Taipei, April 17 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu called on the public Wednesday to support her effort to establish grants for underprivileged youth to attend elementary and junior high school.
The Sunshine Grant Fund has already offered aid to 975 young people who would not otherwise be able to afford tuition, and there are 6,900 more in need of assistance, Lu said Wednesday after a meeting with fund's workers at her office.
Although Taiwan is already considered to be a developed country, Lu said: "Many people still live in the corners of society where there is no sunshine. They can't afford to send their children to school."
Lu said she will tour the island soon to raise money for her grant fund. She said that she needs NT$35.4 million (US$1.1 million) more to meet the needs of all applicants this year. Officials of the fundraising operations will oversee the auctioning of goods donated to help Lu's cause. The auctions for the grant fund will be held in Miaoli, Taoyuan and Kaohsiung between April 20 and 21. All of the proceeds will be used to help underprivileged young people to enter school.