Zonta District 31 provides COVID-19 emergency relief to immigrants in Taiwan

In May 2021, due to the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan, economics and people’s living were severely affected and the new immigrants especially had a great impact on family livelihoods. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education of Taiwan announced distance learning, so many new immigrant women had to borrow money to buy computers or use their own mobile phones for their children to take remote courses. 

According to the statistics from the Immigration Department of the Ministry of the Interior, there are currently about 560,000 immigrants in Taiwan and about 200,000 new immigrants have not yet obtained Taiwan ROC’s identity cards. The new immigrants without the cards were not included in the bailout, which affected their living and those new immigrant women have nowhere to ask for help.

To fulfill the service project “Zonta Gives Love to Taiwan New Immigrants” in 2020-2022, Zonta District 31 launched the action of COVID-19 Epidemic Emergency Relief for New Immigrants. Taiwan’s National Immigration Coalition was entrusted to co-organize the application and review eligible families, especially single-parent new immigrant women, to receive a relief fund of NT$10,000 (US$357) per household. Through the generous donations of 23 Zonta Clubs in Taiwan, NT$1.4 million (US$50,000) was raised in just five days, and a total of 140 families were helped. During the epidemic, the emergency relief was carried out to help disadvantaged families of new immigrants to tide over the difficulties. Helping others is always Zontians’ spirit!