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Volunteers for ‘06 International Telecommunication Union Youth Forum
ITU TELECOM 2006 showcases Hong Kong's telecoms infrastructure in hotel facilities and transportation. It is organized jointly by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the HKSAR Government and will be held from 2-8 December. The Federation's Youth Volunteer Network has been invited to send 50 youth volunteers with a minimum of undergraduate level education as Young Ambassadors to the ITU Youth Forum. Volunteers will be members of the Federation's 100,000-strong network and will give assistance, welcome guests and offer hospitality. They will also discuss global telecommunication systems with the youth delegates while getting to know them. If you would like to partner us in a similar voluntary project, please feel free to call the Youth Volunteer Network at 2169 0032 to discuss the possibilities.
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Student mentors from IVE (Tsing Yi) train secondary students in TV operations
The Department of Multimedia and Internet Technology, the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi), the Vocational Training Council and the Federation's Kwai Fong Youth S.P.O.T. are now signing up primary and secondary students in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung for training in closed circuit school television systems. Students from IVE act as mentors for the students and the Department of Multimedia and Internet Technology offers technical assistance. The programme runs from October 2006 to March 2007, raising awareness and interest in school TV and the community events covered by this medium. It also helps participants acquire technical skills in multi-media and internet applications. Phone 2423 1366, Kwai Fong Youth S.P.O.T., for more information.
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One2free discounts for youth members
Special thanks to One2free for their attractive new offer to u21.youthnet members. The youthnet now has over 200,000 young members who enjoy exclusive discounts on mobile phone purchases and calls using One2free's monthly plan from September to November 2006. Approximately 90 other businesses partner us in this way. We warmly welcome any stores and companies who wish to do the same by offering special privileges to our members. Please contact Ms. Bonnie Cheng of the Partnership and Resource Development Office at 2123 9598 to discuss the possibilities.
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Conserving Biodiversity in Cities: Green Army Training Scheme
With kind sponsorship from the Environmental Campaign Committee and the Environment and Conservation Fund, the Federation's Jockey Club Hung Hom Youth S.P.O.T. is organizing this scheme from November to January. 30 young people aged 15-24 who are concerned about the environment will take part. They will attend training and field trips in Tsim Bei Tsui and Ma Shi Chau to learn about nature and biodiversity. Subsequently they will perform voluntary work to protect the ecosystem and the environment. The aim of the training scheme is to raise young people's awareness of the need for environmental protection and the necessary skills. Call the Jockey Club Hung Hom Youth S.P.O.T. at 2774 5300 with inquiries.
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Life education seminar for parents
On the invitation of the Education and Manpower Bureau, the Federation is co-organizing a seminar, entitled “生命誠可貴---生命教育全面睇” with the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters & Guidance Masters. It takes place on 30 September from 2:30 to 4:30 pm at Holy Family Canossian School (Kowloon Tong). School social workers, school counselling teachers and parents are all welcome. A professional counsellor and psychiatrist will discuss topics related to parent-school cooperation, handling pressure on children and ways to help them overcome problems in and out of school. Please click here for details of the event or call Youthline, 2788 3433 with inquiries.
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| New Publication |
The HKFYG Annual Report 2005-06 was released last week. The bilingual, fully illustrated report covers the work of the Federation during the past financial year.
A digital version will be available in due course.
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| Heart to Heart: good reasons for volunteering |
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Volunteering benefits the individual volunteers, their communities and the society to which they belong. Young people can be enriched and their confidence built by supporting the needy. Companies express corporate responsibility by providing resources for youth volunteer projects and their employees strengthen team spirit by joining in.
The Heart to Heart Project was launched last year with this in mind. 192 Heart to Heart Schools each pledged 2,000 hours of community service and 75 companies sponsored their projects. We are now calling for many more companies and schools to take part this year. Please join us, you can give us the precious help we need to create a caring force that will be the pride of Hong Kong. |
Contact the Youth Volunteer Network, for an application folder or visit www.hkfyg.org.hk/yvn/heart/ for more information.
“CLP attaches great importance to its core value of caring for the community. As a “Heart to Heart Company”, CLP plays an active role in promoting volunteering and takes pride in supporting schools to establish their own volunteer teams and to provide outreach services. We pledge full support to CLP volunteers who lend a helping hand ...”
