This is part of a series of YouthSpark profiles where we highlight young people in Asia who are dedicated to changing the world through technology, and inspiring others along the way.
NAME: YA-HAN YANG
COUNTRY: TAIWAN
OCCUPATION: OPERATIONS MANAGER, CAREBEST INC.
BIO
Ya-Han Yang first nurtured her interests in community work as a student at the National Taiwan University’s College of Science where she took part in various social service activities. As a student volunteer, she contributed to educational initiatives in offshore communities as well as helping to improve the lives of senior citizens. After completing her further studies in the United Kingdom (UK), Ya-Han set up CareBest Inc., an organisation dedicated to fulfilling the needs of elderly people in Taiwan.
Tell us one exciting thing that you have been working on in the past 3–6 months.
Running my own business is definitely one of the most exciting things I have ever done in my life. After coming back to Taiwan from the UK, I wanted to start up a business focused on improving the quality of life for the elderly. The work has been a great source of happiness to me personally, and I hope the company can help influence other corporations to do more to help the less fortunate.
What are some of the challenges facing youth today that concern you the most?
A great challenge faced by many young people around the world is a lack of access to opportunities to build on their talents and make a difference to their society. Unequal wealth distribution and the digital divide are the major contributing factors to this problem, which results in youth from poorer communities not having the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. I believe more can be done to harness the latest technological developments to improve lives and open up more opportunities for all.
If you had the ability to create one change in the world, what would that be and how can technology help you achieve this change?
The biggest change I would like to see happen is greater progress in sustainability projects, as it is foreseeable that our planet will face a shortage of resources in the future. Technology can help in at least two aspects — advances in recycling and the development of new automation tools to make it easier for people to recycle used materials.
I aspire to… lead a good life. Looking back, I am grateful that my grandparents have imparted to me many important values that include frugality, humility and respect for nature.