a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups December 2019 Volume 11 Number 4

Youth
HONG KONG

Neighbours
always matter
 OVERVIEW
4 Why neighbourhoods matter
YOUTH WATCH
6 What’s in a neighbourhood?
Contents
December 2019 | Youth Hong Kong
Volume 11 Number 4
PERSPECTIVES
8 Sai Wan Ho
Taking care of each other
10

Tseung Kwan O
More than smiles
4-5
12 Sham Shui Po OVERVIEW
Change and continuity
14 Shatin
A town transformed
16 Fanling
6-7
Parents at playtime
18 Tung Chung
YOUTH WATCH
Catching the joy
20

Tuen Mun and Yau Ma Tei
No longer strangers 8-23
22 Lamma PERSPECTIVES
An island apart
SERVICES
24 NEIGHBOURHOOD First for Community Spirit
CITY SPACE
28 Better for cyclists, now or never?
Hazel Wong
ARTS & CULTURE
30

Imagination, fiction and gaming
Simon John
24-27
HKFYG SERVICES
32 Family communication
Parent Support Network
34

Wellness
Counselling Services 28-29
36

Future lives, future jobs
Youth Employment Network
CITY SPACE
38 Hostels

40
Taipo and Fanling
Combatting drug addiction 30-31 32-47
Youth Crime Prevention Centre
44 Youth IDEAS reports ARTS & CULTURE HKFYG
Financial literacy; Overseas work experience
46 Hong Kong 200
47 Flag Day

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2
Editorial
December 2019 | Youth Hong Kong

Kwok Ho Wong Eddie flic.kr p QmYkQJ.jpg

In August, we chose neighbourhood as the theme for the December issue. In the context
of everything that has happened in Hong Kong, it was a timely choice, giving us the
opportunity to find out about the daily lives of Hong Kong citizens in various districts
and to gain a glimpse of their beliefs, attitudes and concerns.

These personal stories show the true heart of Hong Kong, as people carry on with their
daily lives, rely on and help each other with a durable neighbourhood spirit. What these
stories also reflect is a strong, shared sense of community and the deep solidarity through
which everyone expresses how much they care about their home, in spite of all the
challenges that they face.

For these reasons, I believe that this issue of Youth Hong Kong is a very special one. We
are a resilient people, determined and committed to our homes and neighbours. While
we all fully understand that Hong Kong still has a long way to go to resolve the issues
that resulted in a very difficult six months, we very much believe that we can restore
trust and find a way forward for the common good.

Neighbours always Matter: The Federation stands by this, and as we enter a period of
celebration and joy, we invite all our neighbours, close and far to stand by this too.

Andy Ho Wing-cheong
Executive Director, HKFYG
December 2019

3
 Overview
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Why neighbourhoods
matter
In today’s globalized society, a sense of neighbourhood
is very important. It can create cohesion, be a source
of social capital and promote a sense of belonging. In
challenging times, a home neighbourhood can also
provide a refuge and that’s a very good reason for putting
neighbourhood first on a list of community priorities.
However, in high-rise cities like Hong Kong, traditional
forms of neighbourhood contact have changed, as
have ways of keeping in touch. Many people have less
face-to-face communication than in the past because
tower blocks do not encourage neighbourly chatting.
A corridor full of closed doors and the sound of metal
security gratings is off-putting and uninviting. In fact,
it appears to be the exception, not the rule these days,
for Hong Kong people to know the family next door.
Sometimes, the proximity of so many neighbours can
be overwhelming, but many would agree that regular,
4
neighbourly social interaction can offer comfort and
a sense of wellbeing. One always hopes for good
neighbours who will help when they can. Developing a
relationship first is important, even if that begins with a
simple greeting in a lift or a quick chat in the lobby.
Making the first step may not always be easy, but often it
is a shared concern for common services that brings people
together. This can include the assurance that refuse will
be collected regularly, or that streets are not potholed and
pavements are level, or that local parks and public sit-outs
are kept clean and available to everyone, or especially that
transportation runs smoothly. Most important, however,
is access to health and education services, as well as sports,
recreational and leisure facilities, and neighbourhood wet
and dry markets, along with local dai pai dongs (open air
food stalls) and cha chaan tengs (or ‘tea’ restaurants).
Volunteering to assist the more vulnerable in the
 • Neighbourhoods represent home,
belonging and community.
• Communities build up trust when neighbours
have shared interests and concerns.
• In spite of challenges, most people are
proud of the neighbourhoods where they live

