When Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan in August 2009, it brought, in some parts of the island, over 2.68 meters of rainfall in just two days, shattering all previous records. It claimed the lives of more than 700 people, the vast majority of them mountain-dwelling villagers buried in a sudden mudslide triggered by the rains. It also left more than 8,000 people homeless.
Now on June 26, 2010, nearly a year after Morakot, President Ma Ying-jeou was visiting for the third time one of the areas most severely affected by the storm, Shanlin Township in Kaohsiung County. He wanted to see firsthand the progress that has been made, and to learn where more reconstruction work was still needed.
The news was on the whole positive and encouraging, even heartwarming. The 304-meter-long Jiaxian Bridge, whose construction began months before the typhoon had struck, was now complete. With the new bridge, the villagers would have unimpeded access to the outside world.
And anyone crossing the Jiaxian Bridge would discover row upon row of newly-built houses, 752 units in total, capable of housing almost 1,900 people. Known collectively as the Da Ai Community, the houses were built with support from the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, a group known for its emergency relief efforts around the world, including, most recently, in earthquake-devastated Haiti.
“The new housing units are the result of joint efforts by the government, volunteers and survivors of the typhoon,” said Anthony M. Ho, a member of Tzu Chi Foundation.
The local government played a significant role in making the houses possible by helping Tzu Chi overcome legal hurdles and red tape. It also streamlined the administrative process to get construction permits approved within only two months, which otherwise would have taken two or even three years to complete.
As official owner of the land, the local government also lent it out free of charge and is now responsible for reviewing the eligibility of housing applicants, Ho said, adding that Tzu Chi has no property ownership of the houses and plays no part in deciding who can live in them.
Rights to use of the houses are granted to the residents and, by inheritance, to their children. However, they do not have the right to sell or trade the property, Ho explained.
The Foundation did not disclose the amount of funds injected into the project, but indicated that donations have come from individuals residing in 52 nations. Numerous workers and volunteers are involved in the project, Ho said, adding that there were days when as many as 1,000 volunteers participated in the building efforts.
The houses were built quickly, in less than three months, but not shabbily, Ho noted. The Tzu Chi Foundation, with its rich experience in building houses for charity, has completed more than 10,000 residence units since 1967 for the poor and disaster victims worldwide.
“Safety is our first priority when it comes to designing a residential community,” Ho said. The buildings are made of lightweight steel, similar to the kind used in Taipei 101, which until recently had been the tallest building in the world. “These houses can withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 8 and winds at speeds up to 17 in the modified Beaufort scale,” he pointed out.
As he observed the residents of the new domiciles settling in and getting on with their lives, President Ma lauded the great compassion and efforts of Tzu Chi in making the project possible.
“I expect this community project to become a role model for the ongoing Morakot typhoon relief works,” Ma said. “The experiences we gained through this process can be shared with the international community.”
Apart from the housing project, the president expressed his appreciation for the contributions made by the Yong-ling Charity Foundation, funded by Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd., one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturing companies.
To help create job opportunities for the flood victims, Yong-ling has set up an organic farm located only 800 meters away from the new houses.
In September 2009, just one month after Morakot, Yong-ling enlisted the help of the island’s leading organic agricultural company, Tenha Organic Farm. The two groups then joined forces in turning 65 hectares of land provided by the local government into a functioning organic farm.
After months of cultivating the land, installing an irrigation system and running tests to find suitable crops, the farm successfully produced its first crop of organic vegetables this June, according to Zhou Jun-ji, chief executive officer of Tenha.
The organic produce yielded includes bananas, passion fruits, corns, yams, squash and leafy vegetables. At this stage, Zhou explained, the farm is still on a test run and will need two or three more years to provide stable crops, he said.
According to Zhou, the produce of the farm is not for sale at the moment. Instead, it is all being purchased by Foxconn for use in the company’s cafeterias.
In addition to labor and health insurance coverage, each farm worker is paid roughly NT$20,000 (US$620) per month, about 15 percent more than the minimum wage, Zhou said. The farm currently employs 93 flood survivors, but in the future will be able to support 120 employees, he added.
Any local residents between 18 and 65 years of age are qualified to apply for farm job vacancies, but residents of the Da Ai Community and other flood victims will receive first consideration, Zhou said.
Foxconn is exploring distribution and marketing channels for the organic farm products, Zhou added.
“Our ultimate goal is to transfer the farm operation to the local residents,” Zhou said. “Hopefully, by the year 2016, the quality of workers and products of the farm will both be more than satisfactory.”
If any thing goes wrong, he added, Foxconn has promised to purchase the farm’s entire produce at 15 percent higher than market price. (HZW)
Write to Audrey Wang at audrey@mail.gio.gov.tw