Last Sunday, we saw how an archery program transformed the lives of children in a remote Taitung community. Today we return to Taitung''s Luye Township, to visit another local establishment created to keep kids off the streets. This is the Ruiyuan Study Center, where children get homework help that they can''t always get at home. Volunteers come to provide counseling and teach a wide variety of skills, like woodworking and meditation. The Ruiyuan Study Center is free to the children, and it''s always coming up with creative ways to stay afloat financially. Join us on a visit in our Sunday special report.

This tutor working with a schoolchild is Chiang Wen-hua . She returned to her hometown in Taitung, after graduating from a university in Kaohsiung. During the day, she’s a preschool teacher. At night, she’s one of the long-term volunteers who look after the local children.

Chiang Wen-hua
Volunteer
They all attend the same classes at school, but some lack support from their families. Some of them indeed do go home after school and their parents teach them and go through their homework with them. But others might have only themselves to lean on. So there really is a difference in the resources they have.

Liao Chung-hsun
Afterschool study center head
When we were setting up this study center, we had a notion of our own, which was that we wanted to see if we could do this project without government subsidies. We wanted to do this with support from local volunteers. Early on, our approach to teaching was: First, the teachers work with the kids on their homework. Then, the teachers teach whatever they know.

This approach has made the curriculum extremely diverse, with classes ranging from meditation to woodworking.

Liao Chung-hsun
Afterschool study center head
For example, we had a kid on the archery team who already graduated. He used to be quite far behind in his classes, so he’d always act out, seeking attention. He was too energetic. In the end, he joined our woodworking class and our sewing class. Now he’s our little teaching assistant. That is to say, he’s gotten back his confidence.

The study center offers counseling as well as vouchers for free breakfasts at cooperating restaurants. How does it operate without government subsidies? How are all these expenses paid?

One way they raise funds is by holding charity sales. They also run unmanned stores that are based on the honor system. This means that shoppers are trusted to pay before leaving. Today, thanks to funds from these ventures, the afterschool program is sustainable. But still hasn’t been able to find its ideal location.

The afterschool classes were originally housed in a small hut offered rent-free to the organization. But after a few years based there, problems started surfacing.

Tseng Jui-hui
Afterschool study center principal
At that venue, you stepped out onto an extremely dangerous road. Of course, we have to consider our students’ safety when choosing a venue. We also had to consider the impact it would have on the peace and quiet of our neighbors.

Two years ago, the study center moved to its current space, which is owned by the government. Although the location is safer, the space is one large room with no dividers to separate children who have finished their work and those who haven’t. The association says it seeks a more suitable place. Meanwhile, the archery team is also struggling with a shortage of resources.

Chiu Ling-li
Archery coach
In normal competitions, they use foam targets. But we can only use these plain ones made from straw. These targets are not as expensive as the foam ones, but they are more prone to spoiling, especially in Taitung’s humid climate. The wind and sun and frequent usage make the centers cave in like a nest, like in this target here.

Lo Tao-hsun
Ruey Yuen Elementary principal
Archery comes with a lot of expenses. You go through a lot of equipment. For example, one arrow alone costs NT$400. A bow is about NT$10,000 to NT$20,000. Another thing is that the equipment must be adapted to the child’s body. So when they grow up or if they get fatter, you have to adjust the equipment and get a different bow.

Pennies are saved anywhere they can be saved. New students inherit chest guards from the older ones. If they don’t fit properly, they get fixed in place with safety pins or clips until they can be worn no more. To raise funds, coach Chiu Ling-li 邱陵莉applied for sponsorships and subsidies through a government platform.

Lo Tao-hsun
Ruey Yuen Elementary principal
I think that outstanding athletes should be looked after. There are many schools like ours, schools with students eager to learn. Schools that care about promoting projects like this. It’s possible someone mig