Help Rebuild Guangfu Township After Typhoon Ragasa

On September 29, we joined a disaster relief team organized by the Keelung Street Art Association, leaving the northern port city of Keelung at midnight and arriving in Guangfu Township, Hualien County early in the morning. What we saw there is hard to put into words.

On September 23rd, after Typhoon Ragasa pounded eastern Taiwan with heavy rains, the dam on the Matai'an Creek barrier lake failed, unleashing an estimated 60 million tons of muddy water into Guangfu Township. In minutes, the entire town was buried under thick clay mud. Families have lost their houses, belongings, and in many cases, their only source of income.

We want to help them recover.

For transparency, we've established contact with a trusted local leader, Ms. Dongi, who has been on the ground helping residents since day one. She will assist us in distributing funds directly to the communities in need.

Ms. Dongi (pictured in the center wearing an orange shirt) will have access to this GoFundMe page, so she can see exactly how much has been raised.

After standard processing and international transfer fees, all remaining funds will go straight to her for local relief.

She will also provide us with updates on how donations are being used, which we will share with supporters.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a real difference for families in Guangfu trying to clean out their homes, replace essentials, and rebuild their lives. For those unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser with friends, family, or anyone who might care about disaster relief in Taiwan would help immensely.

We've seen firsthand the resilience of the people of Guangfu, but they cannot recover alone. Please join us in standing with them.

Transparency & Use of Funds:

I joined the disaster relief team organized by the Keelung Street Art Association, a cultural association that works closely with the Keelung City Government to promote local culture. Through this effort, we connected with Ms. Dongi, a trusted community leader in Guangfu Township, who has been coordinating local relief since the first days after the flood. She is well-connected with Amis tribal leaders in Guangfu and has been a vital bridge between volunteers and affected families.

Because GoFundMe does not currently support Taiwan-based banks, donations will first be transferred to my U.S. bank account (where the fundraiser is registered). From there, funds will immediately be sent to Ms. Dongi in Hualien. She will then distribute support directly to the families and communities in need.

How the funds will be spent depends on the total amount raised, but every dollar will go toward urgent survival and rebuilding needs. Examples include:

Ms. Dongi will continue to provide us with updates and photos of how the funds are being used, and we will share these with donors here. Both Ms. Dongi and the Keelung Street Art Association are aware of this fundraiser and the total amount raised. They also understand how GoFundMe's processing fees work, so they will know exactly how much money to expect once transfers are complete.

We are committed to ensuring that all donations are handled responsibly and go directly to the people of Guangfu who need them most.