Stepping out of the classroom into Alian Township - City busses provide the first step in caring for the community!

A group of youngsters stand at the bus stop in front of Alian District Office in Kaohsiung, where conversing with elderly residents in their somewhat less than perfect Taiwanese, they hope to better understand the lives of old people. The activity is part of a program from Kaohsiung Community Vision Empowerment Center (高雄社區願景培力中心) to cultivate a new kind of community spirit. It is hoped that the guidance and experience of the course will not only help youngsters cultivate the skills to research and record information, but also expose them to different viewpoints on their hometown, thereby increasing their likelihood of participating in community service activities.

Through wearing “ageing suits”, which simulate the physical effects associated with ageing, students attempted to understand the obstacles seniors often face in life due to physiological decline. The ageing suits provided students with direct firsthand experience of what life is like when you are unable to straighten your spine, hindered from walking forward, and handicapped with blurred vision. 

Following seniors with a camera, participating teenagers discovered many difficulties that elderly people encounter on buses, such as struggling with overly high steps while entering and leaving busses, or trying to ring the bell to stop the bus when they aren’t tall enough; they also realized that those of advanced years may require the assistance of others to keep their home spick and span.

After discussions and data collation, the information and photographs were pieced together with students’ views and ideas into a small presentation, which was then shared with local residents and the community. It is hoped that bringing together divergent viewpoints and ideas will help unearth new and exciting ways to link up with and create a dialogue with the community. 

Stepping out of the classroom into Alian Township - City busses provide the first step in caring for the community!

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/316637

(以下是中文對照)

離開教室走入阿蓮 從搭公車開始社區關懷

高雄阿蓮區公所前的公車站牌下，一群青少年用著不是很標準的台語，跟候車的阿嬤聊天，試著從搭公車的話題來稍微的了解長輩們的生活。這是高雄社區願景培力中心所舉辦的社區新生力培植計畫，希望透過引導及體驗課程，青少年能夠發揮紀錄的專長，透過不同的觀點再次認識家鄉，進而提高參與社區服務的可能性。
為了能夠更加了解長輩在日常生活因為生理狀況所可能造成的障礙，青少年們穿著模擬長者身體狀況的「彭祖裝」，不僅腰桿打不直，舉步困難，眼前更是一片模糊，但是有了這個經驗，讓他們更能站在長輩的角度替他們著想。

參與的青少年人手一相機的跟著阿嬤搭公車，除了發現長者搭公車所會遇到的困難，例如階梯太高不好上下，以及按不到下車鈴等問題之外，他們也察覺到阿嬤因年事已高，在居住環境的整理上可能需要旁人協助。

在經過討論與整理過後，將匯集到的資料與照片加上他們的觀點和想法，製作成一則小成果與當地居民分享，期望透過不同的點子能夠和社區有更多的連結和對話。