On October 13, we had the honor of welcoming Dr. Peinado, First Lady of Guatemala, to the Garden of Hope Linkou Service Center. Together with New Taipei City’s Director of Social Affairs, Ms. Mei-Chen Li; Domestic Violence Prevention Center Director, Ms. Zhi-Qi Xu; and Deputy Director of the National Housing and Urban Regeneration Center, Ms. Xian-Chun Liu, we discussed the social housing and welfare policies for vulnerable groups and domestic violence survivors in both countries.

Led by Garden of Hope CEO, Yue-Hao Wang, and Linkou Service Center Director, Yu-Hua Li, Dr. Peinado toured the service center. She visited the women’s shelter social housing, counseling facilities at “Good Times,” the children’s support center “Sunflower House,” and the SMART Room(Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment Room) designed to aid sensory recovery for affected children. Director Li and the staff introduced Dr. Peinado to the Garden of Hope’s efforts in supporting the recovery journeys of women and children who have experienced abuse.

“By addressing housing issues, we are already halfway to solving the challenges individuals face. Our focus is on residence-centered services, and we continually advocate for the critical importance of housing,” explained CEO Yue-Hao Wang to Dr. Peinado.

During the visit, Dr. Peinado expressed keen interest in the Garden of Hope’s services, asking questions about privacy protections for women in social housing and how social workers manage workplace trauma. She also shared that Guatemala has been actively advancing social housing policies and social work programs in recent years.

“Guatemala is committed to supporting various groups, including children aged 0-6, women’s economic security, the elderly, people with disabilities, and refugees at the Guatemalan border. The role of the social sector is to protect young people from violence,” she added.

Director Lee Mei-chen from New Taipei City’s Social Affairs Bureau, who also participated in the meeting, shared with Dr. Peinado the current landscape of Taiwan’s social policy development. Director Lee highlighted that Taiwan now emphasizes cross-departmental collaboration, noting that building a robust social safety net is essential to ensure no one in need is overlooked. Beyond practical work, continuous policy improvement is also a critical component.

“In fact, in Taiwan, NGOs have often led the way in domestic violence prevention. Only through the persistent advocacy of these organizations can the government gain insights and make necessary improvements,” Director Lee remarked.

After the meeting, Dr. Peinado visited the Good Times Café for lunch, expressing her deep admiration for the dedication shown by the Garden of Hope Foundation. She was particularly impressed with Taiwan’s social housing policies and the services provided at the Linkou Center, hoping to incorporate Taiwan’s experience into Guatemala’s ongoing social housing initiatives.

The Garden of Hope Foundation, which started as a halfway house for girls, has recently expanded its global collaborations, striving to spread gender equality values worldwide. With special thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating this exchange, the Garden of Hope Foundation was honored to engage with Dr. Peinado and her delegation, united in the shared vision of a society free from gender-based violence and discrimination.