Accept hardship gladly and enjoy the process
we established CAN Culture, Art & Nature in 2010, hoping that it would become a cultural and creative social enterprise, which is good for society and community. We wanted to drive urban and rural sustainable development through the filtration of culture and creativity. We care about various issues, such humanities and cultures, land environment, disadvantaged students and industrial innovation, and practice the ideas of culture and creativity in these issues.
Return to Hometown for Accompany
In 2006, I formed a Loofah Team at Youmu Elementary School and started growing loofah in campus with the children for them to learn farming and giving. We sold the loofahs and earned their tuitions and miscellaneous fees, school lunch fees and dream funds. I also took the children to Lanyu, learned to compose proposals, plan tour itineraries and negotiate sponsorships, as well as accomplished my first cycling trip around the island.
Green Grass Occupational School
We found the 70-year-old hospital, Ailin Hospital, along Sanxia Old Street at the end of 2016. Through the design and planning by CAN Culture, Art & Nature, we reconstructed the old hospital into “HAKSIP Village” and established a space for teenager occupational cultivation – Green Grass Occupational School.
The old hospital that benefited the people – Ailin Hospital
We found this 70-year-old building, the former site of Ailin Hospital, by Sanxia Old Street by chance at the end of 2016. Through the collective planning between CAN Culture, Art & Nature and Taiwan Sustainable City and Town Caring Association, and combined with B+P Architects, the building was constructed into a quality food shop, HIDEKAWA Domestic Soybean Products. We also raised funds to build a vocational training school, i.e. Green Grass Occupational School, for the teens in Sanxia as a field for occupational exploration for disadvantaged teenager so that that could have the power to find life again.
Hold Children's Hand to Embark on the Project to Bring Disadvantaged Children Travel Around the Island to Fulfill Their Dreams with No Exit System
During summer in 2019, Grass Book House and Grass Function School organized the cycling around island project for the 4th year. Starting from Tamsui, team members would travel around the island along the west coast, which was a self-challenge with a total length of 1,012km and 2 weeks. At the departure ceremony, it also invited parents to write down words of wishes on special bands that are tied to the bicycles as wishes to children. Many team members felt touched and hugged each other to show encouragement. The island trip was kicked off with such warm scene.