• 鄰舍代表了家園、歸屬感和社區。
• 然而，很多香港人並不認識他們的鄰居。
• 儘管人與人之間存在差異，但亦有相同。良
好的鄰里社區關係有助建立信任。

neighbourhood, especially the elderly or underprivileged
is another way to meet and interact with neighbours. This
is why the Federation set up its NEIGHBOURHOOD
First initiative, a programme with year-round
activities and projects that bring people together.
All these different ways of connecting see rising
levels of trust which then provide a sense of security
and belonging, along with a sense of pride, and can
create a sustained sense of neighbourliness.
As with all relationships, there is no one type of neighbourly
behaviour. However, what the interviews in this issue
show is that most people feel a strong sense of identity
and belonging to their home environs. Each story offers a
refreshing and positive perspective on the neighbourhoods
and the people who live there. This juxtaposes the general
stereotyping of tower block living next to faceless strangers.
Instead, what we see are examples of shared issues and very
personal reflections on change and opportunities. These
could be illustrative of any city in the world, but perhaps
what makes them uniquely Hong Kong is the speed in which
many neighbourhoods have changed, due to development
or gentrification, along with the effects of six months of
demonstrations, transportation disruptions and shop closures.
In spite of everything, the deep rooted sense of belonging
to the place where they live remains for Hong Kong
people. As Mother Teresa said, “I want you to be
concerned about your next door neighbour. Do you know
your next door neighbour?” Even if one cannot answer
literally, the attaching one’s identity to that area is very
important. That is why neighbourhoods matter.

5
 Youth watch
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
What’s in a neighbourhood?
The meaning of neighbourhood varies from place to
place but a common definition is a geographically
localized community within a larger city, town, suburb
or rural area. “Neighbourhoods … are the spatial units in
which face-to-face social interactions occur, the personal
settings and situations where residents seek to realize
common values, socialize youth and maintain effective
social control.”1 Neighbourhoods are also often the
focus of efforts to provide local services for youth and
coordinated approaches to low-income populations.2
6
In Cantonese, the term kai fong ( 街坊 ) refers to
neighbours.3,4 It synthesizes the concepts of community
and neighbourhood. The prefix “kai” literally means
street and “fong” refers to the place where one lives
and works. Thus, kai fong represents the network of
relationships that build a system of mutual aid upon which
one depends and places one�s trust. Originally, the kai
fongs provided low-cost or free education and healthcare
for refugees from mainland China. By the late 1950s,
there were 28 of them in Hong Kong. Their main aim
was to serve residents of specific neighbourhoods, and In Australia, the terms localities and suburbs are often
in the early 1960s, kai fong associations extended their used to substitute for neighbourhood. In Britain,
services to legal support and environmental protection. neighbourhood is used informally to refer to a small
area within a town or city. The label is commonly used
In mainland China, the term neighbourhood is to describe functions such as neighbourhood policing
generally used for the urban administrative division or Neighbourhood Watch schemes. In some places the
immediately below the district level.5 Neighbourhoods equivalent organization is the parish, though a parish may
can encompass 2,000 to 10,000 families. In most have several neighbourhoods within it. In Canada and the
urban areas of China, the terms for neighbourhood, US, neighbourhoods are often given official or semi-official
community, residential community, residential unit status through associations, again for policing or watches.
and residential quarter have the same meaning.

Do you know the neighbours?

