Diversified Learning Project for Placed Children

Because I want to understand it all!

I want to keep practicing because I want to understand it all! A touching talk came out from the 17-year old Xiaoting who faced difficulty at his very first job.

Xiaoting grew up in a single-parent family with a parent who is Taiwanese new immigrants and holds a disability card.  After the first year at high school, Xiaoting left school for joining his peer ruffians and frequently made troubles. Through another organization, he was introduced to Yes, I can. Youth EmploymentTraining Program.

When assessing if Xiaoting was suitable for joining this program, the social worker asked Xiaoting why he chose to start working instead of continuing his education.

Xiaoting said: I was a terrible rascal. I flighted and made a lot of troubles so I dropped out from school.  I wasn't really interested in studying at all.

The friends I used to hang out with were too complicated so I stop keeping in touch with them.

I want to work and have money for my family and I want to visit my father who lives at a care center in Yunlin.  I miss my father.

A step by step

Xiaoting then joined Youth Employment Training Program and started receiving training.  On the class, he was a quiet and timid student who seldom spoke.  He was slow when reading and writing questionnaires and resume but always completely focused on it.  He was willing to do everything thing step by step.  Xiaoting frequently faced the difficulty of job hunting previously due to young age and slow reaction, therefore he explained that he is willing to do any job as long as he finds one.

After finished the program, social workers helped Xiaoting to find an internship opportunity at an industrial enterprise. Even though the enterprise saw Xiaoting's obstacle at work, they were still willing to provide him a 2-week job training.  Xiaoting was trying very hard on learning every skill.  However, he sadly had to leave for not meeting the enterprise's requirement.  Social works relentlessly continued with a suitable job for Xiaoting and employers who are willing to accept an employee with mild mental disorder.  Finally, they found an entrepreneur of a cosmetic company who is Xiaoting's current employer who offered him a position at wrapping sector.  Xiaoting smoothly adapted to the working pace.  Xiaoting, the hard-working boy, found his own world where he is 100% acceptable.  Mostly, a job that he is capable of!

The change

Xiaoting now often says to the social worker: Thank you very much, sister.

During this job-hunting journey with Xiaoting, everybody saw all the efforts he made.  Despite difficulties and obstacles, Xiaoting tried out step by step for starting a stable life for himself and his family who he cares.  Instead of making troubles, he can positively move on his life.

Links:

• The Mustard Seed Mission Projects

Self-discovery is like entering a dark tunnel, not knowing how long the tunnel will be, but the further one walks the closer one will get to the light at the end of the tunnel. Qi-Qi is groping her way through that tunnel right now. She is a girl with lots of ideas and she likes beautiful things, so when she was a student she chose to major in cosmetics. When not studying, she worked part-time in various beauty studios near her home.

When she came to sign up for the "Yes, I Can Youth Empowerment Career Training Program" in April, she told the social worker: "Because I am someone who has a cold exterior while being passionate inside, through this class I want to see if I truly love cosmetics or if I could do other things besides cosmetics.” In class, Qi-Qi was proactive and diligent. Not surprisingly, she became the first student who received an internship opportunity. Her wish was fulfilled when she was accepted as an intern in a respectable beauty salon.

After being an intern for one week, the social worker went to the workplace to see Qi-Qi. The stressful work style and job content caused Qi-Qi to feel at a loss. She told the social worker, "I feel like I don't love cosmetics that much," and thus gave notice of her resignation. The social worker explained to Qi-Qi that in the future if she wanted to enter a respectable and prestigious cosmetics company, the work environment would be similar to what she had experienced in her internship. If currently she felt like she could not adjust to working in a large company, but still wanted to do work related to cosmetics, she could first work in a drugstore and consider whether a job in a large company suited her.

The ever-proactive Qi-Qi went online, found a vacancy in a drugstore, and smoothly passed the interview. Now she wears her uniform and serves customers who also love beauty. Despite the fact that there were some twists and turns in Qi-Qi's tunnel of self-discovery, she continued to walk forward towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Although she retraced her steps due to uncertainty, after resting for a little while she kept positively moving forward. We wish Qi-Qi all the best and anticipate that she will soon find her own light.

Support Youth Employment Training Program - Help community underprivileged youths in Taiwan are able to have a positive first step on their career path!

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