Charting a Life’s “Voyage”: The Sunflower Girls Return from a Successful Solo Canoeing Island-Circuit

▲ The Sunflower Girls successfully circumnavigated the island by canoe. (Photo provided by the Urban People Foundation)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

How many children can paddle a canoe, battling the scorching sun and huge waves for hours each day, to complete a 1,200-kilometer island-circling journey? The “Sunflower Girls,” all under 18 years old, did just that. Once a group of unhappy and unfulfilled young girls, they accomplished an almost two-month-long canoeing island adventure on the 23rd, returning to their starting point—the banks of the Tamsui River.

Under the guidance of the Urban People Foundation, the Sunflower Girls set off from Tamsui in New Taipei City on July 1st, traveling counterclockwise along the west coast. The girls faced numerous challenges amid the harsh winds and waves at sea, with their highest record being 35 kilometers paddled in a single 7-hour stretch. At their most difficult moments, they encountered 5-meter-high waves and winds as strong as Force 6.

But for the girls, the challenges were not just weather-related—they also included sunburns and peeling skin from hours under the blazing sun, collapsing on the beach from exhaustion, and even snapping their paddles in frustration after spinning in place against the current. The greatest transformation in completing the challenge was learning self-control and growth in managing emotional struggles, gradually gaining the ability to adjust their own moods and find a sense of security. For example, “Tutu,” who used to cry in fear even at the thought of stepping into a swimming pool, once capsized during training at Bai Sha Bay and broke down sobbing. But now, even when afraid, she no longer cries or shouts—instead, she sings to calm herself or jumps straight into the sea, waiting until her emotions stabilize before continuing to paddle forward.

Through this island-circling journey, the Urban People Foundation hopes more people will join in the effort to protect abused girls. To build them a home where they no longer live in fear and can become self-reliant, the foundation is actively promoting the construction of the “Sunflower Vitality Village,” which includes operating homestays and coffee dining services, a vibrant home offering ongoing support, a vitality workshop for empowerment and capacity building, and opportunities for companies to participate as one-day volunteers for service learning.