YOUTH IGNITE | Empowering Taiwan's Next Generation

In response to climate change and the pursuit of sustainable land and environmental practices, The Mustard Seed Mission (MSM) has established a community support network to assist local indigenous youth in finding employment and building their lives in their hometowns. On the 25th, an inauguration ceremony for the "Trinity Food and Agriculture Cultural Education Center" was held in Meiyuan Tribe, Hsinchu County. Dr. Ren-Song Tsay, Chairman of MSM, stated that promoting food and agricultural culture education not only creates job opportunities but also empowers local small farmers for self-sustainability, helping indigenous youth return to their to cultivate hometowns e both land and cultural industries, thus contributing to sustainable value. He invites people to support and join in realizing a community support network that promotes self-reliance, mutual welfare, and coexistence.

Dr. Ren-Song Tsay said that MSM has a 71-year history of humanitarian service. Through this journey, we realized that many young people were leaving for urban employment, while the tribes remained underdeveloped. Therefore, our goal is to assist young people in settling down in their hometowns and achieving a comfortable and fulfilling life. Economic and industrial development serves as the first step towards this objective.

In the Bible, Abraham, known as the 'Father of Faith,' did not move to fertile plains, but God blessed him with wisdom and prosperity. Today, Israel is the world's largest producer of flowers, showcasing the glory of God. God has orchestrated Teacher Xiahe's engagement in industrial empowerment. We hope that the 'Trinity Food and Agriculture Cultural Education Center' of MSM will continually flourish, becoming a model, and encouraging more young people to return to their hometowns for work. We follow the service principles of “Cultivation, Growth, Sharing, and Inheritance," aiming to empower more individuals to achieve self-sufficiency, share with others, and pass down knowledge through generations. We will continue to promote the development of tribal rural industries across Taiwan and invite more people to join and support their efforts!

Xiahe, who has been promoting natural agriculture in the tribal areas of Jianshi Township for over a decade, is a consultant for MSM's indigenous industry development. He has been advocating food and agriculture education nationwide and utilizing industrial development to attract indigenous youth back to their hometowns. Xiahe mentioned that this site preserves the ancestral teachings of the Atayal culture and agricultural knowledge. It stands as a versatile natural classroom, combining ecological tours to promote understanding. It also guides local farmers in the tribe to create job opportunities and employs Atayal knowledge and techniques for non-toxic, healthy, and sustainable natural farming. This effort brings lasting value to both the land and cultural industries.

Yabu, a 37-year-old member of the Atayal, was nurtured by the Trinity Food and Agriculture Cultural Education Center. His mother, Meting, had previously undergone vocational training in babysitting at the Vocational Training Center, Hualien when she was young. The establishment of the Vocational Training Center aimed to equip indigenous youth with practical skills, fostering self-reliance and helping them break free from poverty. A few years ago, Yabu's mother also became actively involved in elderly care services within the tribe, becoming a significant support for the tribal elders.

In the earlier years, the tribe primarily engaged in cultivating shiitake mushrooms from felled logs, leading to the depletion of numerous tree species and causing ecological damage. Yabu said, "We can't continue cutting down trees. The issue of soil erosion is severe now, and we're witnessing nature's backlash." Due to his prolonged journeys through the mountains to collect medicinal herbs, his knees suffered severe wear and tear. In the past two years, he underwent knee surgery and now relies on crutches to walk. Amidst a lack of income, learning about the opportunity of cultivating shiitake mushrooms in space-saving bags enabled him to recognize the significant advantages they offer, including reduced labor and material consumption and efficient space utilization. Taking over his father's mushroom business, Yabu utilizes the fermentation principles of the Atayal tribe to cultivate mushrooms and is dedicated to passing down the cultural heritage of his tribe.

As the first model of a food and agricultural education field under MSM in Taiwan, the "Trinity Food and Agriculture Cultural Education Center" will replicate more centers in areas such as Taoyuan, Miaoli, Nantou, Taitung, Pingtung, and Orchid Island. It will also empower indigenous youth through the "Learning While Traveling" activity, generating income through guided tours, accommodations, transportation services, etc. MSM is constructing tribal industry models, encouraging the learning of traditional cultural practices while walking, and achieving the goal of the "Common Good”.