The office is a bit quiet today as there is a massive storm throughout the country and thus the government has issued a day-off for (all?) workers. Currently, the wind gusts and rain are furious and the news says that it will continue for the next two days or so. This is all very new to me. On the bright side, it is a little cooler now (but still sticky).

Last week I went to the Sansia Detention Center with Cha Hung. We rode up the elevator to where the detainees were staying and I was genuinely shocked to find that these people were behind metal bars--treated as if they were criminals. I was not expecting this at all, but this is precisely how the government is treating these individuals because they have no legal documentation, or escaped from their employers (I don't blame them). These people are victims of deceit, abuse, and exploitation, and yet they are further being victimized by the system.

I was able to talk to some of the victims individually and one woman cried to me about how she has kidney problems and it is very painful for her to even get out of bed, eat, etc., but she is not being properly treated for her condition. I tried to fight back tears as she told me her story about she was over-worked by her employer and basically did not get any time off. She was treated horribly--for example, she explained that she was only given the left-overs of what the family had already eaten, and most of the time they were just fish bones or other things that were inedible. She was not even considered a human being to these people. At this point, I could no longer hold back my tears and I reached for her hand through the metal bars.

Another women I spoke to was telling me how she was cheated of her wages and was waiting to get the money that she deserved. She also expressed that she would rather stay in the detention center than go home (to Vietnam) empty-handed. She had accrued a huge amount of debt in order to get to Taiwan, and (through tears) told me there was no way for her to go back if she did not make the money to repay these loans. She tells me she misses her family immensely and it pains her that she can't go back home.

I remained silent on the car ride back to the office.

A typhoon passed through Taoyuan last week--it was really rainy and windy, but very welcomed as a short reprieve to the heat. I also met the Turtle which apparently comes by every time it rains. I've actually met a whole host of animal friends this past week including beetles, frogs, and puppies. Last Friday, we also had a bbq to welcome Cha Cuong back from the US. It was great fun, the people here sure know how to cook! And the feasting was followed by none other than a volleyball tournament.

Yesterday, after lunch, I had some time to talk to one of the ladies here who I haven't really gotten to know yet. She told me about how her broker had confiscated her papers, lied to her, and made her do more work than she was supposed to do. Apparently, when this broker served as the interpreter between her and the employer, he just conveyed whatever he wanted to and did not communicate what the employer would say. We sat and talked for about half an hour before I had to get back to the office. I could see in her eyes and the way she told her story that she was trying to fight back tears, and I kept thinking how brave she was to have come here to give her family a better life--she noted that her son is now at university and is a computer whiz. She spoke very highly of him and you could tell that she was a proud mom. It's nice to know that her efforts and sacrifices are being put toward a better life for her children. She is hoping to learn more about computers also (actually most people here are very enthusiastic about them), so our weekly class on the basics is something they look forward to.

A recurring sentiment I've been hearing is the fact that although these women have been abused, mistreated, cheated, exploited, etc., they do not want to go back to Vietnam empty-handed. First of all, they have made so many sacrifices coming here--paying the fees, leaving their loved-ones etc., and to not have anything to show for it when they get home is just more than they can bear. So most of them hope to be able to switch employers and just find a decent job.

What is so frustrating and infuriating about these situations is that these brokers/employers prey on these people's vulnerabilities and take advantage of them because they cannot speak the language and do not know what their rights are. These brokers cannot legally confiscate papers for indefinite amounts of time. I can hardly imagine if I was in the same type of situation--coming to new country, not knowing the language, and just wanting to make an honest wage to feed my family at home. It is disheartening that these innocent people are being exploited in this manner. Cha Hung teaches a weekly class called luat lao dong (which roughly translates to 'labor laws') to inform people on their rights as workers. It is just one more way that these people are becoming increasingly empowered.

On the agenda tomorrow: a visit to a detention center with Cha Hung.

We have a new young brother at our shelter now who is seriously ill. I don't know the full details, and even if I did, I would not be able to share them on this blog, but the situation is devastating to say the least. This individual is younger than I am, has been working in Taiwan for more than a year, and his brokers want to send him back to Vietnam even though he will have zero or no chance of getting treatment as he would not be able to afford it. We would like to take him to the doctor here in Taoyuan, but since his brokers have his papers and documentation, it will be a challenge to seek out the proper medical care. It is truly saddening, and I feel so helpless. It is instances like these--the actions of people like these heartless brokers that makes one slowly lose faith in humanity. But on the other hand, it is people like those in this office, and those fighters for social justice and peace around the world that are slowly tipping the balance.

Last night, at dinner, Cha Hung received a phone call on his cell phone from an individual who had been fired from her employer and then subsequently taken in by her broker and handcuffed for 4 days. She eventually was able to call Cha Hung, and he is now busy trying to mediate the situation. I believe the police are involved now, but who knows how this case will end up? At the end of the day, Cha Hung told me that he was tired, and this is a strong statement coming from him.

I can't believe it is already my third day in Taiwan; time flies when there is so much to do. I think I've gotten to know most everyone's names--I just hope I can remember them. I feel like I see a new person at the shelter everyday. I find it amazing that given the situations they are in, the majority of them are very cheerful and are eager to talk to me. I've gone on some excursions with a few of them by happenstance, and they were all delightful adventures. One day I went to Taipei with a sister to buy a cd, and yesterday I went with three people to check out laptop computers. They all seem to be very fun and eager to have a good time.

