Eden Foundation started to organize children's experiential camps in 2023, allowing elementary school children to learn to accept and respect the differences of others and build empathy through DIY crafts, group recreation games, and other rich and diverse courses, as well as to get along with persons with disabilities. 24 students and 12 volunteers went to Xinzhuang Happiness Disability Day Care Center, Xinzhuang Touqianzhuang Disability Day Care Center, and Xinzhuang Happiness Small-scale Sheltered Community Workshop, which were commissioned by the Social Affairs Bureau of New Taipei City Government, where they spent an unforgettable day creating pour paintings and practicing Tee-ball with the service users.
Eden organized an experiential camp for children, and today they came to the disability service center to be the one-day volunteers.
In the morning session, the children were divided into two groups and went to Xinzhuang Happiness Disability Day Care Center and Xinzhuang Touqianzhuang Disability Day Care Center to participate in the weekly art creation class “Pour Painting” with service users. At the beginning, most of the children had never been in contact with pour painting before, they could not control the direction of the water flow, nor could they grasp the result of the collision between the paint and the water, each of them was in a mess. At this time, the service users of the center immediately transformed themselves into art instructors, patiently and professionally assisting the children, and their cute attitude of mutual help and cooperation made everyone smile.
In the morning, Eden arranged the children and the service users of the Disability Day Care Center to create pour paintings together.
In the afternoon, a special arrangement was made for the children to go to the Touqian Park with our service users from Xinzhuang Happiness Small-scale Sheltered Community Workshop to practice ball games in preparation for the upcoming Taiwan-wide “Tee-ball Competition” organized by Eden. Even though the sun was shining brightly, when they picked up the bats and stepped on the bases, all the kids and adults on the field were enthusiastic, happily swinging the bats, running around and playing a great game with teamwork.
In the afternoon, a Tee-ball game was arranged between the little volunteers and the service users of the Small-scale Sheltered Community Workshop.
Mr. Hsiao-Wei Chu, Director of Eden's Volunteer Activity Center, said that to enrich the children's experience and increase their willingness to participate, the Children's Experiential Camp has been adjusting and trying out the activities every year, focusing on the children's participation in the past. This year, as the Taiwan-wide “Tee-ball Competition” organized by Eden will start in August, the program not only arranges pour painting art creation interaction, but also lets the children serve as practice volunteers, hoping that mutual assistance and cooperation during the process will enable the participants to know more about the needs of persons with disabilities and build up their sense of empathy.
Under the guidance of the coach, the children played Tee-ball with our service users.
“Unlike other camps that focus on talent and academic work, Eden Summer Children's Experiential Camp, through various experiential activities, life story sharing and hands-on volunteer work, the children learn to be tolerant, accept differences and be aware of the needs of others, thus acquiring the “soft power” to carry along with them,” said Mr. Chu.
In addition to the summer children's experiential camp, Eden's Volunteer Activity Center also organizes the “Journey of the Heart” and the “Service Learning Camp”, recruiting students who are concerned about the underprivileged or members of the community to serve as volunteers, and to feel the beauty of giving through companionship and daily life experience. Interested ones are welcome to visit Eden's official website and Eden Volunteer Center's fan page of Facebook to learn more.
