In the office of the Chiayi City Government’s Department of Labor and Youth Development, Chen Yefang types swiftly, preparing materials on migrant workers’ rights. Few would imagine that these hands—now writing official documents and literature—were once covered in calluses.

More than a decade ago, she worked on construction sites high above the ground.

Becoming a writer was never part of her original life plan. Instead, life itself led her there through continuous identity shifts.

From a small village in Indonesia to construction sites in Taiwan, she kept moving and searching for stability.

As a young girl, she loved writing. But survival replaced her literary dreams.

She arrived in Taiwan without knowing the language, communicating only through gestures.

She began recording words, slowly learning the language.

That small notebook became her foundation.

After marriage, she became a wife and mother, yet her desire to learn remained.

She taught herself through creative methods, including games.

One day, she found a discarded textbook, erased it, and rewrote it—symbolically rewriting her own life.

She read everything from picture books to labor laws.

Later, she became a migrant worker interpreter.

However, she realized AI might replace translation work, so she pursued certification.

Through discipline and persistence, she succeeded and became a consultant.

In 2023, she returned to writing and won an award.

The following year, she won first prize.

She realized writing was her way of speaking to the world.

Today, she is also a contributor to major media.

Her message:

"If your efforts do not yet succeed, there must be meaning within.
There is no failure, only purpose.
Every hardship shapes a stronger you."