YHK 12 2 60 years and Beyond Always with YOUth

a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups

June 2020

Volume 12 Number 2

Youth HONG KONG

Years and Beyond

Always with YOUth

MESSAGE 4 Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam , Patron HIGHLIGHT 5 Consistent values, changing environment

Executive Director Mr Andy Ho Wellness STORIES 7 Rain on desert sand

Aaron and Jack: uTouch 9 Reaching out, making good

Ka-lok, Ka-hei and Suk-yee:

Youth Crime Prevention Centre 11 Almost a dream come true

PoonMan: Community Team Sports 12 Special needs recognized and fulfilled

Jimmy and Eveline: Parent Support Network 14 Building hope here and now

Dr Kitty Wu, HKFYG Council 15 Partnership for youth

Mr Caspar Tsui, Secretary for Home Affairs SKILLS STORIES 17 Taking up responsibility

Gladys Wong, Vanessa Cheung: Leadership Institute 20 Branding strategy

Sam Sio: YBHK 22 In their shoes

Denys Look: Living Life Academy (LLA) 23 Relax and draw

Manisha Lee: LLA ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 24 1960s to 21st century, HKFYG timeline 26 A journey together

President MY Wan, HKFYG Council 28 60 years with youth

Dr Anthony Chow, Hong Kong Jockey Club 30 Education: where next

Prof Paul Cheung, HKFYG Council 32 Meeting challenges

Mr Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Education 34 Taking off

Mr Fred Lam, Airport Authority 36 Stay well, maintain balance

Ms Cecilia Ho, Lee Hysan Foundation 37 Mentorship for enterprise

Mr Gabriel Li and Ms Peggy Sin, Potter Industries 38 Bringing it all together

Principal Simon Tso

De La Salle Secondary School, NT COMMUNity STORIES 39 Culture shock, a step beyond

Jeff Tam: Youth Exchange 40 Caring message to remember

Tsang Lok-chi, Poon Kit-shan: Volunteering

YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly

by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Andy Ho (Chair) Elaine Morgan (Contributing Editor) Ada Chau (Managing Editor) Wilson Chan Angela Ngai Lakshmi Jacotă Hsu Siu-man Christa Cheung William Chung Miranda Ho Hon Adviser Veronica Pearson

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CIRCULATION (unaudited) 13,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas

Contents

June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Volume 12 Number 2

4 MESSAGE

5-6 HIGHLIGHT

7-13, 17-23, 39-44

45-51 HKFYG

HKFYG 45 46 48

Youth IDEAS: Improving governance Covid-19 surveys Summer Youth Programme

Youth Hong Kong is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in articles.

ARTWORK & DESIGN DG3 & HKFYG

REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited

LAYOUT & PRINTING DG3

Editorial team PHOTOGRAPHS By editorial team, HKFYG, acknowledged as captioned, stock images or in public domain TRADEMARKS All brand names and product names are registered trademarks.

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

STORIES

VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors’ and interviewees’, may come from official sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher

OVERVIEW & INTERVIEWS

24-38

COVER DESIGN DG3 ISSN 2071-3193 (Print) ISSN 2519-1098 (Online) WEB youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong TEL 3755 7096, 3755 7108 FAX 3755 7155

EMAIL youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Ada Chau 3755 7108 The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups was founded in 1960 and is the city’s largest youth service organization. More than 25,000 activities are organized by over 80 units annually with attendance of nearly 6 million.

Services Camps, Leisure, Cultural and Sports Services, Counselling, Creativity education and STEM, Education and continuous learning, Employment and entrepreneurship, Exchange, Leadership training, M21 Multimedia, Parenting, Publications, Research and Publications, Volunteering, Youth at Risk, Youth SPOTs WEB hkfyg.org.hk Online donations giving.hkfyg.org.hk

Editorial June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

With grateful hearts for all the trust and encouragement of our Patron, partners and friends, we celebrate 60 years of service for the youth of Hong Kong.

In this special issue of Youth Hong Kong, contributors look back at what has been done, while also trying to anticipate the challenges and opportunities that young people will face in the future.

We invite you to share our journey and look forward to your continued support.

Andy Ho Wing-cheong Executive Director, HKFYG June 2020

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Message June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups on its 60th anniversary.

Over the past six decades, the Federation has, with passion and professionalism, provided exemplary service to generations of young people, helping them flourish as dynamic and dedicated leaders in every sector of the community. As one of Hong Kong’s largest youth service organisations, the Federation continues to respond to the ever-changing needs of our youth and our city. Thanks to the Federation, Hong Kong’s first all-purpose youth hostel opened early this year under the Government’s Youth Hostel Scheme. What is more, the Federation’s incubation programmes provide support for young entrepreneurs, locally and in the Greater Bay Area. It is also heartening that the Federation’s many volunteers, and volunteer programmes, remain visibly active this year. Among other things, I know they are producing and distributing personal protection products and other scarce resources for those in need in our ongoing fight against the coronavirus. At the age of 60, the Federation remains forever young at heart and as creative and committed as ever.

Once again, my congratulations to the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups on reaching this notable milestone. I am confident that the Federation will continue to make invaluable contributions to the development of Hong Kong youth and the progress of our economy and community in the years to come.

Mrs Carrie Lam Chief Executive Hong Kong Special Administrative Region The People's Republic of China 4

Consistent Values Changing Environment

by Andy Ho Wing-cheong This year, the Federation commemorates 60 years of service to Hong Kong’s young people. Over these years, there have obviously been many changes that have impacted the development of our city, socially, politically and economically. These changes have affected the aspirations and ambitions of each successive generation as they negotiated and navigated their own pathways.

For an organization like the Federation, the challenge has always been to keep pace by adapting, adjusting and amending services and service delivery to ensure relevancy.

In spite of everything, looking back one can say that the Federation has never reneged on its fundamental vision, mission and values: to stand by young people, assisting, supporting, encouraging and motivating. In fact, whether they were called customers or users or clients or participants, all our services have been youth-orientated.

I have seen this personally, through very specific events.

When I started working at the Federation in 1986, one of my first responsibilities was to prepare young people for the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DEA), now known as The Hong Kong Award for Young People. As an interesting aside, George Stokes, who started the Federation, was also responsible for bringing the DEA to Hong Kong in 1961.

The goal was to help participants build up their selfconfidence and skills while training them for leadership and giving back to the community. This goal remains the same for the Federation, even if the programmes and activities are different. In fact, today, when the Federation promotes the concepts of confidence, responsibility and service, which we refer to as “CRS�, its work is simply a continuation of what began before the specificities of the DEA were established.

Similarly, I remember the transformation of youth counselling. Face-to-face meetings at our Youth Counselling Centre slowly expanded in the 1990s and then a hotline was introduced, enabling a less restrictive way for young people to reach out and seek help. With developments in technology, counselling began to use online messaging and SMS texting on phones. Now, with the ubiquitous smartphone, counselling can be delivered on a range of cyber platforms, most especially social media. Just as the means of counselling delivery has changed over time, so have the concerns of young people. What has not changed, however, is the essence of counselling and the commitment to provide the best assistance and support we can to those who need it for their wellbeing.

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Highlight June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Another area where the environment has changed, but not our values, is the promotion of creativity and innovation.

The Federation has always encouraged school students to get involved in various competitions from building mechanical tools and conducting scientific experiments to testing their skills in public speaking. Today, we still provide platforms for young people to shine, though they are perhaps a little more sophisticated given the amazing potential of technology. They also allow for more variety of expression in the performing and creative arts.

What about the future? We understand that our areas of focus and the ways in which we conduct services must remain flexible and we are committed to tackling new demands and criteria. Towards this end, we envisage three pillars – engagement, professionalism and innovation– as key areas for organizational development in the immediate future. We believe they will also inform our programmatic services.

In other words, we recognize the need to prepare today’s youth not just for the challenges of tomorrow but also for the hurdles presented by unprecedented situations and the environment in which they find themselves. This involves being open to new ideas, new thinking and new ways of work. For example, we need to be able to handle, unexpected circumstances like the global pandemic which resulted in young people being faced with lockdowns, online classes and social distancing. Likewise, we need to be able to cope with young people’s frustrations, anxieties and upset when society is disrupted by political and economic upheavals.

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Only if we remain strong as an organization will our mission and goals remain robust. Therefore, we will continue to build a strong cohort of next-generation leaders, with sound IQ and EQ, as well as AQ or Adversity Quotient.

We will do this by focusing on wellness and on the skills which we believe will provide young people with emotional and mental resilience for the future, skills that go along with the necessary intellectual and practical tools to face the local, national and global challenges that await them.

We cannot anticipate everything, but we know that the future will require a strong sense of identity, a deep understanding of country and an international outlook. The Federation has to face these challenges alongside young people, assuring them of our trust and enabling them to be trustful of the systems they face.

As we look forward to the next 60 years, this is our pledge – as it has been from the beginning – to serve with the same passion and commitment to unleash the full potential of young people. There may be changing environments; but the Federation will always be consistent in its values.

香港青年協會成立 60 周年，一直與青年同行，多年來因 應社會變遷、青年需求改變而提供最適切的服務給青年。 即使未來遇上各種挑戰，總幹事何永昌先生及其團隊將繼 續持守專業，與青年並肩邁步向前。

Rain on desert sand F

or months, Aaron neglected people. Stressed out by exam pressure, first he lied to his parents. Then his girlfriend left him. Things went from bad to worse till Jack made contact and hope returned.

Aaron had always hidden his feelings but suddenly he wanted to lash out. When his girlfriend told him about her new partner, he started posting bitter thoughts on Instagram, hoping they would see. Then, clicking randomly on links on his phone, he got through to Jack.

Hi there, I’m Jack. I’m a social worker. Feel like a chat?

Aaron felt embarrassed and wary but Jack persisted in his light-hearted way. Affected by Jack’s friendly approach, Aaron gradually opened and told his sad story.

I’ve broken up with my girl, but I can’t forget her, she haunts me …

I stalked her on Instagram… tried to get my own back …

That new boyfriend she found. Why does she prefer him to me? She’s so stupid. It makes me burn up inside…

Hey hey, we all get like that sometimes.

If she’s good enough she’ll be back …

You think so? I’d like to kill them both.

For the next few weeks, much to his surprise, Aaron often felt like a chat with Jack. Perhaps it was because he was a stranger. He didn’t have a real face, just emoticons.

And he always answered, day or night, whenever Aaron wanted to to pour out all his bottled-up fury.

As he came to trust Jack, so Aaron’s anger evaporated. The violent language faded and Jack’s long, patient messages were a comfort. He had never guessed a social worker could be like this, able to chase the mad turmoil out of his mind, calming him and helping him understand.

No way, you’ll find another way, you’ll work it out …

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WELLNESS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

For a while the chats stopped as Aaron regained some balance in his life. Then another calamity struck.

Aaron took a gap year to look after his seriously ill father.

Till then, he’d never been close to anyone in his family. For a while, things looked up. They started hiking and really talking to each other for the first time. Then his dad took a turn for the worse. There was nothing anyone could do to help. He died and Aaron felt nothing but remorse.

