To mitigate social isolation and loneliness among Taiwan's elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tainan-based National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL) has launched a "creative aging" toolkit project to help senior citizens find their voices and a renewed connection with the world by putting their life stories into words. The project will run from June to September and is now open for applications until May.
In this NMTL project, a group of six or more senior citizens from Tainan will be provided a "toolkit for creative aging." Inside the box are an instant photo printer, a portable photography studio, a picture book designed for senior citizens, and other devices that facilitate attempts at writing, editing, and documenting memories.
Throughout the creative process of making one's own memory book, the participants will be guided by one of the project coordinators using different expressive forms — such as oral storytelling, writing, scrapbooking — at a venue of the group's choice. It is hoped that through positive reminiscence and social engagement, loneliness and heightened isolation among older adults during the pandemic can be prevented.
While promotion of the set tailored for senior citizens is one of NMTL's main tasks this year, toolkits specially made for the hearing-impaired community, those living with visual disabilities, and children and teenagers are also available. NMTL Director Su Shuo-bin (蘇碩斌) noted that the main purpose of the four toolkit sets is to enrich the literary landscape of Taiwan.
As the COVID-19 outbreak has brought unprecedented challenges for both the people and society of Taiwan, the museum will keep on introducing Taiwanese literature to the public at large, Su pledged. Hopefully through the power of literature, people who face mobility restrictions arising from the pandemic will still be able to broaden their minds and experiences.
The project is also open to all Tainan-based individuals who are involved in programs that enrich the lives of elders; groups of more than 15 people are recommended to proceed in smaller groups to lower the risk of cluster transmission. The decision of whether to expand the toolkit project to counties and cities outside of Tainan, where the museum is located, will be determined by convenience of public transport and a feasibility assessment.