Civil society groups launch initiative to help Ukraine

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) Several civil society groups, led by the Here I Stand Project (HISP), on Thursday announced an initiative that seeks to collect medical supplies and devices from Taiwanese to donate to war-torn Ukraine.

The initiative aims to collect medical supplies and devices from private citizens or companies in Taiwan and donate them to Ukraine, HISP Deputy Executive Secretary Cynthia Yang (楊欣慈) said at a press conference held at the Legislative Yuan.

There are abundant resources in Taiwan that can be allocated to help the people of Ukraine affected by the Russian invasion, Yang said, adding that the initiative seeks to bring them together and put them to good use.

The group said it has so far sent about US$20,000 worth of medical devices donated by Chang Gu Biotechnology to a hospital in Kyiv.

Other Taiwanese groups that have expressed support for the initiative include the Formosa Republican Association, Taiwan Stands With Ukraine, and the Asia-Pacific Liberal Women Association.

As part of the initiative, a website was also launched on Thursday to provide information about scholarships and job openings in Taiwan for Ukrainians.

Yang said while scholarship information was gathered from university websites, HISP has also been in talks with companies such as Show Chwan Healthcare System that are willing to provide job opportunities for Ukrainian people.

The medical group, which operates eight branches of Show Chwan Memorial Hospital across Taiwan, has pledged to offer several positions, including in research and the field of international business development, for Ukrainian people wanting to work in Taiwan.

In addition, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Mark Ho (何志偉) said in a prerecorded video that his office at the Legislature would provide internship opportunities to Ukrainian people based in Taiwan, without providing further details.

"I'm sure that once we work together, we can help more people, and we can help to achieve peace," Ho added.

According to Yang, Taiwan-based HISP was founded by a group of young people in January 2021 with the aim of increasing Taiwan's visibility in the international community.