He lost his appetite. The grief put him constantly on edge, always expecting to take the blame, ever on the verge of losing his temper. It got worse every time his mother tried to make him eat. Then out of the blue, Jack got in touch.

Jack’s advice worked. Gradually, Aaron got better and learned how to show his mum he cared. They even discovered something else they shared: cooking together.

Much later, Aaron said Jack had been like rain on desert sand. He gave him help just in time and made it possible for him to grow again. Aaron found hope through Jack.

They never met in person but they became firm friends.

Aaron learned wisdom and self-knowledge: a lesson in hope and healing that he will never forget and that he can now pass on to others.

How’s life, Aaron? Long time no see

Jack , my dad died. It’s all my fault. I was supposed to be his carer. I was useless.

Oh no, tell me…

He’d been getting better but now he’s gone… nothing I did made any difference …

Come on, it’s not your fault. Could happen to anyone. Don’t take it to heart. Things will get better.

I’d just started getting to know him a bit, on those hikes, those days just him and me …

One day you’ll treasure those memories, the good times you had… and I bet your mum will understand what you’re going through.

She just tries to make me eat when I’m not hungry. I feel like throwing up her food.

Hey, hold on. Now and then, take a look at her. Maybe when she’s busy.

Put yourself in her shoes. She’ll be sad too. It’s human. It’s something you can share because you both care …

More details HKFYG WhatsApp chat counselling service

6277 8899 8

utouch_hkfyg

utouch.hk

Reaching out making good S

uk-yee met Fan Ka-lok and Chan Ka-hei when they were both teenagers back in the early 2000s. She took charge of their rehabilitation after arrest. Once at risk of becoming hardened criminals, instead, their lives were transformed.

Outreach social workers like Ho Suk-yee know about juvenile delinquency. When she met Kalok and Ka-hei, they were both just 13. They had been arrested when Ka-lok got into a triad fight and Ka-hei was friends with the gang leader.

“They were both referred to the Police Superintendent's Discretionary Scheme and HKFYG was a collaborating partner,” explains Suk-yee. “The scheme involves two or three years of rehabilitation and if the young offenders comply, they don’t get a criminal record. Most of the cases I handle are for shoplifting. About a fifth involve assault but we rarely get a triad-related crime like Ka-lok’s.”

One day, Ka-lok met Suk-yee at Castle Peak Police Station.

“I’d never met a social worker before,” he says. “She seemed very kind, not fierce or anything. I guessed she was trying to help me but I didn’t really listen and said nothing.”

Ka-lok and Ka-hei were at the same secondary school but not close friends. It was Suk-yee’s job to explain the Police Superintendent's Discretionary Scheme to them both and tell them to stay out of trouble.

Young people like them get bored. That’s how they get involved in crime.

When Ka-hei met Suk-yee she was more communicative than Ka-lok. “I was only watching the fight when we got arrested and I thought I’d done nothing wrong so I wasn’t scared at the Police Station when I met Miss Ho, as we called her then. Actually, I was really surprised. She was so different from what I expected and I had the feeling that she might know how to get me out of trouble.”

Suk-yee’s job was to stay in touch with the teenagers, to call them and meet up regularly. “Young people like them just get bored. Nobody really looks after them properly, sometimes they feel forgotten. They have nothing to do and are easy prey for bad influences.”

Suk-yee had no trouble with Ka-hei. She invited them both to start voluntary community work and Ka-hei 9

WELLNESS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

took her advice straight away, visiting senior people, flag-selling and doing other voluntary work. Ka-lok was different. “He never answered the phone and in fact, his mum asked me to help when he didn’t come home after school. I used to look for him or ask his friends and every time I managed to find him.”

Ka-lok was not happy about this. “She nagged me, just like my mother. At first, I just turned off my phone, avoided her and ignored whatever she said. But somehow, her tactics worked. I started to stay home instead of hanging out with my triad friends. That made her less annoying because she wasn’t constantly out looking for me!”

my bad friends and my bad habits. That was 17 years ago.

It was a true turning point for us. Ka-hei and I got together after leaving school in 2013 and we got married in 2015.

We are still regular volunteers but Suk-yee didn’t find out till we all happened to be at a wedding together in 2017.”

If we hadn’t met Suk-yee, our lives would probably have been totally different.

His stubbornness was no match for Suk-yee. She told him that if he wasn’t the leader of the triad gang there was no point in joining it.

He would always be just an insignificant flunky who was worthless. “I remember the day she said that. She realized it would work. It made me feel small. Of course, I didn’t trust her, but she made me stop and think about my life.”

Ka-lok was a real challenge for Suk-yee but she wouldn’t want any other job. “Normal youngsters have enough.

Youth like these are always forgotten. You can’t just say they are good or bad. My job is to let them know I will always be there for them. If I can get them to trust me and help them move on that’s the best reward.

Eventually Ka-lok changed, just as Ka-hei had. “I realize now that she made me into a better person. I abandoned all 10

After getting married, the couple opened a vehicle repair shop in To Kwa Wan. They had two boys. “One of them is already four and the other is 6 months,” says Ka-lok. “I fixed Suk-yee’s car just a week ago.

Sometimes we have dinner together, and I take my boys to visit her. If we hadn’t met Suk-yee, our lives would probably have been totally different. She was so patient with me.”

Suk-yee is still doing outreach work with HKFYG but she says she has a bad habit: “I never turn off my phone. It’s on 24-hour standby just in case those young people and their parents need me.”

More details Youth Crime Prevention Centre ycpc.hkfyg.org.hk

Almost a dream come true P

oonMan was 12 when she began to dream of sports stardom. She had no idea that within a few years her dream would come true.

“Play for the women’s Hong Kong ice hockey team? Me? Nobody believed it. Least of all me. I went to Chang Pui Chung Memorial School where we played basketball, volleyball and badminton but then one day I joined the Federation sports programme and had my first taste of ice skating. It was like love at first sight!”

PoonMan’s was already a regular member of HKFYG’s Youth SPOT in Tseung Kwan O, the nearest to where she lived. The beginners’ ice hockey programme cost her HK$1,500 for 16 training sessions. “At first it sounded a lot, but I saved up and every dollar was worth it.” Her coach, Hiroki Wakabayashi, immediately recognized her talent.

“I wanted to be a goalie but he insisted that I should be a forward and that gave me more confidence.”

What made her choose ice hockey, in a city that rarely sees frost, let alone ice? PoonMan smiled. “The game is all out teamwork and speed. I love them both and I treasured every minute.” Still, it was a big surprise when she was selected to play for the HKFYG Phoenixes, the girls’ Community Team Sports (CTS) ice hockey team and it encourage her to go further.

“Somebody suggested a nomination for the national team trials. I had to put myself forward and apply.

That made me so nervous, but when the results came out, astonishingly, I was in!”

That was in PoonMan’s third year of ice hockey. At 15, she was the youngest in the squad. “It was ice hockey at a totally different level and I realized I had a lot to do.” The coach, Anqi Tan, was strict and the training was tough but I also learnt a lot from other team members who were all much older than me.” Every weekday, PoonMan had to carry all her heavy sports equipment to school before going on to training sessions. “Sometimes, I was not allowed on the MTR with all that kit.”

One day soon after her 17th birthday, PoonMan was selected to play for Hong Kong in Mexico. It would be her first ever overseas trip. “I was so excited…,” she remembers. But very sadly, it was not to be.

She had no passport. “I was devastated but had no choice but to give up not only that amazing chance but all my training.”

There are no subsidies for ice hockey players like PoonMan. “Many other players come from richer families who can afford it.” But for PoonMan it was impossible. “Each season would cost me over HK$10,000 in training and ice court rental. “I had to stop.”

Downcast, but as brave as ever, she found an alternative.

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WELLNESS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Now aged 19, she is doing Fitness and Sports Studies with the Vocational Training Council and expects to graduate in 2021 with a Diploma of Vocational Education. She already works as a primary school ice hockey coach and the next step will be to get a full qualification. It will be possible because she will join the HKFYG Train the Trainer programme, partnered by The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

“HKFYG has played such an important role in my life.

I’d like to thank everyone who encouraged me,” says PoonMan, “First, the Youth SPOT gave me a place to hang out after school when otherwise I would have been hanging around with my gang, wasting my time. Then came the

friendships and team spirit of the HKFYG Phoenixes.

And now, again with CTS, I have a good chance of a job in sports. What would I have done without that help?”

Whatever help PoonMan needs, we hope she will go onward and upward. She deserves it.

More details Community Team Sports cts.hkfyg.org.hk

Special needs recognized and fulfilled I

t seemed so hard for Jimmy to concentrate. Eveline had no idea what was wrong with him. Sometimes she was convinced he was just being naughty. She was at the end of her tether by the time she got in touch with the Parent Support Network at HKFYG.

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Jimmy was seven when Eveline first contacted the Parent Support Network (PSN). After finding out a bit about her problems, the social workers recommended a talk by a professional. It was about attention deficit disorder (ADHD).

“I had never heard of ADHD but Jimmy’s other symptoms matched. As well as losing focus in lessons, he often lost his temper in those days and started yelling with no warning.

I learned a lot about this kind of problem at talks arranged

by PSN and learned that Jimmy is a borderline case.”

Jimmy’s special educational needs had been recognized by the staff at PSN and that was the first step in easing Eveline’s problems. PSN doesn’t only give professional advice. It works effectively as a network for parents and they help each other.

When another parent told Eveline about a child like Jimmy, she said playing board games had helped.

Eveline decided to give it a try even though didn’t understand how it could make any difference.

“I was a bit sceptical at first, but we borrowed the game from PSN anyway and took it to a café to play. That was a few years ago but it was the turning point… …As I explained the rules to Jimmy, I saw how carefully he was listening. He was concentrating in a way he never normally did. Why? He wanted to beat me!”

Playing that game was a catalyst for Eveline and Jimmy, but the best outcome was when Jimmy mastered the first game and Eveline bought another. “I could see I needed to give him another challenge. Then we started to play at home and one day when his father got back from work I had such a surprise. Jimmy took the initiative. He asked his dad to play.

That’s when we all realized how much we enjoyed playing and spending time together. It was amazing to see how such a simple thing could improve our life at home.”

Now, when Jimmy loses a game, he no longer loses his temper. By the time he was 10 or 11, he was teaching the younger children in his group and responds very well to being given that responsibility. “He even knows how to tell other kids how to play games nicely. Being with other people has taught him how. What a change,” Eveline exclaims.

“I realized then that the earlier you start a programme like this with children like Jimmy, the better it is. I would never have believed simple board games could have such an effect.

There were lessons for us as parents too. I suppose we knew deep in our hearts that we should spend more time with Jimmy when he was little, but he used to be so difficult.

It was too easy to ignore him, leave him with the helper, go to work or pick up the phone and simply escape.”

Although Jimmy’s school now also gives Eveline professional help and advice, it’s limited to specific situations like homework and exams. “But mental health problems can affect his life at any minute,” she says. “Although we can get some government help, it’s not enough and you have to wait a long time. I have been waiting for Jimmy to do the government’s special needs test since 2017.”

