NTU’s global public health practice can be traced back to 2002. Dr. Solomon Chih-Cheng Chen, an official from the Health Administration stationed in Africa, and Professor Chang-Chuan Chan from NTU’s College of Public Health made a critical intervention in Malawi that increased the life expectancy of local residents. This marked the College of Public Health’s first academic research paper focused on healthcare practices in Africa. It made a substantial and widely recognized contribution to local public health.
In 2005, Professor Chan launched NTU’s first global health course to systematically advance related concepts, and later initiated the ”Sustainable Health Actions by National Taiwan University (SHA NTU)” project. With over two decades of relentless effort, NTU’s local practice teams have significantly improved the well-being of residents in Malawi. From its inception to expansion, this initiative has cultivated a group of outstanding practitioners and leaders in global health, paving the way for Taiwan’s future actions in the global public health arena.
One of the leaders, Rena Yokocawa, a Japanese student at NTU’s Department of Sociology, joined forces with Blessings Chiramb, a student from Mzuzu University. Together, they founded TIWACT, a cross-national education cooperation platform. TIWACT is committed to providing quality education to local schoolchildren, inspiring their imagination and broadening their life perspectives. In recognition of her contributions, Rena Yokocawa was honored with NTU’s Social Devotion Special Award in 2023.
In Malawi, education is ridden with challenges such as teacher shortages, inadequate learning resources, and limited classroom infrastructure. Economic hardship impedes children’s capacity to envision their futures and chart their life paths. These accumulated issues have a lasting impact on individuals’ motivation to attend and advance in school. The TIWACT team emphasizes the priority of “Brain Opening” — unlocking children’s imagination about the future, demonstrating their potential beyond daily existence, and empowering them to shape their destiny. This mission resonates with the meaning of the term “TIWACT.” The “TI” in TIWACT stands for “Tiwalimbikitse,” which means “let’s encourage them together” in Chichewa.
Reference: [From Inception to Expansion: Taiwan’s Global Health Practices in Malawi]
TIWACT Website
TIWACT’s Local Visits
The TIWACT Taiwan team. From left to right, Anna Lao, Rena Yokocawa, Jasmine Lee, and Jennifer Chen.
Video Source: NTU Beats Vol.06.
Rena Yokocawa, co-founder of TIWACT from NTU (second from the left), with Blessings Chirambo from Mzuzu University (first from the right) and their team members.
All participants of the Chiputula Summer Camp Program with Rena (front row, second from the left).
Chiputula Summer Camp: English Expression and Drawing Courses. Volunteer counselors interacting with children in each group and making friends with them.