In 2018, Garden of Hope (GOH) invited three social workers(?) from our partner organization in Malaysia to come to our shelters as a means of sharing Taiwan’s experience. They were placed at shelters in Taoyuan and Pingtung, and at the end of their time in Taiwan, they took back what they had learned to their own organizations to improve shelter design and development there.

Reflecting on their time in Taiwan, the interns said they were impressed by the setup of the shelters, especially the Taoyuan shelter, in that there were many different types of residence available. There were several independent rooms, and the activities put on by the residential counselor were oriented to the needs of mother and child. Interns noted that GOH had a good amount of resources, allowing for investments in various facilities and the creation of outdoor spaces at the shelter.

The interns praised GOH’s support services for child witnesses of domestic violence, who are afforded time and attention by social workers, mentioning the home-visiting services offered by the Taoyuan shelter in particular.

The interns spoke appreciatively of the marriage counseling services arranged by GOH so that during divorce proceedings, the couple in question is able to thoroughly talk over the issues in the relationship. Though the trauma of divorce can take a long time to get over, they felt that such an opportunity for communication was crucial to the victims being able to move on to the next stage of their lives. They also pointed out the call-light system GOH introduced for women waiting to enter the courtroom for divorce proceedings. In the past, both parties would wait in the same room to enter the courtroom, which sometimes led to arguments erupting and even verbal abuse being directed at social workers, whereas now the women only enter the courtroom once the call light indicating the beginning of proceedings comes on. The interns felt that this method could be introduced to Malaysia.

The internship facilitated exchange and communication between the Taiwanese and Malaysian workers, strengthening our partnership and opening the door for further and deeper cooperation in the future.