With PSN, help came quickly and effectively. “I now volunteer to share what I have learned with others in the same predicament. I don’t think of myself as an expert but perhaps one day I will be able to make all the difference to another family, just like that mother did for us one day a long time ago when she first told me about the board game.”

More details Parent Support Network psn.hkfyg.hk

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Building hope here and now H

owever skilled or talented you are, you still need hope for a sense of wellbeing. Dr Kitty Wu, clinical psychologist and member of HKFYG’s Council, describes a theory about hope and how it can help to maintain wellbeing and increase the chance of achieving your goals.

Hope makes goals achievable. It involves goaldirected thinking, strategies and pathways, as well as the motivation to use them. Dr Kitty Wu explains the ways in which Charles Snyder’s Theory of Hope can be applied when planning youth wellness services.

largely negative or apocalyptic scenarios. Dr. Wu highlighted that “When we are anxious and stressed, our minds easily become clouded with worries, doubts and fears.” A realistic appraisal of the scenario is pivotal,” she emphasizes, “for formulating effective solutions and adaptive contingencies.”

“Hope doesn’t depend on magic or miracles. It comes with the will and the different ways to reach your goals.”

Put another way, a person who has hope not only has goals but also the willpower and determination to achieve them as well as various sets of strategies and methods to use. “The more an individual possesses these abilities, the greater the chance will be that they will develop the cognition and feeling of hope.”

“Contingency planning is like drawing a flow chart which includes not just a Plan A, but also Plan B and C etcetera. In all of these, a big goal can be broken down into smaller goals, sub-goals and sidegoals for guiding the steps to be taken towards it.”

Hope is not just for the future.

It involves living in the present.

Furthermore, Dr Wu continues, “Hope is not just for the future, it involves living in the present.” To cultivate hope, youth need confidence and strength here and now. “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst” are familiar sayings, Dr Wu elaborates, “Hoping for the best draws on the ability to formulate contingency plans involving different strategies and pathways that rely on a balance.” These need to be based on the present situation and involve flexibility, willpower and persistently aiming towards a goal. These provide “…the underlying driving force that helps people overcome challenges unrelentingly on the journey.”

Preparing for the worst, on the other hand, also means drawing up contingency plans but it involves envisaging 14

Learning how to appreciate small successes can give a sense of achievement and build confidence. “Hope lies in ourselves.

It is an internalized way of thinking, acting and feeling. It can be acquired through training or cultivation and it lies within a person’s own control. It involves achievable goals and strategies that towards them so it is both rational and pragmatic.”

Activities and services that help young people learn to appreciate their talents, uniqueness and interests while also recognizing their weakness and strengths will help them to achieve a sense of wellness, self-appreciation and hope. As Dr Wu concludes, “These will also help them build willpower – a key component of hope.” 青協理事會成員胡潔瑩博士認為青年心理健康十分重要， 青年應該學懂欣賞自己獨特之處，了解自己的優點和缺 點。常存希望，才能達致全健發展。

Partnership for youth

Caspar Tsui Secretary for Home Affairs

Y

oung people in Hong Kong are facing many challenges. Among them are education, careers and upward mobility. The Government is committed to gearing up an array of targeted measures to meet their needs and to establish effective channels to communicate with them.

Youth development is one of the priorities of the currentterm Government. We hope to create room for young people to realize their dreams. We also strive to address young people’s concerns about education, careers and home ownership, while encouraging their participation in politics and engagement in public policy discussion and debate. The aim is to enable the younger generation to see hope and opportunities for upward mobility and to nurture them as responsible leaders of tomorrow’s Hong Kong, equipped with a positive outlook on life, a commitment to society, a sense of national identity, a love for Hong Kong and an international perspective.

To achieve our common goals in youth development, the Government relies upon and attaches utmost importance to working closely with our partners without whom many of our youth development initiatives would not have been possible. Taking the Youth Hostel Scheme as an example, it is premised upon placing the use of spare development capacity into the hands of NGOs which can build youth hostels, thereby giving young tenants an experience of independent living at concessionary rents and saving to realize their aspirations. I am delighted to note that the scheme has begun to bear fruit: PH2, the first-ever project under the scheme, undertaken by the

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), has recently opened and met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from young people and the community at large.

Entrepreneurship: Hong Kong and beyond The Government is committed to supporting youth entrepreneurship through the provision of seed funding, dedicated incubation services and above all the creation of a supportive and sustainable ecosystem for startups. We hope to unleash the potential of our young entrepreneurs and enable them to flourish, showcase their creativity and realize their innovative aspirations for the good of society.

The Government established the Youth Development Fund (YDF) for this purpose. HKFYG, as one of the nine funded NGOs under the first round of YDF, has successfully supported the development of 15 youth startups’ businesses in a wide range of industries including education, retail, catering and information technology. We are also glad to see that HKFYG has been collaborating with the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub ( 前海深港青年夢工場 ) to extend the geographical reach of entrepreneurial support and provide a platform for Hong Kong startups to tap the opportunities brought about by the development of the Guangdong-Hong KongMacao Greater Bay Area (GBA). In fact, there has been rapid development of youth entrepreneurial bases in the GBA in recent years with massive hardware and software to support innovative and entrepreneurial activities. We look forward to closer collaboration with HKFYG and others to strengthen our support for youth entrepreneurs starting up businesses in Hong Kong as well as other GBA cities.

To help young people seize the vast opportunities, the Government introduced a new and enhanced funding scheme under the YDF to provide seed capital and incubation services that befit the needs of Hong Kong young entrepreneurs both locally and in the rest of GBA. We will also secure more internship opportunities in international organizations for Hong Kong young people, including expanding the depth and breadth of the existing United Nations Volunteers – Hong Kong Universities Volunteer Internship Programme.

For youth entrepreneurship, the Government will establish an Alliance of Hong Kong Youth Innovative and Entrepreneurial Bases in the GBA, with a view to 16

pooling the resources of NGOs, universities, chambers of commerce, youth organizations and other valuable partners while creating a one-stop platform to support our youth entrepreneurs and help them leverage opportunities arising from the development of the GBA.

Sports and wellness The Government is committed to promoting sports in the community and school to encourage active and healthy lifestyles. We will continue to implement the School Sports Programme (SSP) for students of primary, secondary and special schools in Hong Kong to participate in diversified activities in line with their schools’ daily schedules.

We are also mindful of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on young people’s wellbeing. In March this year, we introduced enhancement measures to the Funding Scheme for Youth Life Planning Activities (2019-22). All funded organizations were invited to organize no fewer than five additional activities within the current school year and to make use of technology for life planning activities.

Activities that enhance young people's wellbeing and stress management, thus providing life planning support and training during the epidemic, are included. The enhancement measures have received positive response.

HKFYG, as one of the funded organizations, took advantage of the new measures and received an additional grant.

Future: working together for youth We will step up outreach to young people of various backgrounds through a variety of means. We will listen to their views on employment and other issues, thus enabling us to incorporate their comments and suggestions in policy decisions. We will continue to enhance our various youth exchange and internship programmes in mainland China and overseas in partnership with NGOs, with a view to enriching opportunities for our young people.

To this end, we will continue to work closely with NGOs, schools, community organizations, and most importantly, young people themselves to take forward youth development. 民政事務局局長徐英偉先生認為青年面對大量挑戰，包括 住屋、就業、社會參與等，而特區政府會盡力針對青年需 要，提供他們發展所需，並積極聆聽他們的意見。

Taking up responsibility

G

ladys Wong has won a number of awards and wishes that young people like herself were allowed to take up the responsibilities for which they have aptitude.

Better public speaking was the goal when Gladys joined the HKFYG Summer School for Effective Leadership programme. “In fact, I learned a lot more. We talked about poverty, ageing populations and climate change and there were many inspiring ideas.” In search of more challenge, she signed up for the following year’s programme.

Gladys then found role models and remembers one person in particular: a mainland student. “I realized that we are never too young to serve the community and that acts of kindness are never too small. Every summer, that student gave back to his community by teaching foreign languages to underprivileged children.”

After visiting street sleepers and understanding their situation at first hand, Gladys realized that reading about society’s problems can never replace experiencing them in real life. “I realized that poverty can trap even those who work tirelessly and that it is important to look after our own community before trying to solve the world’s problems.”

Next, she learned about the predicament of people in less developed countries. “I found out about the millions of Africans without shoes. Walking even one imaginary mile with them on the Bottle Shoes Movement was an eyeopener. Yet we are often blindsided, living in our world of luxury, feeling poor because we can’t afford the newest iPhone. I also realized that we don’t need expensive clothes or ‘likes’ on social media to be happy. Why can’t we think of ways to use our resources to help the less fortunate instead?”

Seeing that cooperation is the key to change and shouldering responsibility is what’s needed, Gladys wants, “to tell other young people about my transformative experiences, about Ming-gor, a restaurant owner in Sham Shui Po who gives free meals to the less privileged, and about how the circular economy can save lives by recycling soap bars.”

With HKFYG, Gladys says she learned how to work with people of contrasting personalities from different backgrounds. “Coordinating them as a team and finding out about other cultures made me realize that although Hong Kong is an international city, we are still not good at catering for multicultural needs. Volunteering taught me about humility, integrity, empathy and effective communication. It made me realize that each person is unique, that it is unfair to stereotype.”

Watching the world’s political leaders shuffle off the blame and avoid responsibility, Gladys observes how this hinders solutions to global problems like the covid-19 pandemic. “Leaders need to be observant and daring, to make important decisions and give clear directions. They need to have vision that unites people but be generous and refuse to let emotion override good judgement. Most importantly, they need to be team players, not be dictators.”

Asking why Hong Kong society is reluctant to let young people take up their responsibility, she points out that, “The government says it wants to understand 17

SKILLS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

our needs but representation on advisory and statutory bodies will reach only 15% by 2022. I believe it should be at least 25%. Are those in power are not confident in our potential? Why, since we all have the same ultimate goal of building a better Hong Kong?”

In conclusion, Gladys imagines programmes that connect youth around the world, instilling a sense of social responsibility and collaborative global citizenship. “Perhaps we would then see a world that really lives as one and works as one. Perhaps then we could tackle critical issues in the future.”

Leaders need to be observant and daring, to make important decisions and give clear direction.

From 2015 to 2017, Gladys Wong took part in the Summer School for Effective Leadership Programme organized by the HKFYG Leadership Institute and is a member of the Federation’s Youth IDEAS think tank. She is now doing a University of Hong Kong law degree and has won a number of awards.

From prediction to reality V

anessa Cheung took her first lessons in leadership with HKFYG. Expecting to hone her public speaking skills, like Gladys, she found much more and created her own social enterprise.

“There was a lot more than I expected in leadership training with HKFYG: group project planning, pitching and social innovation, to name but three.

We had the chance to exchange ideas and experiment with cooperative projects. My project work, ‘Market for Hong Kong’ was about protecting local shops and traditional market culture in the city.”

