A small, dim, and low-roof house is home to Ali's family, his grandmother, father, and sister, 4 of them. His father, a hard worker of no choice, pours out all his energy in supporting the entire family.
This February was the first time meeting Ali at his home. A cycling soul was stirred when Ali saw the video of our Chiayi cycling event.
A never-seen undivided attention and curiosity were shown on his face. Ali was a quiet kid. However, when we invited him to join our next cycling event, the excitement on his face showed us a different person.
The first night on the preparation day of the cycling event, Ali was not shy of his quietness. Talking to him would only get "Yeah." and "I don't know." answers. But his quietness was broken by three key words, "box office movies." His eyes shined and started sharing his experiences with movies and the visual and sound effects. His heart was opened.
Addicting to mobile games and internet, Ali's dad had no extra energy to care for him, but to rely on school and church teachers. His father only knew to discipline him harshly when he made mistakes. Ali then started to make friends outside of the school and not going home until late evenings.
With this situation and his bad attitudes, we talked to his school teacher and decided to halt his practices with the team for the cycling event, in hope to teach him to be responsible for the school and his attitudes. Adolescence isn't an easy time, but his family, teachers, and we are hoping to guide Ali to a right path.
Throughout this event, Ali had shown his passion toward cycling and bikes. He worked well in teams, helping others, and made friends. Being in the repair team, he was proactive and willing to step up when someone's bike had any problem. Little by little, Ali had grown and changed. Being a social worker and mentor to them, this is what we hope to see and the reason we don't give up on anyone.
by Social Worker Phoebe