Youth cafe helps dropouts learn work skills / 青年咖啡廳 照顧中輟生升學與生活安頓　　　　　　　　　　

The summer holiday is almost over and students from poor backgrounds who have dropped out of middle school may not be able to continue their education. A welfare organization in Pingtung started a youth cafe so that these youths could learn about the world of work and earn money. Recently it also started to offer accommodation. This teenager, Yeh has learnt how to make drinks. He was placed by social services at cafe to work over the summer and gain confidence with meeting people. ==YEH student== It's interesting being with these people I've learnt a lot. The cafe was set up by the Cihui En charity. It offer students who dropped out of middle school the opportunity to learn work techniques. Many dropout students come here to work while they study. Government sponsored units only provide for middle school graduates. For some middle school dropouts, to continue to study is a big challenge. ==PENG CHUN-GUI Cihui En charity President== We know that these children have a lot of problems. They cannot depend on others and may not have anyone to look after them, we are working with them to change their outlook. The charity's statistics show that if middle school dropouts do get to high school, fifty percent will drop out after half a year or in the first year. The youth cafe started to offer accommodation this year so that students who need to, can work there and don't have to worry about a place to live if they get to high school. ==CHANG student== It's more stable here. My life can be less chaotic. The youth accommodation was set up in August. Currently it has only very simple facilities. The charity hopes that it can offer more complete facilities so that university students from poor backgrounds can stay there too. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 臉上看起來還很稚嫩的葉同學，已經能熟練地調配飲料，他是安置機構的中輟生，為了暑假工讀，並且學習接觸人群，來到這家咖啡廳打工。 ==葉同學== 很有趣 就是跟這些人 這邊的人相處很有趣 也學很多事情 咖啡廳是慈慧恩慈善基金會成立，專門提升中輟生學習工作技能，許多孩子在國中階段就會來這裡工讀，但政府對中輟生的安置只有到國中畢業，畢業後的中輟生，要再繼續工讀與升學，其實有困難。 ==慈慧恩慈善基金會執行長 彭春貴== 因為我們知道我們的孩子 他有很多不足 他有很多行是偏差的 你如果去寄人籬下 或者其它的照顧 不見得那麼妥順 雖然我們很努力去改變他 基金會統計，中輟生考上高中職後，有5成可能在半年到一年之間再度失學，因此青年咖啡廳，今年再另外提供青年宿舍，讓有需要的學生安心打工，未來升學也不怕沒地方住。 ==張同學== 就比較穩 比較讓自己能定在這邊 就是生活不會再亂掉 今年八月剛成立的青年宿舍，目前只有簡單設施，基金會希望讓它的功能更齊全，未來也要提供弱勢家庭的大學生來居住。 記者 王介村 許政俊 屏東報導