Vanessa’s plan was to organize regular bazaars in different districts to raise awareness about traditional culture. “I believe if you care about your hometown, you need to understand its culture and history. This will build not

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I believe if you care about your hometown, you need to understand its culture and history. only your understanding but your respect for its past. The project was a prototype and led on to ‘City’s Treasure’, my social enterprise.” Vanessa also helped students in her group formalize ideas about environmental protection, positive

pp Vanessa 3rd from left

thinking and various social issues. The aim was to transform “My time with HKFYG has been full of happiness. I made these ideas into workable social innovation projects. close bonds and firm connections. We are like a family. Even if we lose contact for years, when we meet again it’s as if “Since 2018, I have been part of the HK200 Association we’ve never been apart. HKFYG leadership training helped core team, putting into practice much of what I have me to find the treasure in my city but also to find myself.” learned. That now includes building relationships, communicating with the public and introducing them and Now doing a BBA in corporate governance potential partners to the work of the HKFYG Leadership at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Institute (HLI).” Joining Leaders to Leaders activities Vanessa Cheung took part in the 2017 organized by HLI and working as an MC also gave her HKFYG Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project. training in handling unexpected situations flexibly.

“I discovered that you can’t help people if you don’t know their true needs and helping to organize largescale events like the Federation’s annual Reunion Lunch was an eye-opener.” Hundreds of people attended sites all over Hong Kong so Vanessa had to make preparations, predict scenarios and help put it all into action.

She is a member of The Federation's the Youth Service Advisory Committee.

More details The HKFYG Leadership Institute leadershipinstitute.hk

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SKILLS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Branding strategy A

photography production and support service, a marketing agency and training service for company employees: these three distinct lines of business emerged as Sam Sio built a career of entrepreneurship. They all grew from his first contact with HKFYG.

“Entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly a hot topic when I was a teenager but I knew I wanted to start up a photography business. The trouble was, I didn’t know where to begin.”

He started by searching for information on startup support.

“There were only two possible organizations. One of them was YBHK (Youth Business Hong Kong) and that’s the one which suited me. It providing mentors to help solve problems and follow up on progress, financial assistance, skills training, legal advice for accounting issues and social network building. Everything I really needed!”

For a new brand or a new company there are three essential factors, he says. “You need exposure in the market for your company and products; an effective introduction of your product to the target customer group; and network-building in the relevant sector.”

YBHK was ideal for Sam because it offered him immediate exposure in a partnership programme that HKFYG had with TVB. It involved a show with competitive pitching sessions. That meant many potential customers found out about Sam’s business. “The show’s jury challenged our business model, tested its competitive strength and queried the ways in which we planned to expand. In effect, it helped us clarify what we do and how we do it.”

As the photography business developed, it used an innovative photo booth. This was disruptive technology: it made a photographer redundant.

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pp Sam Sio in the centre

Find a problem and to fix it with new technology - preferably your own. That’s how to succeed in building your own brand.

“We must have been among the first to use the technology in Hong Kong. It also involved creative destruction: we had to find novelties and dare to try and be the first one to bring them into the industry.”

You need to explore new technology and give customers a new experience if you are to succeed in today’s cut-throat market, says Sam. The covid-19 pandemic presented him with a new opportunity. “We had both online promotions and an offline photo-taking business. Turnover in the offline business dropped nearly 40% during covid-19.

As a result, we had to innovate. We shifted some of our offline events online and introduced a new technology never used by any other company, as far as I know.”

Sam’s business is now recovering. “Today, we are making enough from the online programme to cover our losses.

As a YBHK mentor himself now, Sam sees how quickly today’s teenagers can find new information. “A lot faster than my generation. They can get what they need from the internet in seconds. Yet it is harder for them to deepen their knowledge. Fragmentation of focus is normal for young people today in Hong Kong. It leads to lack of logical thinking and concentration.”

Sam stresses how important it is to be aware of change.

“The market changes fast and you need innovation at every step if you want to stay ahead. It is also important to find a problem and to fix it with new technology ‒ preferably your own. That’s how to succeed in building your own brand.”

Being in business is never easy and the hardest step is often starting up. “You need to know your own products and the market for them in fine detail. You need to think through all your market strategy, your financial position, and your future plans. YBHK can help you do all of that.”

More details Social Innvoation and Youth Business Unit sic.hkfyg.org.hk/en/ybhk

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SKILLS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

In their shoes D

enys Look, a professional mediator who practices in risk management and mediation training, offers a parttime course in mediation at HKFYG’s Living Life Academy (LLA). The communication skills his students learn involve seeking hidden agendas and finding common ground.

Mediation is the process of talking to people involved in a disagreement to try to help them find a solution to their problems. It uses specialized communication and negotiation techniques and is found in commercial, legal, diplomatic, workplace, community and family contexts.

“My course in mediation is not only for aspiring professionals but also for those who would like to learn the spirit and techniques involved because they are useful for daily life,” explains Denys.

“There can be misunderstandings about the purposes of mediation,” Denys continues. “People think that is like telling everybody stay calm and take a step back. In fact, a mediator has to put him or herself and the shoes of the people who disagree find common ground, common needs and common interests and not judge who is right or wrong. In effect, the mediator’s job involves focusing on hidden agendas.”

First, Denys wants to promote mediation through boardgames, videos and movies. “Everyone is having to face problems and difficulties. Instead of struggling we can face them squarely with a calm mind. Just as when kids learn to swim or ride a bicycle, it’s hard at first because your mind is telling you that you cannot do it. When you have learned the technique, it is like second nature.”

Denys chose to offer his course with HKFYG because “It has a positive, healthy image. It is a mature organization with no declared political stance. It is also better to learn mediation as early as possible and I would like to introduce these skills at junior high school level.” It is all about communication skills, he says, and teenagers can learn how to handle situations where people hold differing opinions.

The importance of life-long learning cannot be overemphasized, Denys says. “Life is short and full of conflict. Narrow-minded people seldom consider other people’s needs and interests. Instead they have a lot of negative energy. Don’t get trapped like this. Be open-minded, explore new points of view. There are always options to choose from and more to learn. Whether you are 18 or 80, as your cup gets bigger, so you need more water to fill it.”

Teachers can learn the skills which involve active listening and patience. They are also vital in counselling and can lead to value-added volunteering. Denys hopes such skills can become part of HKFYG services and that mediation in Hong Kong’s legal system could be expanded to embrace the Greater Bay Area where it is now fragmented.

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There are always options to choose from and more to learn. Whether you are 18 or 80, as your cup gets bigger, so you need more water to fill it.

Denys Look is President of the HK Mediation Alliance and HK Mediation Profession Staff General Union

Relax and draw M

anisha Lee started teaching the Zentangle style of drawing with HKFYG’s Living Life Academy (LLA) in around 2015. It’s an easy-to-learn, relaxing way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns but it has unexpected benefits too.

Although the style requires a few basic skills, the patterns it makes can be quite diverse and complicated. “Only the creator of the drawing can be its judge. The criteria are not really aesthetic but they are very personal: your Zentangle drawings should help you to feel calm and give you relief from stress.”

Manisha discovered the Zentangle style when a close relative of hers died and she needed an outlet for her grief.

“Because I had a background in art and psychology, I understood that this could help me express how I felt.”

an insomniac and he was able to sleep after the second class.”

She would like to teach drawing in other media as well, pastels for example. Combined with further studies in art, she thinks this could be merged into mindfulness. “One day, I would like to try watercolours or calligraphy as well.”

Only the creator of the drawing can be its judge.

Zentangle convinced her of the benefits of positive thinking. “There is no clear line between black and white, good and bad. Many people like to judge everything but I think that’s narrow-minded. There are no standards except the ones that you, the creator, sets.”

Many of Manisha’s students at LLA are facing problems when they sign up for classes.

“If they develop a daily task and keep practicing, they usually find it provides emotional support and people who are psychologically troubled in particular can find a way to relax, suffer less and discover self-healing. One of my students was

Manisha seeks inspiration from other countries and cultures, Malaysia and Taiwan, for example. “The world is changing and we individuals have to keep studying to keep up with change and improve on what we know.”

It is also good to learn something that doesn’t relate to your work and the LLA courses and opportunities fill that need.

“Look at me. I did surveying at university and then did a lot of other new courses. Regardless of the cost of such courses their benefit is far greater than what you actually learn. The important outcome is that they broaden my mind.”

More details Living Life Academy lla.hkfyg.hk

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1960s to 2000s

S

tanding together in times of need has always been important for HKFYG and in its 60th anniversary year, our past and present members, partners and council members come together to reflect on milestones reached and to envisage pathways into the future.

pp Mansion Street Youth Centre （民新街青年中心）

pp Leisure in stage

pp Youth outreach

pp Youth SPOTs

pp Education services

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pp Sports

pp Volunteering

pp Parenting

pp Overseas youth exchange

21st century

pp Camps and outdoor services

pp The HKFYG Leadship Institute

pp The HKFYG Youth Hostel PH2

pp Youth Crime Prevention Centre

pp Creative education

pp Outdoor services

pp Neighbourhood First

pp Youth I.D.E.A.S.

pp M21

pp Social Innovation Centre

pp LEAD

pp Performing Arts

pp The Hong Kong Young Ambassador Scheme

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

A journey together M

r MY Wan, President of the Federation’s Council, reflects on the past and talks about his vision for the future. Three themes emerge strongly built on trust as a foundation.

“A cycle of 60 years has special meaning in the Chinese tradition. It is called a jia zi ( 甲子 ) and when I celebrated my 60th birthday in 2011 with a talk to young people at the Federation about the joy of learning my theme was and ‘Learning to Learn’.

This year, when the Federation celebrates its first 60 years, Mr Wan speaks of the blessing of being its President. “It is a humbling but grave responsibility, particularly when I reflect upon the heart-breaking scenes of the 2019 riots that continue to haunt me.”

Healing and harmony Mr Wan believes that healing is the most pressing need today: healing for young people, healing for their relationships with parents and healing of the rifts within the community. “An essential solution to these problems is to give youth hope,” he says.

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When we succed, our success must have been built on hope and trust.

Mr Wan finds it depressing and unfortunate that the expression of filial piety as love for parents is missing, in a Chinese community. “It causes hardship for youth because harmony at home is fundamental for their proper growth.” He suggests that the Federation could motivate young people to take the lead in this respect.

Mr Wan started his youth work in the early 1990s when he participated in the development of the NGO Youth Outreach. He describes it as fundamentally a

remedial work agency that helps young people back towards normal lives. Since the Federation’s work is much wider in scope with diverse services and many facets, Mr Wan thinks the Federation can map out work for proactive development as well as remediation and “Be youth’s companion on a joyful journey.”

Give them hope Mr Wan also recognizes the importance of information, communication and technology (ICT) in youth services.

Recently, when a member of the Federation’s Council proposed launching new schemes in ICT, he was surprised to learn that Hong Kong’s workforce in this field numbered only 100,000, or less than 3% of the working population. Mr Wan sees this as an important future policy direction for the Federation as the use of technology during the pandemic shows clearly how significant it is.

“Many more young people could channel their efforts into this sector in order to secure job opportunities.

This would definitely give them hope,” he says.