Ms Jane Lau, Director of Group Public Affairs, CLP Holdings |
| Feature
Story |
| Volunteering: a special experience The annual Heart to Heart Project was launched by HKFYG last year. Pupils at each Heart to Heart School combine to contribute 2,000 hours of volunteer service within the school year and Heart to Heart Companies sponsor them with HK$3,000 for each of their volunteer activities. Heart to Heart Volunteer Corps (HHVC) run the activities and both students and corporate volunteers take part. We asked some of them about the experience. |
Hui Hiu-yu, a volunteer from Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, took Nepalese, Indian and Pakistani schoolchildren round the Science Museum with other members of her HHVC. |
“There were four sisters in my group and to begin with they seemed quite suspicious of us. That rather confirmed my prejudice against them I'm afraid. But then I remembered what the social worker had said during our training. She warned us this might happen so instead of giving up we tried even harder to break the ice…
…and in the end it worked! They started talking to us and then took our hands. By the end of the afternoon they didn't want to go home. There were big hugs all round. That was so sweet and made us feel so good.” |
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| Candy Lee, a corporate volunteer from Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co Ltd, joined the Shek Lei Catholic Secondary School's voluntary service at the ELCHK Grace Day Activity Centre. She talked about their day with the mentally handicapped at the centre: |
| “We made those people feel happy and warm. All we gave was our time. It showed that we cared. I hope many more companies will encourage staff to volunteer for this kind of activity. It meant a lot to all of us.” |
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| Ms Yu, a social worker at the ELCHK Activity Centre, was very enthusiastic. Several HHVCs visited the centre last year: |
| “Usually we try to have activities outside the centre every month but because the people here are mentally handicapped, we need many volunteers to help and it's often very difficult to find enough people. But this kind of contact is so beneficial…would you like to join us?” |
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| Cinnie Lai, Human Resources Assistant with Nelson Jewellery Arts Co Ltd, went as a corporate volunteer with students from the Buddhist Hui Yuan College to visit mentally handicapped children at the Hong Chi Pinehill Pre-School Centre. |
| “Since I started working, it has been harder for me to take part in voluntary service so this was a valuable chance. After a while, I realized that they are actually not so very different from ordinary children. They all need care and love. Since their families usually can't spare much time to look after them, they really cherish the care of volunteers. For example, one child who had cerebral palsy could not move. We gently massaged her arms and legs and although she couldn't speak, her face said clearly how much she liked it. Simple acts can bring such happiness.” |
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| Cinnie was impressed by the young volunteers she was with: |
| “They were so patient and kind. One child cried all the time, but the volunteers cheered him up in the end and wiped away his tears. They were so thoughtful too. It was nearly Easter when we made the visit and they had brought specially prepared Easter eggs for each child.” |
| Ka-men, a student from St. Peter's Catholic Primary School in Aberdeen, went to visit a very different kind of group with corporate volunteers from Forever Living Products. Her experience was just as positive: |
| “I don't normally mix much with elderly people so I hardly knew how to begin when we went to see the elderly living at Shek Pai Wan Estate. But Wing Fong, a volunteer from Forever Living helped me. She said, ‘Just use your intuition. Show them you care.' So I asked a simple question about what they liked to eat. All of a sudden we were friends.” |
| One of the seniors at the Estate in Shek Pai Wan told Chan Yuk Ling, a volunteer from Forever Living, how it felt from her perspective: |
| “Some of us have real problems moving around so we hardly ever go out but I love watching the kids coming and going at the school downstairs every day. I sit here for hours and look for them. Imagine how thrilled I was to see all those energetic youngsters coming here to see us. Some of them even put on a show for us and we laughed till we cried. I hated having to say goodbye but I just gave them a big hug and didn't say anything. I couldn't spoil it all.” |
| Would you like to help someone like that? Contact the Youth Volunteer network, tel 2169 0032. Do it now. |
| Federation
News |
New HKFYG Council |
We are happy to announce the appointment of new office bearers as follows:
President Mr Lester Garson Huang, JP
Vice President Mr Edward Kwan Pak-chung
Honorary Secretary Mr Walter Chan Kar-lok, BBS JP
Honorary Treasurer Dr Peter Tsoi Ting-kwok, JP
In addition: Outgoing President, Mr Andrew Ma Chiu-cheung (“ex officio”)
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| Hong Kong Odyssey of the Mind Programme local competitions 2007 |
| Enrollment for this year's local programme of the Hong Kong Odyssey of the Mind (OMP) is now underway. The programme is organized jointly by the Federation and the Education and Manpower Bureau. Winning local teams may go forward to represent Hong Kong at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals which are held in the United States in May every year. Visit http://www.hkom.org.hk/ for further details. |
| Facts & Figures |
Disco drug use: sharp climb
The last issue of Youth Matters focused on the problem of drug use in teenagers. The extent of the problem has been emphasized by new figures. A Chinese University survey* of 300 14-28 year old “partygoers” (frequenters of discos, bars and clubs), shows that 90% of them took drugs in the 3 months prior to the survey and all of them said there was a 50% chance of doing so each time they went to a disco. A reformed drug user said, “Once we go in (to a disco), the automatic reaction is to take drugs.” |
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“The culture of going to discos and drug abuse have become one,” said Associate Professor Steven Ngai Sek-yun, one of the three Social Work Department academics who led the research. It reveals a sharp up-turn since the last similar poll in 2000 when 55% of the respondents said they were drug takers. Ecstasy is the most popular drug, at HK$100 per tablet with 70% of the respondents saying they had used it.
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40% of youth: no idea of budgeting
A survey of over 1000 Hong Kong 14-25 year-olds reveals that 17% never plan their spending or keep any records of expenditure. 20% keep note rarely and 40% have no real idea how much they spend each month while the same number borrow to keep pace with their expenditure. 4% of the respondents gamble to try to make ends meet. |
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According to the Annual Halifax Pocket Money Survey in the UK, nearly 80% of children aged 7-16 have to work for their pocket money by tidying their bedrooms or doing the washing up and 60% of the total comes from their parents. The survey does not tell us whether children save anything but it does say that the majority is spent on either sweets or mobile phones and that the average is about HK$110 per week. Not a lot left over after one dose of Ecstasy in a Mongkok disco (see above, Disco drug use: sharp climb).
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