TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) held a graduation ceremony for 65 alternate service members who will be sent to 14 countries to conduct foreign aid technical work for 10 months — including six who will be deployed to Somaliland for the first time.
Three service members specializing in information will cooperate with Somaliland government departments and medical institutions to improve information-sharing efficiency, while two public health and nursing specialists will help strengthen the East African nation’s maternal and infant healthcare system. Meanwhile, a marketing specialist will also assist farmers to establish a fruit and vegetable production and sales chain, according to a Taiwan ICDF press release.
Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Tah-ray Yui (俞大㵢) reminded service members to always remember they represent Taiwan’s mission of foreign aid. It is not only a responsibility but also an honor, he said, adding the host country’s different culture and customs should be recognized and respected with humility.
Following a basic course, the 65 recruits participated in four weeks of preparatory training. Assigned destinations include the Marshall Islands in the Pacific to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Paraguay in South America, according to Y.C. Tsai (蔡允中), director general of the foreign ministry’s Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs.
