope that students can propose what they want to learn so that teaching is closer to the needs of students.
At the end of the joyous graduation ceremony, everyone quietly prepared a surprise for teacher Li, who was on his birthday that day. Teacher Li smiled and made a very pertinent wish: "I hope everyone can be safe and healthy during the pandemic, and I hope that the students can earn money steadily from their jobs during this unstable time.” These sentences made the students very happy.
Rerum Novarum organized Chinese classes because we hope that language can become a good bridge across the employer and employee, dissolve barriers and unfamiliarity, a key to understanding Taiwanese culture and more importantly, a tool that migrant workers can use freely, whether they will continue to work in Taiwan in the future, return to Home country, or to other places. This will be a capability that cannot be taken away.
The Chinese classes offered by Rerum Novarum every year include introductory, basic and advanced classes. All migrant workers are welcome to attend!
In the long run, the fishermen is a group who has been ignored. In 2017, Rerum Novarum reach these people. We not only concern about their lives but help them solve the problem about regulation, salary payment, job accident, employers changing, human trafficking, and so on. We went to 21 ports and solve the practical problems of the fishermen. Due to the language barrier, we see many fishermen do not know how to ask for help and bear the difficult working environment instead. They are working day and night with the thin salary. We are looking forward to your help and hope your can be the protector for the foreign migrants. Press “I want to donate.” or call (02)2397-1933 #122. Thanks for your attention!