Most of the foreign fishermen in Taiwan come from poor areas in their home country. In order to improve their lives and children’s education, they have left their homes to work in unfamiliar countries. They have to suffer from difficulties in language, culture, and life. But they are willing to sacrifice and devote themselves to their family. Every month when receiving a salary, they urgently send their money back to their family for their living or for t children’s study. Unfortunately, many fishermen have to pay off their debts of agency fees in their home country. So that, after deducting the salary of each month for their debts, how much remains they will send back to their family, then not too much money they can keep for themselves or even no money left. If they get sick and need to see a doctor, what will they do? Naturally, they will choose to endure their sickness in patience. If their sickness is so serious, they will borrow money from the other fishermen of the same country to see a doctor.
Taiwan has four seasons, which is completely different from the Southeast Asian countries, where just have a dry season and rainy season.
Whenever the winter comes in Taiwan, the seaside is extremely cold but these foreign fishermen still have to work in that unbearable weather, which is easy to get cold. They want to buy a warm jacket or warm clothes for themselves but they have no time or even no extra money to buy for themselves. Moreover, the employers don’t often let the fishermen leave the fishing boat too far. And they still have a duty to watch the fishing boat even when they are not working.
Understanding the difficulties of these foreign fishermen that they really need to keep warm, Rerum Novarum Center started to raise warm jackets and warm materials from the public before the winter comes. Hope that in the winter, the foreign fishermen will have enough warm clothes to avoid getting cold, which easily affects their job and their life.
In the first cold of this year, no matter how strong wind and how heavy raining, Rerum Novarum Center visited the fishing ports in Keelung and New Taipei City to directly gave the warm jackets and warm materials to the foreign fishermen. Believe that they can spend the winter warmer and more peaceful. And also they can feel the concern of Taiwan society.
Returning to the meaning of this event, besides sending the warmth to the migrant fishermen, we expect that the society will deeper understand the difficulties of the migrant fishermen to give more care and support to them, continually extend the warmth more and more.
A cold, a bedding, not only a smile, a warmth, but also a dignity and value that a person should have. Giving is happy and sharing makes happiness more valuable. The warmth in the winter and love in heart!
天主教耶穌會 Society of Jesus, Chinese Province
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