RTI recently had a part in helping Taiwanese college student Hsieh Pei-yu reconnect with her ‘second mother’, who is from Vietnam. The caregiver, known to Hsieh as A-Qiu, had been working on a contract in Taiwan. A-Qiu was one of many migrant workers from Southeast Asian countries who come to Taiwan on three-year contracts. Their jobs vary from factory work to caring for elderly citizens.

Hsieh said she had wanted to look for A-Qiu for years until she learned that there is a program for seeking long-lost nannies with a track record of successful reunions. Hsieh located A-Qiu on Sunday, a day after posting information about her search. Hsieh has since had a tearful virtual reunion with A-Qiu and made a promise that she will visit A-Qiu in Vietnam after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The college student thanked RTI and a Taipei-based magazine for taking part in the search effort.

Hsieh said A-Qiu started caring for her and her younger brother when she was just 4 or 5 years old.

A-Qiu is now selling vegetables and seafood for a living in her hometown in Vietnam.