50+ Empowerment | Helping Seniors Thrive in Taiwan

According to the published statistics of estimated population by the National Development Council in August 2020, the age structure of the elderly population in our country is changing rapidly. In 2020, the super-old population (over 85 years old) accounted for 10.3% of the elderly population, and it will increase to 27.4% in 2070. 2050 will be the year where the number of aging population nationwide accounts the most.

When Takfork Baptist Church in the Qianzhen District of Kaohsiung was doing community ministry services, it observed that many elderly in the community had nothing to do and no daily activity planning at all. Worrying about the effect of such inactivity on rapid aging as well as hoping to develop diversified service projects for the elderly, with the assistance of the 50+ projects of the Mustard Seed Mission, 50+ silver-collar lecturers were introduced to lead a series of physical and spiritual courses for the elderly in the community, providing a good learning atmosphere and environment for the elderly who used to do nothing but wandering in the park. They felt warmth and being cared for. Through such courses, these elderly also had their own potentials discovered. New courses were therefore designed and developed by professionals and shared in the classroom stage. The series of such services also indirectly drove the support and participation of stores nearby. A good example of ripple effects: starting from a service point and then extends outward gradually. Seeing needs in the community, responding to such needs, helping each other and loving each other.

With the grand army of nearly 100,000 retiree annually in Taiwan, the majority are retired without preparation and a clear goal for their retirement life. The 50+ project ministries of The Christian Mustard Seed Mission hope that, through designing training courses suitable for the mature-aged, self-exploration and workplace experience, etc., people who are soon to be retired or already retired will be encouraged to face up their own “ third “ life.  It also encourages these people not to throw away their past life experiences, turning these treasures into something useful to the younger generation or developing a different life path of their own. Let every second and every minute in the retirement not to be used for anti-aging but to live healthily in the moment.