Meet Chunyuan, our Mentors Coordinator

We spoke with Chunyuan about her experience raising awareness about refugees in Taiwain and her role supporting mentors who work directly with our clients.

I have an undergraduate degree in Chinese literature in Taiwan, but I developed my passion for international development and humanitarianism during this degree. I started an initiative in Taiwan to raise awareness of refugee issues. I now work as a young people support worker at a charity in London.

At REFEO, I coordinate and speak to mentors to make sure everything is okay with them and their relationship with their mentees. I can provide answers to any questions they have about their mentorship position. 

What motivates you with this work?

I wanted to work with refugees in the UK because Taiwan does not accept refugees, unlike the UK. However, adult refugees here do not receive very many resources or support. They want to access employment and education, but face many issues accessing these. Refugees and asylum seekers should be able to access services to develop their skills and find jobs when they are allowed to. 

Knowing how to provide support has been the biggest takeaway for me from this position. I had a client who is a mother and has two young children and wants to access employment. When I was her mentor, I wanted to find good childcare facilities for her. When I told her about these opportunities, she said that she could not leave her child as she cannot clearly express her experiences and what happened to her. I was challenged to figure out how to best give support and meet her needs, which is the most rewarding part of this work for me. 

I volunteer at REFEO because I want to contribute to something meaningful, and it helps that there is a knowledge that changes take place because people put the time and effort into it, and I want to be a part of that. 

What is your favourite place in the world and why?

My favourite place is where I am right now. I have to like the place I’m living to want to stay here. If I don’t like the place I am in, I will change that. Tying back to the asylum system, if I don’t think the laws or systems are good enough, I want to change it to something better.

And finally, what brings you joy at the moment?

Being able to have epiphanic moments and behavioural change by talking to people or reading research papers makes me the happiest, because it is a sign that I’m moving to where I’m meant to be. I hope today I’m different than I was yesterday.

If you are interested in volunteering with us or would like more information, please reach out.