A 61 year old Taiwanese vegetable vendor named Chen Shu-Chu (陳樹菊) was awarded recently by Time Magazine in its annual Time's 100 Most Influential People gala in New York. Not only Ms Chen donating over NT$10 million to different charitable institutions remarkable but also the fact everything she donates comes from her modest income in selling vegetables which she has been doing since she was 13 years old. Her simple outlook in life allows her to do the one greatest thing most people, ordinary and rich, often neglect to see, charity.
Since then she became a popular figure in Taiwan. Had not been to President Ma Ying-Jiu's telephone call urging her to attend the award's ceremony in New York, Ms Chen although very grateful of the award wishes to stay in Taiwan and do what she loves most, selling veggies. But how can a citizen refused a request from the president escpecially if it involves being recognized as a nation? After all she is now considered the pride of Taiwan.(picture c/o http://www.taiwantoday.tw/)
Unfortunately, her story is one of the many stories which media often neglect to write or catches little interest from us. Now that her charitable act was publicly known the media would surely keep an eye on her every move, politicians will try to get involve on her cause. I hope she gets support to continue and widen her charitable act not for someone's personal gain or career but for the benefit of the often neglected people in our society. I hope Taiwan will celebrate not only the recognition it gets as a nation but the noble value of ordinary people doing extraordinary work. As Ms Chen would say, "What is the prize for? It's not a contest!"
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