Miscanthus Heart Charitable Association provides homeless with self-reliance

Founded just over five years ago, Miscanthus Heart Charitable Association focuses on training homeless people to be tour guides. Recently, the association launched KIGE Studio (起家工作室) to promote self-reliance through helping homeless people with a trade back into work – the project has raised about NT$1.5 million in funds to date. Xu Zhe-wei (許哲韡), the person responsible for implementing this particular project at the association, said that the team renovates at least one disadvantaged family’s house per month and that the plan is to achieve a mutually beneficial and sustainable business model where tradesmen can earn a reasonable income through renovating vulnerable families’ homes.  

Xu Zhe-wei added that Miscanthus Heart Charitable Association is looking forward to establishing a mechanism to balance the relationship between “Residential Justice, Job Creation, Community Solidarity.” Although the association has not been fully operational for a long, from earlier international academic exchanges and substantive services started two years ago, it has already been successful in using innovative ways to draw public attention to the issue of homelessness. In spite of this, the association believes there is no time for complacency, stressing the importance of striving continually forward and investing even greater effort. 

Miscanthus Heart Charitable Association provides homeless with self-reliance

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/315393

(以下是中文對照)

芒草心協會 助無家者自立

照片

芒草心協會成立五年多，以「街遊」培訓無家者成為導覽員，近期更是推動「起家工作室」組織無家者成立修繕工班，推動無家者自立。目前起家工作室已募得約一百五十萬元經費，負責起家專案的芒草心協會專案執行許哲韡表示，將會至少一個月修繕一個弱勢家庭，畢竟這個計畫是想達到永續的經營，使得師傅可以獲取合理的收入，弱勢家庭也得到修繕的互助模式。

許哲韡說，芒草心期待能夠在萬華發展出兼顧「居家正義、創造就業、社區共生」的機制，雖然協會正式運作時間還沒有很長，但從早先國際的學術交流，到兩年前開始從事的實務服務，都成功的用創新的方式引起大眾對無家者議題的關注，目前要繼續前進，還需要花費更多的心力。