Caring message to remember

Putting Neighbourhood First

Poon 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.

“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 and Characdice is about various roles in life. The purpose is to help the players think independently.”

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

Tsang 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 strengths and weaknesses and applying what she learned on relatives to donate masks but there was a huge HKFYG leadership training courses. Connecting the needy response just by passing on the message by word of with NGOs and professional social workers who can follow mouth so I decided to cast the net more widely.” up on their cases is another of Lok-chi’s aims. “I believe from low-income families surviving in tiny sub-divided Helping the helpless, those covered by no social or financial problems.” Loneliness, stress, depression and insecurity are common. “Sometimes what they need most is empathy and the compassionate voice of someone who cares.” different groups in the community have needs at different Suddenly, Lok-chi found that old times but I want to serve wherever friends who had been out of touch and whenever volunteers are needed.” for years were contacting her. “One of them sent on our message through Be the change you Community work on behalf of the his own network. His contacts were so impressed that he subsequently gave want to see. “invisible” ones”, those who have no social or financial safety net, is part us 30,000 masks for redistribution!” of Lok-chi’s life. In her mid-20s, she Social media played its part in sharing the news and soon Outstanding Youth Volunteer Scheme in 2012-13. She works the team was able to go to Hong Kong’s poorer areas and with the international Rotaract charity and is a member seek out the street sweepers, the elderly poor and people of the Federation’s Youth Service Advisory Committee. flats. They were amazed by the generosity they found. “It Lok-chi shares news of her voluntary community work was astonishing. Some of them told us they had barely on social media and encourages other young people to enough to last a week and yet they told us to give the join her and get first-hand experience of volunteering masks to people in greater need than themselves. They with the underprivileged and deprived. Then, she were so selfless and caring. It touched me very deeply.” hopes, “They will get the habit of self-reflection and social safety, the homeless, new immigrants without a To encourage other young people to follow in her footsteps, support network and anyone without access to internet: that’s she says, “No matter how difficult the current situation is now Lok-chi’s admirable goal. “Due to lack of knowledge or how far away your goals may seem, stay resilient and and resources, everyone forgets them and leaves them out. don’t give up easily. My motto, that I want to share with Not only can they suffer from the physical impact of diseases you all, is “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Tell like covid-19, they are also vulnerable to mental health yourself that if you embrace adversity you can overcome. was nominated for the Hong Kong eventually they will care about them, just like me.”

More details

Lok-chi says her skills in team management, communication Youth Volunteer Network and problem-solving came from identifying her own yvn.hkfyg.org.hk

With the advent of AI, careers and life will continue to change and evolve. The younger generation's abilities also need evolve with both soft and hard skills, including problem-solving for social innovation and life skills for communication and learning.

Survey on “How Young People See Future Skills”

Seminar on Young People’s Resilience on Media

Sharing Session of “COVID-19 and STEM education”

English Public Speaking Contest Grand Finals

Acquiring skills

The upcoming HKFYG Skills for Tomorrow Expo aims to help youth learn about new areas of science and digital technology as well as supporting them in the acquisition of skills they need to thrive and remain competitive.

Focus

Digital Skills

Innovation and Problem Solving

Life Planning

Communication and Cooperation

Wellness Management

Resilience and Agility

Participation options on site or online Dates and venues

26, 27 June HKFYG Jockey Club Media 21, Shek Pai Wan, Aberdeen

27, 28 June HKFYG Leadership Institute, Fanling, NT

More than 50 workshops related to Future Skills for young people

More Information

m21.hk/skillsfortomorrow