A question for those of you in the know about Buddhist groups in Taiwan:
which of the following groups would you trust with your donations or volunteer aid:
1/the Dharma Drum Foundation (Fagushan)
2/the Buddhist Light organization (Foguangshan), run by the guy who has this temple complex in Gaoxiong County and likes showing off his picture with Al Gore
3/Ciji, the organization run by the tiny thin nun from Hualian who was recently involved in a medical malpractice suit but whose followers are always present at major disasters.
Are the above all frauds only interested in your money or do they do valuable work? If you know other local groups worth supporting, please let me know.
I don’t know anything about the groups you mentioned, but what one usually hears about so called charity in Taiwan is not so good. The richest Taiwanese person is a fat buddhist monk driving a Mercedes. If I were you I would find other ways to help…
Does the charity have to be Buddhist? The Mennonite Hospital in Hualian has an excellent reputation - it is widely known and respected in Taiwan for providing medical services not included in the National Health Care program to people who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford it, especially to aboriginal people.
Don’t know much about the others mentioned but for mind the Tzu Chi Foundation are fantastic. Their programs, both here in Taiwan - especially for Aborigines - and overseas, are truly mind boggling.
Tzu Chi (i think the Hanyu Pinyin is Ci2 Ji4) are the most reputable and probably the most involved in direct charity.
Dharma Drum are also reputable, with mroe of a Zen emphasis.
Foguanshan could be a bit dodgy.
Also sounding really dodgy is the group run by that monk (from Cambodia or China?) up above Fulong somewhere who founded the Museum of World Religions in Zhong He. Apparently they all drive Benzes and have had accusations of sexual misconduct.
(This info from my Buddhist wife and my own readings).
I’ll be checking them out in depth soon. And no, Maoman, I’ve got nothing against non-Buddhist groups, so I will be considering the Mennonite hospital as well. Thanks
If you are flexible enough to consider charity groups for different religions, perhaps it would be worthwhile checking out some of the other groups in Taiwan. A couple:
An organization that helps women in Taiwan – runaway aboriginal teens who have ended up working on their backs and battered women. (I forgot the name – does anybody know?) I’ve heard that it is really good.
Society of Wilderness – outreach, educational work for the environment. Can’t argue with anything that teaches Taiwanese (and Chinese communities around the world) how to appreciate wilderness.
Mesheel, do you really have to make these kind of comments? There are corrupt religious and charity organizations everywhere, even in your own beloved country.
Enzo+: I would trust my money to Tzu Chi “the organization run by the tiny thin nun from Hualian” I don’t know the other two, but would like to learn more.
I thought one of her followers spilled the beans on who the supposed doctor was that denied medical care, because the doc didn’t think she could afford it, to an aboriginal woman while she was enduring a miscarriage. The tale is often quoted as the reason “Dharma Master Cheng Yen” (the thin bald nun) kicked off her charity efforts. She herself never named him but often quoted the story. Apparently (to my understanding) the quack sued them and scored oodles of lolly. Later the Tzu Chi said they had witnesses to the actual event but refused to counter sue because they’d prefer to concentrate on their charity :shock:
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Was it a malpractice suit?
I thought one of her followers spilled the beans on who the supposed doctor was that denied medical care, because the doc didn’t think she could afford it, to an aboriginal woman while she was enduring a miscarriage. The tale is often quoted as the reason “Dharma Master Cheng Yen” (the thin bald nun) kicked off her charity efforts. She herself never named him but often quoted the story. Apparently (to my understanding) the quack sued them and scored oodles of lolly. Later the Tzu Chi said they had witnesses to the actual event but refused to counter sue because they’d prefer to concentrate on their charity :shock:
[quote]BTW, just today I found a website that has a list of loads of Taiwanese charities, social organizations, cancer foundations etc: it’s www.tpic.org.tw[/quote]
My husband and I are looking for a child support program, the kind where you become “godparents” to an orphan or child in miserable circumstances and basically finance its life/education by paying an (affordable) monthly amount. We are looking for a Taiwanese child because I hope that this would be a nice way to keep links with Taiwan after I leave. I found a link to worldvision on the website mentioned above. Any other suggestions?
[quote]My husband and I are looking for a child support program, the kind where you become “godparents” to an orphan or child in miserable circumstances and basically finance its life/education by paying an (affordable) monthly amount. We are looking for a Taiwanese child because I hope that this would be a nice way to keep links with Taiwan after I leave. I found a link to worldvision on the website mentioned above. Any other suggestions?
[/quote]
We’re doing that through Worldvision for a couple of impoverished orphaned kids down in Nantou County.
One of them is now almost 17 (we started sponsoring him when he was 8). The kids send you letters and photos a few times a year through the charity – they don’t get to know who their sponsors are, I don’t think. Anyway, this kid somehow made the effort to find out who we are and he actually came to visit us in Taipei recently. He’s doing well, getting ready to go to university and he credits this purely and simply to Worldvision. They didn’t turn him into a bible-thumper, either.
The other one is still a little tot, but she sends us drawings and stuff.
Actually, I would like to be in touch with the kid. Is it a World Vision policy that they don’t want the kids to know the sponsors? Glad about the bible-thumper thing, too. I’m a Christian but don’t support too much missionary pressure.
As far as I know, it’s not a policy at all - you’re free to write letters, etc. (sent through the agency) but I think they request no gifts, possibly in the interests of peace in the community. And some sponsors have actually visited their children I believe.
That’s correct, although it seems to be flexible. They had no objections to the odd gifts we have given – things like basketball shoes, books and the like.
Also correct. Although the only time stopped by (unnanounced) he was away at some camp or other, so we didn’t see him. We did get shown around the orphanage and met some of the other kids though.
A word of warning if like me you’re a minion of the antichrist – Worldvision is a Christian charity, but from what I’ve seen, the religious aspect is kept low-key.
There’s an article here about another local children’s charity I haven’t heard of so cannot comment on.