Recalling the two times he was a member of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Mr Wan identifies major hurdles ahead. He thinks Hong Kong’s housing situation is bad and getting worse. “Cramped, badly built, unhygienic and lacking privacy, housing today is a serious impediment to youth who are losing hope for their future.” Angry at the absence of commitment and passion among some who handle the machinery for land and housing supply, he says, “They not only fail to support housing production for the community but also make youth work doubly difficult.” Mr Wan also recalls meeting a teacher who emigrated to Latvia. “He felt unable to continue teaching here because it seemed like lying when he told his students about hope for the future when he could not see any.”

Joy of learning On a brighter note, Mr Wan returns to the theme of learning. He says he hopes to “learn something new daily.” Having established the routine of independent learning in his mid-thirties, he encourages young people to read widely. “Examples of my reading include anthropology to help understand both our community and ourselves, and cosmology to be well-informed and humbled by the vast immensity of the universe.”

pp President Wan and young volunteer

He encourages young people to read widely and grasp the brevity of their existence, a mere 100 years perhaps.

Compare that with the age of the Earth at 4.5 billion years, he says, and that of the universe at 13 billion. “When you see how small you are, then you can gain better perspective, and life − though hard – becomes more enjoyable.”

Furthermore, Mr Wan says, enlightenment through selflearning makes life so much more gratifying. Learning language skills, for example, especially a second language, is also important and helps one to think more clearly.

Mr Wan encourages youth to look widely in order to find opportunities and to share others’ viewpoints, to look ahead and set targets, and to look back to understand their roots. “Having clear vision in these directions can provide a compass to steer by.”

He hopes that the Federation will continue to do its best for young people and be a good companion for their growth and development. “How far we go will depend on our efforts, and when we succeed, our success must have been built on hope and trust.” 香港青年協會會長溫文儀先生認為青年最需要的就是治癒 和希望，即使面對任何挑戰，只要心懷希望，定能迎難而 上。青協將繼續以熱誠及專業回應青年需要，未來將有各 項與青年就業相關的工作推出。 27

Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Half a century of partnership

D

r Antony Chow, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, recollects his boyhood when HKFYG was in its first decade, Moments of delight shared with boys and girls from very different backgrounds have become fond memories of well-remembered times.

“Where are you going?”

“Mansan Gai, 民新街 !”

“That’s what we all called it,” says Dr Anthony Chow, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, recalling 1960s Hong Kong when he was a member of the Federation’s youth centre at Mansan Gai, Mansion Street in North Point.

“A schoolmate told me I could learn badminton there and I thought my mother would approve of that. My friend also told me I could have guitar lessons there, something I dearly wanted, but that was not considered suitable by my parents. They thought it meant rock ‘n’ roll. But they agreed to the badminton,” he says, with a twinkle in his eye.

Guitar lessons followed for Dr Chow, as did a lifelong love of music, but also came the chance to be outdoors and to taste freedom. For many of boys from hard-working North Point families it was a rare chance indeed that the Federation provided sixty years ago. Like the young Dr Chow, they barely knew remote parts of Hong Kong’s countryside.

Picnics on Lantau and Lamma were grand adventures.

Then, thanks to the Federation’s founder, Mr George Stokes, they had the chance to venture further, to Tai Mong Tsai and the new HKFYG seaside camp near Sai Kung.

“Not only was there overnight camping, there were days of shared fun, canoeing and sailing,” days that etched memories still clear to Dr Chow today. “There was also a pressing need to plant trees on the bare post-war slopes around the camp’s bungalows. As I planted them, I told myself that one day I would come back, one day when the tree would be tall.”

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“It was a time to learn about friendship and those friendships have lasted so long. What I enjoyed most was the company, the unity, everything we shared back then. Even though our family backgrounds were so different, gradually, I was accepted by them, allowed into their rather different world.”

That world of HKFYG’s first decade was quite a contrast to the world Dr Chow knew at school, not only in Robinson Road, Mid-Levels but also at an English public school from which he progressed to London to qualify as a solicitor in the 1970s. But he never forgot the Federation.

On return to his hometown, he discovered a chance to follow his passion: horses and horse racing, a passion that ran in his family. “I also discovered that my love of horses could be a stepping-stone to charity.” That step

ttp Photographs courtesy of Mr Patrick Tam

connected up with Dr Chow’s other love, of music.

He heard of a new a cappella choir at the Federation and with his Hong Kong Jockey Club connection this led to the important sponsorship HKFYG enjoyed for its annual a cappella programme, bringing singers from around the world together to inspire one another as equals in the world of creative music.

Dr Chow’s concluding message is also about treating each other as equals, as he remembers his fellow HKFYG members doing with him back in the 1960s. “People demand human rights and freedoms all over the world, not only in Hong Kong. When young people here declare that they will fight for freedom, I tell them there are a limits to every freedom. I say if you give people dignity they won’t need to fight, but that to gain respect, dignity and equality, first you have to earn it. At the end of the day, this is something we all need to understand.”

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Education and skills where next?

P

rofessor Paul Cheung , former Dean of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong and current member of HKFYG’s Council, is not only an educator but an innovative maker and an advocate of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. When asked about skills for the future, he spoke from deep conviction and wide experience.

“When thinking about skills, we need to recognize the sharp distinction between education and training.”

Training is about skills and about learning how to do things, Prof Cheung explains, while education is not only about knowledge but about fostering the mind.

“Education can provide the environment where it is possible to develop character, shape attitudes and formulate values. Schools need to find a balance when offering knowledge and skills. Although knowledge of fundamental facts is essential for understanding scientific theory with universal applicability, it needs to be balanced by the ability to grasp the practical applications of such knowledge.”

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When thinking about skills, we need to recognize the sharp distinction between education and training.

Continuing to define skills young people need, Prof Cheung says, “I would divide important skills into three kinds: knowledge skills about subjects and

techniques, language skills that enable one to organize and communicate thoughts and soft or social skills which permit one to interact well with others.”

Moving on to talk about nurturing young innovators, Prof Cheung reminds us that both nature and nurture are involved and he says that apart from education and skills, what they need most is exposure. “They need to meet other innovators who provide stimulus for doing things differently.”

When it comes to competitiveness, Prof Cheung again says it depends on exposure. “Hong Kong’s main competitiveness comes from being the most international city in China so young people need to understand their own and other cultures, have a realistic, true world view and learn to be global citizens. The best way for them to achieve this is by exposure and travel, by reading widely and reflecting on what they read, but they also need to stay curious, be willing to take risks and develop the courage to face failure.”

Prof Cheung notes that trying to offer excessive support for youth development is unsustainable and that the best form of support is a sand-box: somewhere to experiment, build foundations and try out ideas. “A sand-box offers the chance to build but also the chance to fail. In the next few years we will see cold winters for the economy, for NGOs and for many startups, so knowing how to fail and not give up easily will be invaluable.”

Looking at the past development of HKFYG, from a small social enterprise to the largest youth service organization in the city, Prof Cheung advises against trying to solve all the problems of youth. As for the future of youth services, he says “Change happens constantly, quickly and unpredictably and nobody can define precisely the right direction for the future. Therefore, we all have to be less results-oriented and less KPI-driven.”

Instead, he emphasizes the need for clear vision and purpose, whereas key performance indicators (KPI) are useful to assess progress and identify problems.

“They should not be the actual objectives and purpose. Only the mediocre are driven by KPI and metrics, excellence is always driven by vision.”

The Federation can offer the soil, the water, the nutrients and the sun to nurture the younger generation.

Looking forward, he says outreach and connectivity, opportunities and technology will all bring deepening engagement with youth and this will be useful for building communities. “I don’t mean just virtual communities on social media, but real communities for human engagement and venues where youth can meet face to face. Enhancing professionalism will enable this engagement.”

Embracing innovation will also be vital. “Hong Kong has never been faced with so many challenges in such a short time and covid-19 is just one of many. Now, more than ever, it is very important for young people to stay innovative and to keep entrepreneurial spirit alive.”

Prof Cheung assures us that HKFYG can provide the environment where such young people can grow and hone their skills. “The Federation can offer the soil, the water, the nutrients and the sun to nurture the younger generation. It can encourage them to develop and grow, get ready to contribute to their society and develop the courage to challenge the status quo constructively and positively. In this way they will find new ways to solve problems innovatively, guided by a good education, sound moral values and positive attitudes.”

As well as being Dean of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong, Professor Cheung was also Director of its Technology Transfer Office and Associate VicePresident (Research). He is currently an Honorary Professor in both Electrical & Electronic Engineering and in Computer Science at the same university.

青協理事會成員張英相教授認為青年應著重發展軟實力， 其中最重要是培養創新能力和區域視野，建立正確價值觀 以及培養良好品格。

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Meeting challenges T

he Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to nurturing essential skills, positive values and attitudes that enable students to cope with 21st century challenges.

Kevin Yeung Secretary for Education

The Hong Kong curriculum includes knowledge and skills related to science, technology and information technology.

It embraces creativity, interpersonal and collaborative skills, as well as innovative thinking, global, civic and cultural awareness. Values such as citizenship and respect are also constantly promoted as essential for preparing students for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

E-learning and computer skills The covid-19 pandemic has been one such challenge. It brought up-to-date e-learning and computer skills into the limelight: crucial skills for applying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in learning and in daily life. These skills allow for the ethical, flexible and effective use of information and information technology (IT). They also involve an awareness of the ways in which technological development and innovation change the way we live.

Specific computer skills lie within the curriculum’s Technology Education Key Learning Area. At primary level, basic IT knowledge and coding skills are included. At junior secondary level, the ICT curriculum aims to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to apply ICT in daily life and use relevant technology to solve problems.

A review of ICT at senior secondary level is underway, with the view of strengthening students’ computational thinking 32

and enhancing their understanding of technological developments, including Artificial Intelligence.

Wellbeing, stress and mental health We should always adopt a positive attitude even in tough times and I agree very much with the saying “There are always more solutions than problems in life”. The Government has been soliciting the collaborative efforts of different stakeholders to address issues concerning wellbeing and the EDB has been encouraging the adoption of the Whole School Approach to promote mental health education and enhance support for students with mental health needs.

Life education, or the ability to understand the meaning of life and how to cherish, respect and explore it, has been incorporated into different learning themes within the school curriculum. The EDB has also provided schools with relevant learning materials and professional development programmes.

It offers structured training courses to serve teachers who are supporting students with special educational needs (SEN), some of which include content or modules on mental illness.

Every school year, EDB also organizes talks, seminars and experience-sharing sessions to raise teachers’ awareness of mental health and enhance their professional

capacity to identify and support students with mental health needs. We encourage schools to make good use of the knowledge and skills of the teachers who have received training to help the students in need.

Post-pandemic student stress After months of class suspensions, some students may feel stressed when readjusting to school life but the EDB believes most of them will slowly recover with proper care and support. Teachers can show their concern by providing companionship and by creating a supportive environment.

It is important to note that students, the younger ones in particular, look to teachers when they don’t know how to react to stressful events and so we encourage a calm and positive attitude. Teachers can be tolerant and adjust expectations of learning ability and behaviour as necessary.

For students who need special attention, we advise teachers to observe their condition and performance carefully and proactively, strengthen communication with parents and render additional assistance where appropriate. If students suffer from severe or persistent emotional distress and display strong emotional reactions such as excessive anxiety and fear, teachers should promptly refer them to school social workers, school-based educational psychologists or other professionals for timely and appropriate support.

