Response to COVID-19

COVID-19 non-stop care and support

Determined efforts at HKFYG during the COVID-19 epidemic include sharing and distribution of scarce resources by young volunteers and projects that respond to learning, health and social needs.

The lives of Hong Kong people of all ages and backgrounds have changed dramatically during the spread of COVID-19. To help them cope, in mid-February the Federation began a special effort, launching many new platforms, projects and services to support young people, their parents and the needy. Youth are more than recipients of these services, they are also the deliverers, a strong and determined force that is working for others.

Care for the needy

Young volunteers of the NEIGHBOURHOOD First Project are reaching out to elderly single people, DSE students and others in need in the community, calling them to show care and visiting to offer practical support. The network created by this project provides vital contact details and enables volunteers to focus on about 40,000 families – the people who need help most.

Disadvantaged people in temporary housing, the needy in sub-divided flats, deprived and disadvantaged families in Hong Kong’s remoter housing estates: all of them are among the main targets.

Thanks to generous donors, the volunteers also distribute much-needed resources in DIY anti-epidemic care packs:

• 110,000 surgical masks

• Over 800 fabric face masks made by volunteers

• 3,500 bottles ofhand sanitizer

• Hundreds ofbottles ofhousehold cleaning and disinfecting products

There has been a flurry of activity at HKFYG’s Youth SPOTs in a programme called “To Neighbours with Love”. As this collection of photos shows, young members have set up a creative and efficient production line for fabric face masks. They have also been collecting resources to make up kits for DIY epidemic fighting. All of these are then distributed to needy members of the community.

Learning online

Independent, self-directed learning has been vital this spring and it has always been actively promoted at the HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College (HLC). Online lessons, now the norm in Hong Kong, have evolved to match the trend and class suspensions have meant that teachers not only recorded and uploaded learning videos but also conducted live lessons on Zoom and Google Hangouts.

Teachers also put tasks based on the videos and other online learning resources online for students to do before classes. Some of these pre-learning assignments are then submitted online through Google Classroom or its equivalents so that teachers are able to mark, feedback and return assignments online before lessons are held.

With the widespread use of oth er tools such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Castify, Weeblies, Active Learn, Tapestry, Wordsmith and Moodle, these household names for educators have been exported from the classroom and into the world of Hong Kong homes. During HLC’s online lessons, teachers also make use of apps such as Plickers and Kahoot to collect students’ instant responses while Padlet and Google apps to enhance students’ collaboration. In the coming school year, the College will adopt BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) to enhance the effectiveness of online learning.

Free online access

When the facilitation of online learning is more urgent than ever, the Bandwidth Support for E-learning at Home Scheme is providing free access to mobile internet data for 100,000 underprivileged students at primary and secondary schools. Providing SIM cards and data plans to registered participants, the project’s prime targets are those living in sub-divided flats, other sub-standard housing or remote areas where high speed internet broadband access is not available.

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust

In collaboration with HKFYG and The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong

With support from: • China Mobile Hong Kong • CSL • SmarTone

Details of eligibility, registration and FAQs elearningsupport.hk

DSE27771112.hk, the HKFYG counselling service tailor-made for DSE exam students, has a newlylaunched collaborative project that provides online tutorials for DSE students via Telegram. Students can ask questions on 10 subjects including Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics Compulsory and Liberal Studies.

Offered with School-University Partnerships Office, Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong At easyvolunteer.hk ‒ the Federation’s volunteering platform ‒ youth volunteers give primary and junior high school students online help with homework. The service for DSE level students includes practice speaking both Chinese and English. Volunteer tutors engage participants in online group discussions as well as offering one-to-one responses.

No registration is required and students can post questions on a variety of subjects. Answers are provided by more than 160 volunteer tutors on duty.

More details yvn.hkfyg.org.hk/study

M21.hk – HKFYG’s M21 TV channel media centre is broadcasting a range of interactive learning and leisure programmes. For example, “Never Stop Learning” invites youth to express their views on topics like studying, popular culture and the arts. “STEM Friday” covers innovation and science and “BADtimes Stories” hosts guests who talk about their lives and promote the value of staying positive.

The HKFYG Leadership Institute has produced an online video series “Learn to LEAD” with alumni and guests from different sectors. They recently included people with expertise in industrial supply chains, crucial in a time of closed factories and panic buying.

Emotional support

The Wellness Mind Centre has prepared the online “Social Wellness Pack” to encourage youth to stay healthy, both physically and emotionally. Meanwhile, the Mobile Wellness truck is travelling around the city, reinforcing the message and Youthline phone, Whatsapp and SMS counselling are on standby to give help when needed.

See pages 36-37 for more on this.

The HKFYG Wellness Mind Centre has prepared a series of whatsapp stickers, that covers a range of emotions to send to friends and family. Download and share!

Stay healthy

The HKFYG Parent Support Network has provided a wide range of information and tips to help parents discuss the coronavirus with their kids. When many mums, dads and helpers are at their wits’ end trying to keep their children focused during days where structure has disappeared, these will be a boon to many.

“Want to relax? Then MOVE!”

These video clips from M21 are especially for folks at home. Tailor-made for stretching and strengthening, they are perfect when you can’t go out.

For your core, your legs, your arms and joints, they are all about staying on the move when you have to stay home.

Create your own gym no special equipment needed!

More details m21.hk/production/program. php?progId=235

As a special service to dear readers having to stay at home during this period of school closures and restricted movement, we are offering free mailing of both the Federation’s magazines. Youth Hong Kong and Youth SPOT magazines GET COPIES HERE Limited free quota

a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups March 2020 Volume 12 Number 1

Youth HONG KONG

Leaving home...

...or too attached?

March 2020: Leaving home... ... or too attached? Living Independently: Fleeting Dream or Rare Reality

February 2020: Healing with Words Comfort can be found through the healing power of writing about your thoughts

April 2020: Health and Sport Stay strong, keep fit, no matter what

To sign up for Youth Hong Kong magazine delivery Go to and fill in the form Read online youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk/v12n1.php Enquiries Ada Chau 3755 7108 To sign up for Youth SPOT magazine delivery Go to https://bit.ly/3akyPsv

Read online cps.hkfyg.org.hk/ysm/magazineissues Enquiries Tiffany Lam 3755 7091

TV time with Telekids! Television is still a magic box for many young people. It’s both fun and informative so wouldn’t it be even better to enter that magic box and be part of the show?

How is it different? This special new TV programme called TeleKids, brings TV alive. Created both for and with children, its target is primary school students as both creators and audience.

What does it do? The programme blends learning with entertainment and provides training for the young participants in both acting and hosting. Focused on interesting STEM topics, it also includes Chinese and English language, arts and sports, greening, cooking and free play.

When is it on? On air now every afternoon until 31 December 2020 Monday to Friday, 6-6.30pm and Saturday to Sunday 4.30-5pm

Who is it for? Primary school pupils are audience but parents also take part in cooking classes. All children will benefit, whether they are in front of or behind the cameras or even at home watching!

Where can we watch? Channel Hong Kong Open TV’s Channel 77

Partners Hong Kong Open TV and Plentyme Limited Organizer HKFYG’s Jockey Club Media 21 (M21) More details opentv.vizztech.com/#/videopage/BC00402 Enquiries Gladys Chu 3979 0021