Like most people born in Taiwan around 1950, Ko and Lee grew up amid tough times in Taiwan's history. But later, when the economy took off, they spent much of their lives working for a brighter future.
"I was a teacher, I was a mother; I also helped my husband run his food stall. I was so busy playing these different roles that I had no time for myself," says Ko. Because she was so busy and also wanted her two kids to get the best education, they attended a private boarding school starting from junior high, and their home consequently became an empty nest.
Three years ago, after retiring, Lee and Ko started to travel the world after reading Professor Lee Chia-tung's book Let the High Walls Fall. Deeply moved by the selfless devotion of Mother Teresa described in the book, they formed the idea of going to Calcutta to see the situation for themselves.
"When we arrived, we found it was far grimmer than what the book said. I saw maggots squirming around in a wound on the arm of a patient: the nurses and volunteers would clean and disinfect it daily, but could never get it clean." Shocked, they decided to become volunteers when they returned to Taiwan.
"It's very rewarding. We take elderly people out to sing, dance and play games, and are genuinely repaid by their innocent smiles." Every Tuesday, Lee, who heads the foundation's volunteer station, and Ko, in charge of the activities department, arrive early to decorate the venue and lead activities. They revel in their busyness, and under their stewardship the Shihlin volunteer station won an award for excellence in public service from the Ministry of the Interior.
On top of this, Ko teaches yuanji dance while Lee teaches foot reflexology. Lee first learned this skill to help relieve his wife's uterine adenoma. After her immunity improved and her CA 125 index fell from 120 to 40, Lee decided to volunteer to teach reflexology at a church, showing students how to attain a "spiritual massage" through this intimate bodily contact, and boost interaction and harmony within their families.
"In the past I had to bid for a location for my food stall, but now nobody says I have to bid for the chance to volunteer. In the past I received, but now I give," says Lee. They're both grateful that their children's independence and decency have enabled Lee and Ko to concentrate fully on their charity work. They would also like to tell their children, "Although you're like birds that have flown away, mother and father bird are still here. Anytime you want to fly back home, you'll find our open wings waiting for you!"
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