Renewal and direction Curriculum renewal has been taking place since 2014 with the goals of promoting whole-person development and lifelong learning capabilities of students while instilling positive values and attitudes, developing generic skills and constructing a solid knowledge base to enable students to face future challenges.

The EDB has also accorded great importance to empowering school leaders to sustain and deepen the accomplishments in curriculum implementation and to plan their whole-school curriculum strategically to prepare our students for the significant developments in our society and around the world.

In this connection, the School Leaders’ Workshop on Whole-school Curriculum Planning was launched in the 2018/19 school year for all publicly-funded secondary schools in Hong Kong. The aim was to enhance capacity to map out future directions for school-based

curriculum development, taking into account the macro and dynamic changes in the local, regional and global landscapes. Topics include curriculum leadership against the backdrop of the challenges and opportunities in the 21st century, holistic planning for values education and implementing STEM education for all students.

Partnership initiatives In the coming years, the EDB would like to explore partnerships that promote students’ wellness and mental health literacy, such as understanding mental health and mental illness, strategies for positive coping, destigmatization and help-seeking, and the implementation of effective intervention for students with mental health needs.

In recent years, such partnerships among government departments have improved significantly and collaborations with professional bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) have also been enhanced.

Another dimension to explore further is career and life planning education. EDB will continue to invite community organizations, including NGOs and corporations in various trades and industries, to join the Business-School Partnership Programme and provide activities such as career talks, workplace visits and work experience.

I congratulate HKFYG on its 60th anniversary. As an experienced NGO which has committed itself to serving the young people in Hong Kong and facilitating their allround development, HKFYG will certainly be one of our key partners in both devising and providing the necessary support and service for our students in the years to come.

More information about EDB support 1. edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/4-key-tasks/moral-civic/pdp.html 2. info.gov.hk/gia/general/201903/11/P2019031100430.htm 3. edb.gov.hk/en/teacher/student-guidance-discipline-services/gd-resources/index.html 4. edb.gov.hk/tc/edu-system/special/resources/joyfulatschool/index.html 5. edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/special/sen-training/index.html 6. edb.gov.hk/en/teacher/prevention-of-student-suicides/overview.html).

7. cspe.edu.hk/en/Resources-CareerGuidance-Handbook.html

教育局局長楊潤雄先生表示，教育的重點在於培育青年關 鍵能力、正向價值觀以及良好態度，以應對 21 世紀挑戰。 同時，楊局長認為社會各界應群策群力，藉跨界合作推動 教育和青年工作。

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Helping Hong Kong take off again

M

r Fred Lam, CEO of the Airport Authority, speaks about making the transition from school to workforce. He says that a taste of frontline work with visitors gives young people good practice and that their educational achievements can be less important than having the right attitude.

Life planning YHK The transition from school to work is often complex. Who do you think can best provide guidance or mentorship for life planning at this stage?

Mr Lam It is often quite a big leap for a graduate to leave the campus and enter the workplace as a freshman. Each person comes from a different background and has a unique character so the transition will not be the same for everyone.

To manage this transition well, I think it is most important to instill the right attitude in young graduates.

I would never doubt the skills of the younger generation.

They are smart and well-versed in a diverse range of skills. If young people can maintain a passion for life and work, they will surely thrive in the workplace.

However, during boom times, young people might have a more relaxed attitude towards their jobs. As recession looms, probably their mindset will change and this could certainly help them adapt to a new environment in working life.

Diversified vocational training YHK What emphasis would you like to see in vocational training on frontline skills learnt on the job compared to academic performance at school?

Mr Lam There are now many different programmes organized by schools, the government and NGOs providing support to young people for getting to know about the workplace and careers. Such support is very useful. We at the airport also organize programmes towards that end.

Through work-related summer programmes, students can explore different kinds of jobs, understand more about themselves and their own strengths and interests.

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It is very helpful for young people to learn how to work with different people through these programmes, how to respect others and take their work seriously. To be successful in the workplace, interpersonal skills and the right attitude are often more important than academic qualifications.

Encouragement YHK The Airport Ambassadors programme has been very encouraging to participants. Can you tell us the Airport Authority’s main reasons for this valuable long term support of HKFYG? Mr Lam The Airport Ambassadors programme is one of my favourite community outreach programmes. The airport serves as a portal for Hong Kong. Visitors often get their first impressions of Hong Kong when they land at the airport.

As airport ambassadors young people can meet visitors from all over the world and through this they may come to understand the importance of the airport to the economy in terms of trade, tourism and finance. They may also find out more about the different career opportunities at the airport.

Hospitality YHK How important do you think it is to provide opportunities for young people to understand Hong Kong in depth in order to welcome its visitors?

Mr Lam In-depth travel is the trend now. Many visitors are interested in exploring a destination in a down-toearth way, not just going to the tourist spots. They would be interested in hearing from our young people how they feel about their daily lives in the city and the things around them. It is easy to take such things for granted

when they are already part of daily life. Things like our efficient transportation services, the MTR, buses and ferries, but also our good food and so on. All these are very familiar to us and could also be of interest to visitors.

While visitors may read about the city’s history or receive information on Hong Kong, they do not always have opportunities to talk to the locals. People are always more interesting than information. I sincerely hope that our airport ambassadors love Hong Kong from the bottom of their hearts so that the Hong Kong they introduce to our visitors would be a nice and interesting place.

Current collaborations YHK The Working Holiday @ Lantau project can assist participants with both career and personal development. In which ways would you like to see this programme develop in future?

Mr Lam The general idea of a working holiday is about leaving one’s comfort zone at home, gaining new experience and receiving training. The Working Holiday @ Lantau programme has been going well. It meets our expectations and we hope to expand it in the future. At the moment it remains relatively small in scale as we started it only a few years ago.

We are exploring different ways to develop it further.

Overcoming challenges YHK What are the main hurdles you envisage for young people trying to find employment in the post-pandemic era?

Mr Lam We see challenges in the coming year, especially for the economy, not only here but globally. Hong Kong has faced various crises in the past. For instance, when I graduated in 1982, the economy was not in a very good shape because of the uncertainties of Hong Kong’s future before the 1997 handover. Despite the different challenges in the past, each time we bounced back and emerged stronger.

I hope that young people will not feel dejected during this difficult time. Employers will not only look at their educational background and academic achievements or at how many languages they speak, but also at whether they are passionate about their work because people with passion are often the most eager to learn.

Difficult times present unique opportunities to enhance one’s resilience. For example, one can do more sports.

Work out more. Toughen oneself up. Then one can stand upright against strong head winds and never give up!

Rising above the horizon YHK Which pathways for partnerships between the travel industry and youth services would you most like to explore in the years to come?

Mr Lam I believe the aviation and travel industries will recover after the pandemic but its impact is significant. Air passenger traffic may take some time to fully recover but we remain confident in the long-term development of the airport.

In the past decade or so, the aviation industry has grown in leaps and bounds. Air tickets are now much more affordable and it is very convenient to get tickets online. Hong Kong people are the world’s most prolific travellers, taking flights on average three times a year compared to the global average of less than once a year. The long-term trend is for more people to travel by air. In particular, we expect Hong Kong people to travel even more frequently in the future.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, connecting some 220 destinations worldwide. Tens of millions of visitors come to Hong Kong each year for business, holidays and other purposes. We are also the biggest air cargo hub in the world, facilitating international trade.

I believe travel does not only provide leisure and create business opportunities, but also helps make it a borderless world while promoting peace. When there is more interaction between people from different cultures, mutual understanding can be enhanced. Peace will in turn le We never stop developing the airport in Hong Kong.

Many development projects are progressing full steam ahead, such as the Three-runway System. We are also introducing more smart facilities and services at the airport, which will be very welcome to young travellers.

Future work I have had many collaborations with HKFYG. I support youth work, which takes on yet more importance when young people need greater support in this fast-changing world. I hope that HKFYG will continue to do its best and make further progress in helping young people face future challenges.

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Stay well, maintain balance M

s Cecilia Ho, President of Lee Hysan Foundation, speaks wholeheartedly about the importance of achieving and maintaining wellbeing. She advocates allround education, focusing on strengths and capacity-building. for parents, educators and social workers.

Empowerment for all Young people need positive, all-round education that focuses on their individual strengths. There is no onesize-fits-all-solution so instead of adopting a topdown approach there should be avenues for two-way communication that allow for self-expression where youth can take the lead and showcase their talents.

Resilience in times of uncertainty Every crisis ends and there are things we cannot control.

It is important for parents and educators to instill a sense of gratitude and “walk the talk”. This will set a good example for youth. Sharing real-life stories to prove that there are always ups and downs in life is important.

The parent-student-teacher triangle plays a vital role in youth development and wellbeing. Young people are keen observers – they will notice reactions to stress in their parents and teachers so practicing empathetic communication and emotional management is also key.

Programmes in partnership NGOs can help teachers better understand the emotional and social development of their students and their needs for both hard and soft skills. The Foundation has funded training on managing youth’s psychological need for both teachers and parents because capacity building for social workers, counsellors and teachers is also central to wellbeing.

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Early intervention is the key to education and social services, so we need to raise awareness in the community as a whole. Both physical and emotional wellbeing are needed and for follow-up support, an open platform for dialogue is paramount. In schools, the focus shouldn’t only be on students but on the situation of the family as a whole.

Future NGO directions Tapping into technology, improving connectivity and embracing innovative digital skills: these will all engage youth and enable NGOs to offer fun, creative learning programmes while ensuring that service providers have the know-how to use new technology themselves. With digital tools as an integral part of the curriculum, there should also be more emphasis on media literacy to minimize any negative impact of a technology-driven environment and lessen vulnerability to fake news.

Think positive Activities that are deliberately positive, heartwarming, stressreducing and laughter-inducing: that’s what we all need now!

Remember, together we’ll get through this and it is perfectly OK to take a break occasionally, find some ‘me time’, de-stress, rest, recuperate and recharge. Still, treasuring your family, building strong connections and then maintaining this is crucial for positive thinking, as is knowing how to show gratitude and telling the people who matter how much you appreciate them.

Mentorship for enterprise I

n the early 1990s, when Gabriel Li and Peggy Sin of Potter Industries started up their company, there was no public internet and no Hong Kong startup support organization. When they discovered HKFYG’s YBHK they both opted to become mentors and share their experience. pp Peggy Sin second from left, Gabriel Li far right

Gabriel and Peggy started their household business in 1992 when they had to go to the Trade and Development Council to search clients from paper directories. There was no internet, Gabriel remembers, “We had to cold-call potential clients one by one, working long days to overcame different challenges and difficulties, but we were happy.”

Matching mentor to mentee By 2005, Gabriel was president of JCI Dragon HK. HKFYG launched Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK) the same year as Hong Kong’s first one-stop youth entrepreneurial programme providing financial, mentorship and other practical support. Mentors were needed and Gabriel successfully linked up JCI Dragon HK with YBHK, making it the programme’s very first partner.

“We realized that we needed to share what we had learned so that young startups could save time and effort. Only HKFYG and Shell were offering startup support programmes at that time. A lot has changed since then,” says Gabriel. “Now there are many seed funding organizations but the biggest difference has always been YBHK’s mentorship programme.

