86-year-old volunteer guards Kaohsiung schoolchildren for 26 years

In Kaohsiung, 86-year-old Zhan Yuxia stands as a beacon of dedication, having served as a school crossing guard volunteer for 26 years. Her unwavering commitment, which has earned her the title of Kaohsiung's oldest volunteer, exemplifies the spirit of "serving as long as one lives." Zhan was honored at a ceremony celebrating school crossing guard volunteers and outstanding service units.

Kaohsiung's acting secretary-general, Wang Qichuan, highlighted the city's 5,100 crossing guard volunteers. To support these dedicated individuals, the city has raised the meal subsidy for volunteers from NT$40 to NT$60 per day starting from the first semester of the 2023 academic year. Additionally, schools will receive support to hire short-term outsourced staff for crossing guard duties, easing the burden on volunteers.

“

Live until you're old, serve until you're old.

The city is also prioritizing improvements to pedestrian environments around schools. A plan to enhance pedestrian safety for 45 schools between 2024 and 2026 has been approved for 40 schools, aiming to create safer and more accessible routes for students. These improvements, along with enhanced intersection guard posts, will create a safer and more friendly commuting corridor for students, parents, and teachers.

Zhan Yuxia, a founding volunteer at Nanyang Elementary School, has protected students for 26 years, witnessing generations grow safely. She also rallied volunteers to assist with temperature checks and epidemic prevention measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, becoming a model for campus epidemic prevention. Her greatest reward is seeing children happily go to school, and she hopes to continue volunteering until she can no longer walk.

“

Seeing the children's happy smiles when they come to school every day is the greatest reward and joy of being a volunteer. I hope to volunteer my whole life, until I can no longer walk.