by Xin Yage

Over 50 thousand young people fast for 30 hours against hunger in Taiwan and around the world and collect 13 million dollars to give to those who suffer. While a student at the age of 15 wins a prize for scientific research on lung cancer. Local priest: "An immense crowd, that is quite stunning."

Taipei (AsiaNews) - With an empty stomach and a mega prize for scientific research, the young people of Kaohsiung (Taiwan southwestern) show their commitment to the poor and the sick. On February 2, over 50 thousand young people fasted for 30 hours against hunger in the national stadium. Now in its 24th edition, the Famine Hero Rally had as protagonists the Taiwanese rock star Wu Bai and other young local artists.

They  set up a mega concert to raise 13 million U.S. dollars to donate to needy families in Taiwan and the poor in Lesotho. The young crowd was also joined by Chen Chu (陈菊), mayor of Kaohsiung. Father Joseph Chen (陈礼 耕) parish of St. Catherine (圣 加大 利纳 天主堂) participated in the meeting with a group of boys of the parish center. Interviewed by AsiaNews, he was surprised to see "a huge crowd of young people involved in the fight against hunger."

But the commitment of the young people of Kaohsiung is also strong in research projects in medicine. Last February 2, the Taiwan International Science Fair, awarded Kuo Chin-hsin, a student of only 15 years for a study on resistin protein, also known as ADSF (adipose tissue-specific secretory factor) or XCP1 (C/EBP- epsilon-regulated myeloid-specific secreted cysteine-rich protein). Despite her young age, she has found a way to ultilizzare the protein in the diagnosis of lung cancer and new methods for treatment of care.

Kuo Chin-hsin is a first year student at the Higher Secondary School affiliated to the National University of Kaohsiung Normal (高 师大 附中). The girl is the daughter of a professor of medicine at the local University and since childhood has spent many hours a week doing research experiments in the lab and learning the basics of medicine. Her project and its presentation surprised all the judges for the accuracy and large collection of information that has enabled her to answer all the questions of the professors in carefully documented answers.
Kuo told AsiaNews she was happy and honoured for the prize for her research that for months has kept her away from her school. The second and third prizes went to two other students: Hsu Yu-fang (许毓芳) and Carolin Charlotte Lachner, for their studies in mathematics and engineering.

 

• taiwan
• youth
• students
• fast
• for
• poverty
• hunger
• science
• award
• research