It has a very good network and mentor pool and is still the best mentorship programme today.”

Benefitting from experience “We tell mentees about finance, operations and business integrity: issues that are usually very important,” says

Gabriel. “We don’t try to teach how to be a boss. By sharing our experience and way of tackling problems, we try to inspire startups to make their own right decisions.”

Peggy, remembering that they did business with more than 70 countries, says, “For risk management, I needed to find out about their culture and ways of life. We seldom heard of countries like Venezuela in those days, even in news reports. We learnt about their political issues simply by doing business with them. It was the kind of unique experience that we treasure.”

Be nimble and survive Fast-forwarding to the present day, Peggy is tentative. “I think it is really difficult for many people, but if young people use their creativity, I believe they could survive.”

Gabriel is positive despite the difficulties Hong Kong faces. “It’s not like the old days when nobody trusted you if you didn’t have a proper office, fixed telephone & fax line. Nowadays people will trade with you even you only have a Facebook or Instagram page.”

Although the current situation is very difficult for big companies, given their huge fixed costs, Gabriel concludes that nimble startups can benefit. “Small businesses can survive through high mobility and flexibility. I think young startups should grab this chance to expand. Big challenges mean big opportunities.”

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Special June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Bringing it all together P rincipal Simon Tso describes how partnerships with the Federation are helping to provide opportunities for underprivileged students. Many of his students at the De La Salle Secondary School NT, in the northern New Territories of Hong Kong come from mainland China.

Hidden talent and special needs About one-sixth of the students at the De La Salle Secondary School NT have special needs. “We give them emotional and social support but often it is not enough, especially by the time they are at senior high school.

Indeed, some are not able to complete their studies.”

At times of crisis, such as the covid-19 pandemic, children with special needs or those from low-income families can suffer badly. Nevertheless, connections with the Federation can sometimes give them opportunities to explore their potential and make plans for future careers. “Some even revealed outstanding abilities through taking part in HKFYG programmes. We see their hidden talents and so they grow in confidence and understand their own value.”

Coping with crisis Whatever confidence many Hong Kong students have, it was to be shaken this year. “Class suspensions began in Hong Kong in early February 2020 when online learning had to begin quickly. Difficulties for many students began, especially for students who cross the boundary to come to our school.”

Students with no computers at home could borrow school iPads. “The school had about 150 to lend and 50 more students benefitted from the iPad-borrowing Scheme but since many learning materials were videos, students from low-income family then faced another problem: sharing limited data bandwidth in cramped family homes.” For many, arguments and conflicts resulted, aggravating an already dire situation.

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Principal Tso discovered a solution: the HKFYG scheme called Bandwidth support for E-learning at Home. “It provided us with free SIM cards valid for two months to give to needy students. Not only did they make better online learning possible but they ended fights with parents and siblings over scarce resources.”

Social worker support Speaking of how Federation programmes helped his school during conflict of a very different nature, Principal Tso remembers the way HKFYG school social workers offered emotional support during the height of the protests in 2019. “Apart from our students having strong bonds with class teachers and support from them, school social workers, Maggie and Amy, coordinated very effectively and revealed strong professional ability at times when they had to handle differing opinions among students who had various perspectives. As a result, the students upgraded their ability to listen and understand.”

Enduring spirit Principal Tso believes it is crucial for schools to collaborate with partners. “Schools don’t have sufficient capital, human resources or equipment whereas HKFYG’s network brings together a wide range of diverse, useful resources. These can benefit individual growth and inspire lifelong planning and I trust that HKFYG’s beliefs and spirit will endure.”

More details School Social Work Unit wmc.hkfyg.org.hk/ssw

Culture shock

Kazakhstan and beyond

J

eff Tam travelled in Kazakhstan on an exchange tour sponsored by the HKFYG Belt and Road Initiative. The experience opened his eyes to the diversity of other cultures and confirmed his view that the more we know of them the better.

“Why did I choose Kazakhstan? Three reasons: I’d never been there, it has many interesting types of landscape and I was fascinated by its culture.”

Looking back, Jeff says he expected a hybrid culture, an even mix of European and Chinese. “In reality, it was more westernized than Asian,” he says. Although its predominant religion is Islam, “Its people did not seem to me to be such devout Muslims as they are in some other Asian countries.

In fact, I found them to be much more open and a lot of those who practice were called weekend-believers.”

When Jeff and his companions talked to locals about education, he learned how focused they were on succeeding in business. “They believe firmly that if the country wants to advance, it must be through business studies.

There is not a lot of science or engineering at tertiary level. Personally, I was quite surprised as most Hong Kong people today believe that STEM is important.”

I expected a hybrid culture, an even mix of European and Chinese. In reality, it was more westernized than Asian.

However, core values and core traditions are strong, as are the ethnic bonds which Jeff could see were emphasized at tribal celebrations and festivities. Compared to Middle Eastern countries, he found more gender equality, “at least in terms of clothing and males and females can interact quite freely.”

The younger generation is quite internationalized. They have Qpop, or Kazakhstan-pop and Kazakhstani youngsters seemed eager to go overseas and were confident in the potential of their country to become an international hub, with its position in Central Asia and its rich oil deposits.

“Before the trip, I may have stereotyped Kazakhstanis and considered them more conservative than they really are. Nevertheless, an age divide definitely exists.”

The most eye-opening part of Jeff ’s trip was the mountain scenery. “Almaty city and the towering snowy mountains overlooking it, were breath-taking. We visited Shymbulak, originally to be the home of the Winter Olympics when the mountains already had a white cap of snow.”

A deeper understanding of a Belt and Road country was one of Jeff ’s key takeaways and he encourages other youngsters to take as many trips abroad as possible. He also says they should look around them when at home. “Hong Kong has such a huge mix of ethnicities. We should definitely try to socialize with people from other cultures wherever we are in the world to understand each other better.”

More details Youth Exchange Unit ye.hkfyg.org.hk

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COMMUNity Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Putting Neighbourhood First P

oon Kit-shan, who signed up for the Federation’s Neighbourhood First programme in 2018, says he used to do poorly at school and remembers the day a school social worker told him about volunteering with HKFYG. and Characdice is about various roles in life. The purpose is to help the players think independently.”

“My mother has always said, ‘If you can help other people, choose the ones who wait.’ Ever since then, the value I have seen in serving others has been in finding those who make no demands, understanding their predicament and realizing how much better off we are.”

I can do something to help the last, the lost, the least.

He never looked back. “One day after a rainstorm, we went to Ta Kwu Ling village in the New Territories. The home of an elderly lady was flooded. It was terrible. All her furniture was damaged. We had brought some chairs high enough for that lady to be able to sit down with her feet out of the water. That memory will always remind me that there are people in Hong Kong who are dreadfully disadvantaged and that I can do something to help them.”

Later, Kit-shan joined a volunteer teaching team at HKFYG Cheung Wa Youth SPOT. “The children all came from disadvantaged North District families. We helped them with homework and taught them board games. The main purpose was to show them how to cope with the challenges of life.” The experience inspired Kit-shan to invent two special games.

“They are called 4-seeable ( 慳 大咗 ) and Characdice ( 角 骰 ). The theme of 4-seeable is financial management

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Delighted when some of his former students become volunteers themselves, Kit-shan thinks that “Volunteering helped me realize that the neediest in our society are young people who feel confused about their lives and their direction. Life planning and volunteering can help to empower them.”

Now, after the long period of school suspensions during the pandemic, Kit-shan wants to tell others how meaningful volunteering with HKFYG has been. “It has been an important chapter of my life and has told me I have the power to serve society.” Now a member of the HKFYG Youth Service Advisory Committee he says, “Maybe we will face big challenge but I believe a good future is possible if we do the right thing for our society and contribute positively.”

Although most Hong Kong students do volunteer work, most are scared to try something new, says Kit-shan. “They fear failure, so, whenever I can, I try to share with them a story of one of my own failures. That encourages them to create their own games. When they see how happy others are to play them, they gain the confidence to keep going.”

More details Neighbourhood First neighbourhoodfirst.hkfyg.org.hk

Caring to remember

T

sang Lok-chi took independent steps to help people during the covid-19 pandemic. With a team of friends, she inspired a massive donation of healthcare resources and delivered them to desperate Hong Kong people.

“At first, I was just going to ask close friends and relatives to donate masks but there was a huge response just by passing on the message by word of mouth so I decided to cast the net more widely.”

Suddenly, Lok-chi found that old friends who had been out of touch for years were contacting her. “One of them sent on our message through his own network. His contacts were so impressed that he subsequently gave us 30,000 masks for redistribution!”

strengths and weaknesses and applying what she learned on HKFYG leadership training courses. Connecting the needy with NGOs and professional social workers who can follow up on their cases is another of Lok-chi’s aims. “I believe different groups in the community have needs at different times but I want to serve wherever and whenever volunteers are needed.”

Be the change you want to see.

Social media played its part in sharing the news and soon the team was able to go to Hong Kong’s poorer areas and seek out the street sweepers, the elderly poor and people from low-income families surviving in tiny sub-divided flats. They were amazed by the generosity they found. “It was astonishing. Some of them told us they had barely enough to last a week and yet they told us to give the masks to people in greater need than themselves. They were so selfless and caring. It touched me very deeply.”

Helping the helpless, those covered by no social or financial social safety, the homeless, new immigrants without a support network and anyone without access to internet: that’s now Lok-chi’s admirable goal. “Due to lack of knowledge and resources, everyone forgets them and leaves them out.

Not only can they suffer from the physical impact of diseases like covid-19, they are also vulnerable to mental health problems.” Loneliness, stress, depression and insecurity are common. “Sometimes what they need most is empathy and the compassionate voice of someone who cares.”

Lok-chi says her skills in team management, communication and problem-solving came from identifying her own

Community work on behalf of the “invisible” ones”, those who have no social or financial safety net, is part of Lok-chi’s life. In her mid-20s, she was nominated for the Hong Kong Outstanding Youth Volunteer Scheme in 2012-13. She works with the international Rotaract charity and is a member of the Federation’s Youth Service Advisory Committee.

Lok-chi shares news of her voluntary community work on social media and encourages other young people to join her and get first-hand experience of volunteering with the underprivileged and deprived. Then, she hopes, “They will get the habit of self-reflection and eventually they will care about them, just like me.”

To encourage other young people to follow in her footsteps, she says, “No matter how difficult the current situation is or how far away your goals may seem, stay resilient and don’t give up easily. My motto, that I want to share with you all, is “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Tell yourself that if you embrace adversity you can overcome.

More details Youth Volunteer Network yvn.hkfyg.org.hk

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Advertorial June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

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Survey on “How Young People See Future Skills”

Seminar on Young People’s Resilience on Media

Acquiring skills The upcoming HKFYG Skills for Tomorrow

Expo aims to help youth learn about new areas of science and digital

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supporting them in the acquisition of skills

they need to thrive and remain competitive.

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Sharing Session of “COVID-19 and STEM education”

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Advertorial December 2019 | Youth Hong Kong

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Improving Governance by Maximizing Social Media’s Effectiveness

S

ocial media is generally considered a flexible tool for disseminating government information and facilitating interaction with the public. This report explored views of Hong Kong government’s success in this sphere.

