Shanlin Morakot Workshop – the art of gourd carving

The devastating floods unleashed by Typhoon Morakot snatched away Liugui (六龜) resident Wu Deng-xin’s (吳登鑫) two elder sisters and destroyed the family hot spring business. With the aim of improving his family’s financial situation he joined Shanlin Morakot Reconstruction Association (杉林八八重建協會), where he studied carving and has already produced countless unique pieces of gourd art. Formerly, Wu Deng-xin combed the streets in search of work, but a combination of his mature years, the fact that he doesn’t have any formal professional skills, and that he suffers from polio, meant that all his attempts in job hunting came up against a brick wall.

On the recommendation of the Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training Employment Service Center Southern Region (在勞委會職訓局南部就業服務中心) Wu Deng-xin secured a position in a group, learning to make culturally orientated artwork. 

“Mr. Wu is always the first to arrive at work and the last to go home. Although he’s our only male worker, his level of patience and meticulousness is in no way inferior to the female workers. This is his first real job, and he has clearly gained in confidence. I hope he takes advantage of this opportunity and remains in this field a very long time, overcoming all his obstacles to push the boundaries of gourd art to new heights,” said Chen Zong-qing (陳宗卿), manger at the Employment Service Center Southern Region.

Shanlin Morakot Workshop – the art of gourd carving
URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/114059

(以下是中文對照)
杉林大愛八八工坊 打造葫蘆雕刻技藝

高雄六龜居民吳登鑫，八八風災帶走他摯愛的二姊、沖毀家族經營的溫泉山莊，為扛起家計他進入杉林八八重建協會學習雕刻，獨一無二的葫蘆藝術品在他巧手中一個個誕生。吳登鑫曾經到處謀職希望能夠找到一份工作，但¬因為已中高齡且無一技之長，加上罹患小兒麻痺，找工作的路上到處碰壁，在勞委會職訓局南部就業服務中心推介之下，進入杉林八八重建協會擔任文創技藝營造員。

杉林八八重建協會專案經理陳宗卿說，在這一年，吳登鑫總是最早到工坊上班，卻是最晚下班，他雖然是工坊唯一的男性，但是他的細心及耐心，一點也不輸女同事，在他身上，可以看見重新出發的勇氣，這是他的第一份工作，希望能長長久久的一直做下去，把握住這個重生的機會，努力學習克服困難，將葫蘆雕刻技藝發揚光大。