On Friday, Cha Hung, Chi Loan, Chen Chen, a few of the sisters at the shelter, and I attended a public hearing with Taiwanese legislators and other government officials concerning the lack of protections afforded to migrant laborers--specifically those engaged in home-care. It seems the government has been "all talk and no action" for the past several years on the issue, and this hearing was a forum for any and all to voice their frustrations with the current system. As the discussion was obviously in Mandarin, I am extremely grateful to Chen-Chen for being my personal interpreter...you are the best! There were also many labor-rights organizations present and it was a great sight to see the solidarity that was present that day. My notes are currently at home so I will post more on this topic in a subsequent entry.

I start officially teaching next week and am a bit nervous, but I think it will be fun. Getting to the shelter, I was actually surprised to find that there are about an equal amount of men and women here so I want to incorporate activities that are gender-neutral. I think dance lessons will be fun (the ladies had a blast with your lesson, Anthony!), and I'm eager for yoga (maybe when the weather is not so unbearable), and cooking lessons. I also look forward to nightly volleyball (although I am terrible), and just chilling on the couch. Just a side note: Cha Hung sure is a jack-of-all trades--he does acupuncture for family members nightly and also teaches them reflexology (which I am eager to learn!) Seriously, what can't he do?

Sorry if this entry was a bit convoluted, but I just wanted to get everything down before dinner. I also have to try and tackle this MS ACCESS problem we are having and am HIGHLY frustrated with it right now.

The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions, but I am Taiwan now, relatively settled and excited for the journey I am going to embark upon with the new friends I have met. Saying the flight here was long is a vast understatement, but once I got to the TPE I got a second wind. It was around 6:30 am when I landed and I could already feel the intense humidity. Spotted Cha Hung and we proceeded to drive back to the shelter. I was a little nervous about meeting him just because he is such a prominent individual, activist, fighter, superhero--the list goes on and on, but he was so warm and friendly that those feelings dissipated immediately.

Got to the shelter around 7, just in time for morning mass. I was there with a few of the women, and later sat down to breakfast of jam and bread with them. My Vietnamese was actually better than I anticipated (thank God) and it was a very pleasant experience. I then went to Cha Hung's office for a very informal 'orientation,'--he basically went over the nature of work at the office, what my responsibilities would be etc. Throughout our conversation, one thing in particular stood out to me, which is very simple, but still, I think, a very important thing to remember during my time here--that we are here to EMPOWER the victims, and not to shelter them. It will be my job to, in any way that I can, to instill a sense of confidence in these individuals, to let them realize that they can and should be fighters in these harsh circumstances they find themselves under. Cha Hung was concerned that I was tired and asked if I wanted to take the day off to rest, and I was tempted, but was very anxious to soak up as much of the culture of the office as I could on the first day.

I washed vegetables with some of the ladies, watched Taiwanese dramas, ate some delicious cooking, played volleyball...it was a very full and fulfilling day. Vanessa, Vinh, and Trinh, many of the victims talked about their experiences with you and went on about how great you all were and how appreciative they are about your time here--it just goes to show the great/difficult work we are engaged in, and that it is making a difference.

Now, my only complaint is the humidity...

Hello! My name is Caroline Le and I will be interning in Taiwan on behalf of VietACT this summer and fall. I feel truly humbled and blessed to be given this opportunity, and after a year of studying about issues such as human rights, globalization, public policy, etc., I am extremely excited to actually have a "hands-on" experience working with an issue of human rights violations, particularly one that has been consistently overlooked by the mainstream media and even the most globally-conscious citizens of the world. I feel as though I have gained a lot from my studies this year at UCSB, but am positive that this experience in Taiwan will teach me things that I will never be able to learn from a book or from listening to a lecture.

I am particularly looking forward to being able to interact with victims of trafficking and hear their stories. It is obvious that human trafficking is one of the worst forms of human rights abuses and is something that must be urgently addressed. One of the mantras of VietACT as articulated by Edmund Burke is: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Ever since I was young, I've wanted to change the world, but figuring out how I wanted to go about doing this was the challenge. Increasingly I have found that it starts with a group of concerned citizens working at the grassroots level. While eradicating human trafficking is an enormous feat, making small steps toward change and improving the lives of these victims and alleviating their suffering (strides which TaiwanACT and VietACT have made), is evidence that it can be done.

After finishing my classes in mid-June, I had a week or so to relax a bit and spend quality time with family and friends, and given the experience that I am about to embark upon, I just felt extremely lucky to be where I am in terms of my life circumstances. Perhaps I will never be able to fully relate to someone who has been trafficked, or someone who had to leave their country and their loved ones to find a job, but if I can do anything to help them--make them laugh, teach them something new--then it will be all worthwhile. I remembering hearing a quote (I'm full of them, but can never remember the exact lines), something to the effect of: "The character of human kind is judged upon how it treats its most vulnerable and marginalized," and I couldn't agree more. Here's to the cause.

And now it's time to finish packing. Taiwan here I come!