In early 2020, an estimated 2.95 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost 3.43 billion by 2023. In Hong Kong, there are currently 5.8 million active social media users, representing around 78% of the population.

The three most popular social media platforms are Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp.

Low ratings were given by this group for:

The 2008 Policy Address mentioned the intention of developing online media platforms for proactive collection of public opinion.

Indeed, the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSARG) has used social media during a period of rapid and significant change so it is timely to review its performance and explore ways in which social media could enable better governance.

● building HKSARG’s public image: 1.68

Key points from respondents 1,028 responses were collected and a large majority had found HKSARG information via social media.

This majority (952) were asked about the HKSARG’s overall performance: ● 69.2% thought that HKSARG had persisted in disseminating information on social media but that interactivity was lacking. ● 77.0% said the HKSARG posts on social media were not attractive enough.

Report No. No.49 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Governance group Published title Improving Governance by Maximising Social Media Effectiveness Respondents 1,028 HKFYG members aged 15-34 Four experts or academics were also interviewed.

Date February and March 2020 More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org. hk/2020/04/28/yi049/

● explaining policies: 2.35 ● providing platforms for public engagement: 2.09 ● dealing with emergencies: 2.03 ● clarifying misinformation: 1.97 ● grasping public sentiment: 1.53 [On a 0-10 scale. 5 indicates the equivalent of a pass mark.]

All 1,028 respondents were then asked what their main expectation was when using social media to connect to the HKSARG. 29.3%, the largest proportion, said that they expected to get a response. On the other hand, 39.4% believed they might understand official decision-making better if social media were used more effectively. 29.2% said this would also encourage them to express more opinions.

Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members Angus Wong, group deputy convener “Although the

HKSARG began using social media a decade ago, it lacks a comprehensive strategy. Furthermore, its social media posts tend to elicit negative rather than positive comment. We therefore recommend a review with the aim of maximizing effectiveness.”

Ray Poon, group member “The discontinued one-stop information platform which provided the names of all bureaus, departments and agencies with social media accounts should be reinstated. There is an increasing number of such accounts and all relevant links and logos that enable easy access by the public should be available.”

Rita Chan, group member “Young people are the main users of social media and so we recommend the provision of more posts or the replacement of existing posts with jobs for talented youth who can help to manage HKSARG social media accounts.”

Enquiries Sharon Cheung 3755 7039

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HKFYG June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Covid-19 stress school and employment • Over 50% of students asked how they felt about the resumption of classes report high stress levels and are worried about failing to maintain their pre-pandemic progress.

• Over 60% of young people aged 15-35 are worried about employment prospects and many have already been put on furlough, are experiencing difficulties or have already lost their jobs.

Stress at school Classes in Hong Kong were suspended from late January to late May 2020. Students continued to learn online, using platforms provided by their schools. However, many saw the period as a kind of special holiday during which they tended to become lazy and work messily because of lack of self-discipline and regular supervision.

Only a small minority with high levels of self-discipline but weak social skills appear to have benefitted because the suspensions meant they could study at home instead of facing classmates and teachers. Others have suffered very badly from stress. From February to May 2020, the HKFYG hotline 2777 8899 handled more than 16,000 calls for help including 5,894 related to emotional problems.

Key findings

Main concerns

50.3% said they were worried about not catching up with their education

53.3% thought they would not be able to maintain the same progress as before suspensions

52.7% thought they might not be able to take an exam in the short term 50.2% rated their stress levels as high*

52.7% worried about failure to cope given the short time left before they had to take an exam 30.8% had uncompleted homework

40.6% were worried

23.8% said they lacked motivation to go to school

34.1% felt nervous 29.8% were uneasy

22.7% worried about not being used to the change in their daily schedule

24.6% felt happy 22.3% felt relaxed

More details hkfyg.org.hk/en/2020/06/02/studentsurvey-en/

[* Compared to 41.7% in a similar survey dated October 2019]

Online survey date May 2020 Respondents 1,821 students

HKFYG Counselling Hotline 2777 8899 6277 8899

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utouch_hkfyg

utouch.hk

Youth unemployment looming Hong Kong's economy – like most economies around the world – has fallen into a deep recession as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. Unemployment among 20-24 year-olds is rising and in the first quarter of 2020 it stood at 9.8%. Many students worry that graduation will be followed by unemployment. What can be done?

The government’s recently launched Employment Support Scheme (ESS) will invest HK$6 billion to create around 30,000 jobs in the public and private sectors. The Federation proposes the creation of 1,500 time-limited posts for youth as part of the scheme, involving the ICT and creative industries as well as community services, with both training and career counselling provided.

While job creation with pre-employment and onthe-job training can ease the situation and enhance youth employability, work as "slasher" has become a popular option for young people. HKFYG also suggests that the government creates part-time professional posts that offer basic job opportunities.

Survey on impact of covid-19 pandemic From April to May 2020 the Federation’s Youth Employment Network conducted a survey seeking views of 536 15-35-year-olds on the ESS.

Key findings • 61% said that their current work had been affected by the covid-19 pandemic • 24% had decreased working hours • 20% were on unpaid leave • 16% had experienced a large increase in workload • 14% had reduced salaries • 14% had lost their jobs

Colour Away Covid a student-led face mask design competition

Main concerns • 60%+ were worried about the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on employment • 59% were concerned about their current financial situation • 25% said their savings could only support them for a month • 11% said their savings could support them for less than two weeks

Expectations

• 63% expected 2-3 year contracts • 62% expected salaries ranging from HK$12,001 to HK$20,000 Job creation expected by respondents (by sector): • 55% creative industries • 53% social services • 40% media and advertising • 38% education • 38% video game development and e-sports • 35% information communication technology More details Youth Employment Network hkfyg.org.hk/en/2020/05/07/ youth_employment-2/ Enquiries Vicky Kwong tel 3755 7067

Target 12-18 year-olds Goals • Empower students to help others through their creativity • Encourage reflection on the theme ‘There to Care’ • Raise awareness of youth needs for quality masks Winning pattern To be printed on 100,000 masks Free distribution To needy communities with children returning to school in September (10,000+) Full details zionburg.com/colourawaycovid

Deadline for entries July 8 2020

Charity partners include • Society for Community Organization (SoCO) • HandsOn Hong Kong • Children’s Kidney Fund Enquiries projects@zionburg.com 47

HKFYG June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Summer Youth Programme Activities galore, indoors and outdoors, throughout the summer. Here is just a sample.

LNT Walk Out [Leave No Trace] Date Until August

Venue/ organizers 21 HKFYG Youth SPOTs Activities Outdoor adventure challenges that introduce principles of LNT [Leave No Trace] while appreciating and respecting nature: stand-up paddling, hiking, camping, cycling Fees

Varies from $30 to $550

Details

bit.ly/302yCbr

(members / non members)

Online Course Series Date until August

Venue Students’ homes Organizers Various Activities A range of online courses from innovative arts and personal development, including sign language and handicrafts; fascinating skills to learn from the comfort of home Fees

Varies from $60 to $800

Details

bit.ly/306Cbgw

(members / non members)

STEM LEADer Science Camp Date 3-5 August

Venue HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp Activities Three-day, two-night science camp to encourage creative youngsters to invent paper boats, robot arms, water filters and edible treats by experimenting with scientific theory * LEAD lab certificate awarded to every participant who completes the Camp *

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Fees

$2,000 / $2,030

Age Details

8 –12 bit.ly/2XVXChW

(members / non members)

V-Studio 2020 Date 11-13 August

Venue HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp Activities Three-day, two-night training camp for enthusiastic volunteers: cultivates sense of responsibility, boosts understanding of volunteering and develops both leadership potential and community awareness Organizer Membership and Volunteer Unit Contact 3755 7220 Fees

$1,500 / $1,600

Age Details

11–15 bit.ly/3gy3DJT

(members / non members)

Youth Becoming Journalists!

Date August

Venue/ organizer Professional Publications Unit Activities This journalism workshop is recruiting talented young writers to become magazine journalists! Get inspired by real-life city stories and experience the fascinating process of magazine production. Maybe your work will be published in HKFYG’s “Youth SPOT” magazine as well!

Contact 3755 7111 Fees

$780 / $900

Age Details

11–15 bit.ly/3dGRxMo

(members / non members)

Youth Vocational Training Programme Date July- August

Venue/ organizer HKFYG Youth SPOTs Activities Introduces a range of skills including classroom management and the characteristics of today’s children and includes taking up duties and responsibilities for organizing children’s groups and outdoor activities Fees

$50 / $80

Age Details

13–25 bit.ly/36WVTwK

(members / non members)

Up to 10,000 programmes at summer.hkfyg.org.hk

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Advertorial June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong

Covid-19 impacting young entrepreneurs T

he unprecedented global economic downturn due to the pandemic is making small and medium businesses especially vulnerable. YBHK, committed to fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship, is rolling out a 6-month programme to help them stay afloat.

Examining business strategies and redefining business goals will be the focus of customized one-on-one consultation services, mentoring and online business talks in this Rapid Response and Recovery Programme funded by Google.org.

One company it is helping is Mellow, founded by Teresa Chan and Chester Szeen. They created a personal finance and digital payment mobile app for children and parents that can be used anywhere in the world. YBHK and HKFYG’s network is providing access to teenagers and parents and promoting the company with coverage on RTHK. “We all need to be financially literate,” says Chester. “Bad money habits are formed during childhood, but solutions like school workshops and app games have been impractical so far. Children learn best by doing and so there needs to be a digital solution that is disruptive and accessible.”

Mellow is looking to build an ecosystem with schools, financial institutions and retailers. “We are launching a user-friendly pilot with schools for teachers and students while enhancing our educational value by developing curriculums and analytics for our users.”

Mellow is listed by Forbes as one of Loop HK Top 30 Rising Stars

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Hercules Chan, who runs a mental health mentorship business called VOID, applied for YBHK funding when setting out on his entrepreneurial journey. Now struggling with tighter and tighter profit margins, he remembers the constructive feedback given by YBHK mentors and the ways in which the HKFYG Social Innovation Centre helped him to develop his business network.

“During the covid-19 pandemic, I took part in training organized by HKFYG. It helped me engage more customers in my network. My business mainly focuses on mental wellbeing services such as meditation and mindfulness. At a time when Hongkongers in general are facing stressful times, our company can provide effective help.”

Hercules is continuing to optimize the apps marketed by his company in order to diversify services. “We will also be collaborating with NGOs and providing coupons for our apps as well as a free trial version.”

At a time when the world is changing dramatically from day to day, companies like Mellow and Void are often least able to bear economic shocks. YBHK’s services aim to sustain them and offer the advice they need to navigate the crisis successfully.

VOID and Hercules were listed

by Generation T in 2018

Publisher : The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

香港青年協會

hkfyg.org.hk．m21.hk

Youth Hong Kong: 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel : 3755 7097．3755 7108．Fax : 3755 7155．Email : youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk．Website : youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk The title of this journal in Chinese is Xiang Gang Qing Nian 香 港 青 年

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