Zonta Club of Hualien awards bursaries to aid 19 female students' education

To support female students in pursuing their education and encourage them to follow their dreams, the Zonta Club of Hualien, Taiwan, held a bursary award ceremony benefiting 19 outstanding students facing financial challenges.

This year, the club adjusted the ceremony format to allow award recipients more time to share their learning journeys and showcase their talents. The event created a warm and moving atmosphere, reflecting club's core spirit of accompanying with love and supporting with action.

During the review process, committee members identified several students who, while on the margins of financial hardship, demonstrated exceptional academic performance and strong commitment to their studies. The standard bursary amount of NT$10,000 per student was determined to be insufficient to meet their needs. To ensure these students were not limited by funding constraints, committee members Chen Yu-chu, Li Yu-feng and Hsieh Li-hua personally pledged additional donations on the spot. Their contributions enabled expanded awards, allowing more deserving students to receive financial support and demonstrating a principled yet compassionate approach to service.

Club President Liping Peng said that the club's mission is rooted in offering care, companionship and hope when others are in need, while providing guidance and contributing to meaningful social service. She expressed appreciation for Zonta International and its ongoing efforts to promote gender equality, advance the status of women and protect women’s rights. Through education, she said, women are empowered to transform their lives and demonstrate their capabilities to the world.

At the ceremony, Peng also made a personal donation of NT$100,000 to the Hualien City Government to support disadvantaged families, further strengthening the cycle of care and community support in Hualien.