Chen Shu-chu (, born 1950) is a Taiwanese retired vegetable vendor and philanthropist.

Biography

Chen Shu-chu was born in Yunlin County. When she was seven, Chen and her family moved to Taitung, where she graduated from Jen-Ai elementary school. She lived in a household of eight who were all dependent on her father, a vegetable vendor. Her mother died due to

obstructed labour Obstructed labour, also known as labour dystocia, is the baby not exiting the pelvis because it is physically block during childbirth although the uterus contracts normally. Complications for the baby include not getting enough oxygen which may ...

because the family could not afford the medical expenses. After her mother's death, at the age of 13, Chen began working as a vegetable vendor in the Taitung Central Market to earn money for her family. Her youngest brother died in 1969 from influenza unable to afford treatment. Her second youngest brother later died from a traffic accident. Chen continued working and sponsored her older brother's college studies. After her surviving siblings began their own families, Chen decided to focus her philanthropic efforts on others, so that her wealth would not become a topic of family disputes.

Philanthropy

After her father died in 1993, Chen donated NT$1 million to Fo Guang Buddhist Academy. In 1997, she donated NT$1 million to her alma mater, Jen-Ai elementary school. Since she could not afford to go to school as a child, she wanted to help children receive better education. Later, she donated NT$4.5 million to Jen-Ai elementary school to build its own library. In 2010, she was listed in the 2010 TIME 100. As of 2014, she had donated over NT$10 million (Equivalent to $350,000 American dollars or £210,000 British pounds). Chen adopted three abandoned kids at the Christian KidsAlive International Association, and donates NT$36,000 to the organization every year. In 2018, Chen was invited to attend the flag-raising ceremony during the National Day of the Republic of China held by Taitung City Government. At the ceremony, she announced that she had donated her two life insurance policies to East-based Medical Foundation Taitung Christian Hospital and Mackay Memorial Hospital Taitung Branch to set up "Ms. Chen Shu-chu Medical Fund for Poor and Cancer Patients" and "Ms. Chen Shu-chu Medical Fund for Charities", respectively. The two insurance policies are worth NT$16,000,000. The money will be paid by the insurer upon the death of Chen Shu-Chu. Also in 2018, Chen officially retired following a bout of appendicitis early in the year, and moved to Kaohsiung. In 2021, Chen, in honour of her mother, donated NT$15 million to create a fund to provide financial aid to pregnant women and scholarships to children who lose their mothers in childbirth.

Personal life

Chen is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

. She never married.

Book

''Sensational Kindness'' is a 2011 biography of Chen written by Liu Yung-yi. The writer spent about half a year interviewing Chen.

Accolades

She was selected as one of the ''Time'' 100 for year 2010 in the heroes category. She was also one of the 48 heroes of philanthropy by ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' in 2010. ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

'' also honoured her as the winner of 2010 Asian of the year. In 2012, she was selected as a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner. She donated her US$50,000 prize to Mackay Memorial Hospital. In 2018, the asteroid 278986 Chenshuchu was named for her.Alt URL
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Shu-chu Taiwanese Buddhists Taiwanese philanthropists Taiwanese people of Hoklo descent Living people Year of birth uncertain People from Taitung County Ramon Magsaysay Award winners 1951 births People from Yunlin County