Taipei: Saint Christopher's Church and a local hiking group united on Sunday to provide essential winter clothing to migrant fishers in New Taipei, distributing around 100 coats, blankets, and pillows.
According to Focus Taiwan, Odilia, an Indonesian hiker, explained that the collaboration between the organizations was driven by a shared goal of supporting migrant fishers who endure harsh weather conditions, especially in winter. Arie, an Indonesian priest from the church, traveled 34 kilometers to Wanli Fishing Port and Guihou Fishing Port to deliver the donations. Arie is part of the church's Migrant Workers Concern Desk and often makes trips to fishing ports to distribute aid.
Migrant fishers, who send remittances back to their families, benefit greatly from these donations, as it relieves the financial burden of purchasing winter essentials. Arie emphasized the critical role of migrant fishers in Taiwan's fishing industry and urged more Taiwanese citizens to engage in charitable activities. "Without them, Taiwan's fishing industry will collapse," Arie stated.
An Indonesian fisher, nicknamed "Buang," working in Wanli, expressed gratitude, noting it was the first batch of donations received this winter, after none last year. He hoped for more assistance in the future. Tsai Chia-wun, a member of the hiking group, participated in the event for the second time and advocated for more frequent initiatives. She believes these efforts can enhance Taiwanese understanding of migrant workers' conditions and potentially encourage governmental action to improve their circumstances.