According to the Executive Director of Chang Yung-Fa Foundation Ms. Demie Chung, Mrs. Aaltje van Zweden-van Buuren has dedicated on her philanthropic work and received numerous awards including the Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Dutch government. Ms. Chung stated that the two foundations may be 10,000 kilometers apart with a seven-hour time difference, but as Confucius said 'A virtuous person is never solitary but always has companions '. Recently, Mrs. van Zweden was invited to Taiwan to visit the ROC Foundation for Autistic Children and Adults in Taiwan, the Angel Heart Family Social Welfare Foundation, and the Shin Deng Home for the Disabled to facilitate mutual learning and in-depth exchanges with founders, staffs, volunteers, service recipients, and parents.
Mrs. van Zweden openly shared her experiences as the parent of a child with autism and her motivation for starting the Papageno Foundation, creating a warm and moving atmosphere. She shared her experience for doing research on music therapy for children with autism, publish books, and eventually co-found the Papageno Foundation in the Netherlands with her husband Jaap van Zweden.
She also mentioned a recent trip to Ukraine, where she was to make a documentary about children with disabilities in war conditions. These personal stories were highly beneficial to the social welfare organizations she visited in Taiwan. Mrs. van Zweden was also invited to participate in hands-on activities with the service recipients in the local organizations, such as packaging coffee gift boxes and creating art projects. The children enthusiastically welcomed her, demonstrating their English skills, performing drums, and showcasing their flexibility.
