Poorer than Taiwanese yet happier: 25-year-old girl starts business to fulfill dreams of Cambodian orphans

Reported by Lin Yuling, Taipei

A trip may seem uneventful at first glance, but it can truly change a person—or even the world of many. Two young women in their twenties, originally a stock market analyst and a computer engineer, led busy, routine lives in bustling Taipei. But in the summer of 2011, they both independently traveled to Cambodia. Upon returning, they unexpectedly quit their jobs, altering their own fates—and consequently, the destinies of Cambodian orphans and even more animals.

▲ Many children in Cambodia love to draw. (Photo /BCI x Rabbits)

Shi Yongqing (Natasha) and Jian Xinmei (May) are two young women around 25 years old. Both are highly capable—Natasha used to work as an analyst in the finance industry, but after years of ups and downs in the “stock market,” she never felt she had truly lived life to the fullest; May, a computer engineer, couldn’t find the “dream” command amid complex programming languages.

Just as both women felt lost about life, they independently embarked on trips to Cambodia. Natasha volunteered locally with the Eliv International Volunteer Service Team. Before this, she had never been involved in any public welfare activities, yet the local children and residents gave her a huge shock, one wave after another impacting her heart and completely redefining her notion of “happiness.”

%加捌?何atasha and May’s fates changed because of a trip to Cambodia.

When Natasha and her team arrived at the BCI Orphanage in Cambodia to distribute supplies, the children swarmed out to greet them, cheering and clapping exaggeratedly. Natasha was stunned. “I haven’t even started doing anything yet!” “How am I worthy of such applause?” “What did they do wrong? Why were they born to endure poverty and suffering?” Confusion, anger, and shock mixed in Natasha’s mind, and her spirit was deeply shaken. But the loudest voice inside her was: “Why are they so poor, yet seem so happy?”

▲ “Simple happiness” is often overlooked, but Cambodian children know how to cherish it and live in the moment. (Photo /BCI x Rabbits)

Everyone here is poorer than people in Taiwan; yet everyone cherishes happiness more than Taiwanese do. When the group visited a village for women with AIDS, someone asked a woman, “What has made you happiest recently?” The woman casually replied, “A few days ago, my husband came home to be with me and the kids—that made me really happy.” Such ordinary things are the simplest forms of happiness, yet most easily overlooked—but Cambodians know how to treasure them.

Natasha said, “We always think ‘happiness’ is something that requires a complicated process to achieve, but from them, we discovered it’s actually so simple.”Moreover, even though Cambodian children have little, they are still willing to give selflessly, to love and share unconditionally. They are willing to give you the only small thing they have, and they’re also willing to give you a warm, big hug.

▲ They have little, yet are still willing to give selflessly. (Photo /BCI x Rabbits)

After returning to Taiwan, the emotions brought by Cambodia still rippled in Natasha and May’s hearts. They didn’t want to just forget everything and continue living mundane lives. Remembering the children at the BCI Orphanage, their smiles so bright, they too had many dreams—some wanted to be painters, others teachers—but due to the orphanage’s funding difficulties and their impoverished backgrounds, they couldn’t pursue their dreams properly. “In the future, working as waitstaff at a hotel near Angkor Wat might be the best job they can get.”

Natasha and May independently quit their original jobs, planning to help the BCI children fulfill their dreams while also fulfilling their own—“to hope that this world becomes a little different because of us.” They bought several paintings by the BCI children, founded a public welfare fashion brand BCI x Rabbits, and printed the children’s artwork on T-shirts for sale. These clothes are called “Rabbit Clothes,” and for every piece sold, 221 NTD (a homophone for “two two clothes”) is donated to help the BCI Orphanage and another public welfare organization.

▲ Children at the BCI Orphanage wearing T-shirts that haven’t been sold. (Photo / BCI x Rabbits)

This month, they also helped the “Taiwan Animal Association.” Natasha and May both volunteered there and saw many disabled dogs fighting to stay alive. These includeSkal, a paralyzed Beagle using a wheelchair,who greets each day with a smile no matter how tough the treatment. There’s also the previously reportedFrench Bulldog Frenchie,who was blinded by hot water but still remains affectionate toward people. Therefore, they hope the income from Rabbit Clothes can help cover their monthly medical expenses and surgery costs, giving them a chance at a new life.

In the eyes of Natasha and May, these animals and the Cambodian orphans share a “common trait”—abandoned by their parents, their lives seemingly incomplete, yet both are brave and optimistic in facing every moment of their lives. “On the surface, we are helping them, but in reality, they’ve taught me and given me even more inspiration and rewards.” It’s reported that the BCI Orphanage hopes to build a new site with a “green-friendly environment,” which could become a model orphanage open to visitors—this way, entrance fees could also slightly alleviate the children’s expenses.

%济赘衤秤kal and French Bulldog Frankey remain optimistic despite their disabilities. (Photo / Taiwan Animal Association)

※ If you also want to help the BCI Orphanage and Taiwan Animal Association:http://www.bcixrabbits.com/