Over 200 Young Ambassadors (YAs) for Hong Kong have just been appointed. They will soon begin their volunteer work and are all willing to serve their city actively, promoting Hong Kong among visitors and spreading the message of the value of hospitality in the community. Every year, HKFYG has over more applicants than we can handle for this popular scheme, run jointly with the Tourism Commission. We asked a few who were YAs last year what they got out of it. The managers of the venues where they were stationed gave their feedback too.

Mike, the most experienced of the YAs we talked to, is doing social work at Lingnan and has been a Young Ambassador since 2002. He says:

"Getting involved was the most important thing, learning how to listen carefully and find out what people really need. It's not so easy when you are dealing in a foreign language. Few visitors speak Cantonese! You have to intuit what the problem is, be inventive, use body language and draw pictures but it's great when you get positive feedback."

Hong Kong women and the birthrate

A recent survey* showed that number of Hong Kong women who have never married has risen by 47% in the last two decades and all women who have children here are doing so later in life. There has also been a marked increase in the number of women who choose to live alone in the last 20 years. These figures serve to reinforce the Central Policy Unit's policy of trying to boost the city's birthrate. It was the lowest in the world at less than one child per woman in 2003, when Singapore's birthrate also reached its lowest of 1.26.

Countries such as Singapore and France offer cash incentives to would-be parents. Singapore gives HK$13,800-27,600 for the first to the fourth child while France gives a parent who gives up work to look after a third child HK$7,000 a month.

Additional welfare benefits for adoption, exemption from the domestic helper levy and paternity leave are being considered in Hong Kong.** According to a recent calculation it costs middle class parents here over $8,000*** a week to raise a child. A more economical couple estimated a total bill of HK$2.61 million by the time the child was self-supporting and in their 20s. Financial concerns are a top priority but it takes more than money to persuade a reluctant couple. French experts say that the key is ensuring women who give birth can continue to work. Here it is more complex, given the problems of crowded living, pollution and competition for good schools.

* South China Morning Post 28 July 2006
** South China Morning Post 24 September 2005
*** South China Morning Post Magazine 7 May 2006

Survey on young people and friendship

The Federation, in collaboration with RTHK, conducted a survey on 16-19 July about young people's feelings on friends and friendship. 554 students between Primary 5 and tertiary level were interviewed and it was found that almost 75% of young people thought credibility and shared moral standards were the most important factors in a friendship. 31% thought friendship rests on mutual trust and 29% thought it must involve mutual respect. When asked what made them feel happy about a friendship, 53% said it was the companionship provided while 35% said it gave them the freedom to speak freely.