The reasons for homelessness – “Homeless Taiwan”

Sitting in front of the bustling Longshan Temple (龍山寺) in Taipei City’s Wanhua District (萬華), Bangka Park (艋舺公園) is a place where homeless people often congregate. Mainstream society often stereotypes homeless people as gamblers, drunks, idlers and slackers etc., but actually, if people took the time to get to know them, it would become apparent that each and every homeless person has a unique and fascinating story to tell. Though the majority of homeless people have also seen good times in the past, for reasons ranging from industrial injuries to just plain bad luck, many find themselves navigating through incredibly rough times without any real support, and eventually hit rock bottom.

“Homeless Taiwan” is a group of front-line volunteer workers serving the homeless in Taiwan. In 2014, the group officially launched an expansion drive, implementing homeless self-reliance programs like Hidden Taipei (街遊), an alternative walking tour that employs ex-homeless people as tour guides. The tour provides tourists with not only the history and culture of the area, but also the gritty life experiences of the tour guides from their days living on the streets.

The reasons for homelessness – “Homeless Taiwan”

URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/284421

(以下是中文對照)

街友之所以為街友 芒草心慈善協會

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台北市萬華區，人來人往的龍山寺旁邊有一座艋舺公園，是台北街友的聚集地之一。主流社會對街友的想像不外乎是愛賭博、酗酒、不務正業、好吃懶作…等刻板印象。實際與街友們相處後，你會發現每一個人都有不同的生命故事。或許是因為工殤，或因為際遇不佳，許多街友都有曾經輝煌的一面，卻在人生遇到低潮時，沒有足夠的支持力量，而不斷的往下墜。

芒草心慈善協會是由一群在第一線服務街友的工作者組成，從2014年開始正式擴展，實際執行街友自立方案，例如以街友導覽員計畫，讓街友帶領大家走入萬華，認識萬華的歷史文化，也了解街友在萬華的生活軌跡。