A Taiwanese charity on Monday donated 888 rolls of fabric with a total length of 74km to Guatemala, in the hopes of helping those participating in the “Improving the Socioeconomic Conditions of Women Program” to start their own business.
On behalf of the Taiwanese charity — which asked not to be named — Ambassador to Guatemala Miguel Li-Jey Tsao (曹立傑) donated the fabric to Sara Lopez, who leads the Secretariat of Social Work of the President’s Wife (SOSEP), a Guatemalan organization that implements social programs to benefit children and women, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Guatemala said.
Tsao and Lopez cohosted the donation ceremony, the embassy said.
Photo courtesy of the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Guatemala
The fabric was donated with the help of the US-based SimplyHelp Foundation, Tsao said, adding that this was the first time the Taiwanese charity had donated fabric to Guatemala, but that it has a history of delivering material to Central American countries, and nations in eastern Europe and Africa.
Lopez thanked the Taiwanese government for working with non-governmental organizations to provide Guatemala with the material.
Guatemalan children, women and the elderly continue to benefit from Taiwan’s support, and its donations would help social programs run by SOSEP to be implemented more smoothly, she said.
Candida Mariela Mendez, a representative of participants in the program, thanked Taipei and the organization for the donation.
Every roll of fabric gives those who might have missed out on educational opportunities the chance to build their own business, Mendez said, adding that she and other program participants now have hope for the future.
The two nations celebrated 90 years of diplomatic ties this year, and Tsao said that Taipei would continue to reinforce governmental and nongovernmental collaboration with Guatemala, and work to enhance the welfare of Guatemalans and Taiwanese.
Guatemala is one of 13 countries to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with Belize being the only other Central American nation to maintain ties with Taipei.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could