Ms. Fang Jia-qi was convinced by her neighbor to co-sell English education materials as her first job after graduating, and she has never left the industry. Since becoming the CEO of the Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation, with years of experience in the field, she has led her team to practice the principle that "life education is the foundation for turning poverty around."

Life education, formally termed, is the all-rounded development of moral, intellectual, physical, social, and aesthetic education, encompasses all aspects of life. If it switches to the language of the foundation, they're cultivating a second professional skill extracted from school education for disadvantaged children and adolescents, encompassing five major educational axes in character, occupational competency, abilities, dynamism, and international perspective.

"Every cram school is teaching children English; however, if the children have learned English but have no way to use it, then it is useless. Therefore, we hope our children will memorize English grammar in their minds by experiencing various life events or experiences." In addition to hiring foreign lecturers to teach English to the children they support during the school years, the Foundation also seeks opportunities from private companies to take the children with high attendance rate in regular classes, high scores assessments, and high cooperation in the charity performances abroad during winter and summer vacations to broaden their horizons.

Giving the Children the Value of "You Reap What You Sow"
"Example is better than precept" is the priority principle that Ms. Fang Jia-qi has managed the Foundation for over 20 years. She said that the foundation taught the children the value of money in "The children know that operating the foundation needs to raise funds itself, so they must write a proposal before they can solicit donations from the corporations." To practice Life Education is practicing the "You reap what you sow" value in real life, so we are teaching them to work in exchange for accommodation, or giving labor efforts for income."

As Occupational competency an example, like most foundations, the Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation provides many art classes such as music instrument and panting; However, it not only hires professional lecture and ask students the art results, the Foundation further sets up an "assessment system" in three levels that graded by the lecture and the foundation will award the excellent art works.

"For example, when a child has learned a song and performs in front of the public, the basic award in level 1 is NT$30. If the child is willing to improve their skills, they can receive the level 2 award for NT$50 or even NT$70 in level 3. However, it is hard to reach level 3 in NT$70." She added that, "we don't give cash to the children but toy vouchers, similar to the concept of accumulating points, which will be used as the year-end scholarship applications." In other words, the Foundation cultivates children as CEOs. "They want to be seen and identified, so our partners from the Multi-Employment Promotion Program (MEPP) are responsible for creating opportunities for them."

"Shining Starts" Project Goals to Transform into A Social Enterprise
The Foundation was established in Taichung in 1999. It initially applied the "Multi-Employment Promotion Program (MEPP)" of the Ministry of Labor until 2021, obtaining the 1-year Social Type Program that subsidized 3 project staff. The main goal of the Foundation is to complete the preliminary work in one step, treating the plan launched in 2017 as the prototype of a social enterprise, and gradually building a business model that generates income independently.

The project manager, Ms. Hong Xiang-ting, explained that the Foundation has been developing the "Shining Starts-Service Training Project for Disadvantaged Families" for several years, aiming to help disadvantaged children and adolescents develop working skills. They continuously brainstormed and experimented with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) public welfare projects suitable for corporate collaboration. Only when Ms. Fang Jia-qi determined the time was right did they begin to introduce government resources and expand manpower, preparing for the transformation into a social enterprise.

There are multiple types of public welfare projects in the Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation, and all are businesses with "monetization potential."

About cultivating occupational competency, the Foundation established a charity coffee shop, Chica Café, in 2016. On one hand, they partnered with OKLAO, a specialty coffee chain, and Min Shiou Bakery, a gold medalist in the Taichung Sun Cake Creative Competition, to offer training courses. On the other hand, they printed children's selected artwork on drip coffee packaging and charity gift boxes. "Each bag of coffee represents a child's story, which is a very touching marketing angle when explaining to corporate clients." The café's annual profits are used to develop other service programs.

In terms of skills, the Foundation encourages students who can play various instruments such as saxophone, piano, guitar, ukulele, and drums, as well as dance, to join the Shining Start Orchestra. They assist in designing activities showcasing their learning outcomes, including occasional street performances after class. During winter and summer vacations, they are invited to perform at corporate year-end parties, spring banquets, and other casual gatherings.

Instead of these two common revenue-generating businesses, the Foundation has developed a unique sales channel: Painting Rentals. This business idea was inspired by Ms. Fang when she was studying for her EMBA (Executive Master of Business Administration) degree. "Real estate developers need to decorate artworks in their show flats. They can't afford genuine works and won't consider forgeries. Our children's artwork is original, tells a story, and greatly enhances their charitable image!"

Become A Curator and Customize ESG Events Solutions for Corporations
In the part of corporate collaboration, which includes corporate charitable donations, customized volunteer days, corporate visits, sponsorships, and donations, as well as brand collaborations and public welfare advocacy lectures. Ms. Hong Xiang-ting explains that the role of the MEPP partner is more like a curator. When the corporate clients provide their budgets and expectations, the partners design the event content and help to execute.

She made the biennial volunteer day event for some corporations as an example. The Foundation rented a local tourism bakery factory in Taichung and let the charitable volunteers bake cookies with the assistance children. "Except for letting the staff understand how importance of an action, they also made the children understand the spirit of collaboration and professional work through the hand-making process."

Ms. Fang expressed that the culture and creative products are the Foundation's main income sources, accounting for over 70% of the total. For example, they've transformed the artworks from "Shining Stars Project" into culture and creative products, developing serious items like coffee packaging, coasters, postcards, beverage holders, and tote bags, and then seeking corporate procurement. Other business processes are still in the learning-by-doing and refinement process. Ms. Fang is gratified to have found a diverse group of partners with an experimental spirit. For instance, Ms. Hong Xiang-ting used to be a contact person for listed corporate clients, so the communication was seamless. "The basic principle of running a social enterprise is to have both business thinking and helping passion. They are not afraid to talk about money, but also understand the importance of building positive relationships; neither is dispensable."

Official Facebook Page of Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation

▲The partners of Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation are young, energetic, and creative, and they work together to create a self-reliant revenue model for the Foundation.

▲CEO Ms. Fang Jia-qi: Since we taught assistant children and adolescents how to transform from poverty, we have to do it ourselves. Excepting practical methods, we need to lead them to try all kinds of life experiences.

▲The project manager, Ms. Hong Xiang-ting, learned how to be a Curator with her MEPP partners to create ESG event plans for the corporate clients.

▲In May 2025, Mr. Xie Shui-jin, Chairman of EAST STAR SHOES CO., LTD., donated more than 200 pairs of shoes to students in schools such as Fengqiu Elementary School in Nantou through the Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation. The children were very happy and excited.
 

Case Story: Multi-Employment Promotion Program
Interviewee: Love Life Cultural and Educational Foundation

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Please attribute this article to“Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor.”