Australia Singapore
A survey of 2,100 Australians found: An annual poll of over 3,000 Singaporeans found:
● 82% believed their parents were better neighbours ● 23% said they exchanged greetings with their
than they were themselves neighbours more than three times a week
● 59% said they never talk to their neighbours ● 11% did so more than three times a week
● 38% did not know their neighbours at all ● 26% wanted greater neighbourliness
● 73% said they would like to get to know their ● 15% said they preferred to maintain their privacy
neighbours better
● The rest said it was unnecessary to socialize with
neighbours

UK US
A poll found: A survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that:
● 50%+ rarely spoke to their neighbours and did not ● 57% of Americans know only some of their neighbours
feel part of a good neighbourly community
● 26% say they know most of them
● A similar number did not know the names of any
● 34% of 65+ year-olds and 20% of 18-29 year-olds say
children living next door
they know most of their neighbours
● 55% did not know their neighbours’ professions
● 23% of adults under 30 don’t know any of their
● 68% described their neighbours as “strangers” neighbours
Read more
• news.com.au/breaking-news/most-aussies-not-being-neighbourly/news-story/0a080596a6f58e398114825b1aca032e
• straitstimes.com/singapore/sporeans-prefer-privacy-to-mingling-with-neighbours-poll
• independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britons-neighbours-strangers-uk-community-a8373761.html
• pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/15/facts-about-neighbors-in-u-s/

Sources
1. Schuck, A & Rosenbuam, D. Promoting Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods: What research tells us about intervention. Washington, DC: The Aspen Institute, 2006.
2. Kutash, K et al Community and neighborhood-based services for youth. In: S. Henggeler, S & Santor, AB: Innovative Approaches to Difficult to Treat Populations. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, 1997.
3. Wong, A. The Kaifong Associations and the society of Hong Kong. Taipei: Oriental Cultural Service, 1972.
4. Lau Siu-kai. Society and Politics in Hong Kong. Chinese University Press, 1984.
5. en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative _divisions_of_China

7
 Perpectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Sai Wan Ho
taking care of each other
Noël Ip and her mother have lived in neighbouring
Sai Wan Ho buildings since 1994. During their 25
years there, they have built strong bonds with their
neighbours, many of whom are now quite elderly.
“When my two kids were born, everyone in the building
knew about it,” says Noël, a programme worker with Tung
Wah. “Our neighbours always say hello when they meet,
in the lobby, the corridors and lifts. Outside, they stop and
chat in the street and the shops. They talk about daily life,
tell each other about their families, anything interesting
that concerns themselves and the neighbourhood.”
“People really care for each other round here,” Noël
explains. “When our next-door neighbour had a heart attack
about a year ago, Danny, my husband, was at my mother’s
home preparing the family’s dinner. He is a registered
nurse and he rushed to start CPR as soon as possible
while I called an ambulance. Even though the hospital
did their utmost, our neighbour eventually died. He was
an elderly man and we knew his family well so at least we
could offer them emotional support,” explains Noël.
Another of their neighbours used to run a small barber
shop on a street corner nearby. Mrs Ip, Noël’s mother,
8
by Crystal Chau and Sum-yi Lee
took Noël and her little brother to that barber when
they were young. “They had all their haircuts there,” says
Mrs Ip, “but then he decided to go back to mainland
China. He was born and raised there but all of us miss
him still and wish we knew exactly where he went.”
It is Mrs Ip who takes her grandsons, Mario and Chico,
to the wet market when their parents are at work. “They
are seven and six years old now,” Mrs Ip continues. “All
the stall owners know their names and want to know
what they’ve been doing at school. They also make
sure the boys have a healthy treat to take home now
and again – like a mango or a few cherry tomatoes.”
For years, the family have been going out to the same
neighbourhood restaurant. “The owner has watched
Noël grow up, get married and have kids,” says Mrs
Ip. “She makes the most delicious dishes we know,”
Noël confirms. “Whenever we celebrate, whether it
is a birthday or a festival, she celebrates with us.”
The staff at a nearby snack stall also know the family.
“If Noël ever looked unhappy, they would give her free
fish balls or a bottle of soy milk. If I thought it was
happening too often, I would go and pay them back.
 • The Ip family find strong bonds are evident among the
people of Sai Wan Ho.
• Neighbours are of the traditional kind who look after one
another across the generations.
• Even in troubled times the Ips find mutual support.
We trust each other and if I ever want to buy something
and don’t have enough money with me, they never
hesitate. ‘Bring it next time,’ they say, with a big smile.
“There is no question of any of us ever cheating.”
Whenever there are community activities, the family
joins in. “The District Council organizes charity
collections,” says Noël. “I love knitting and sometimes
there is a donation of handicrafts. My knitting
goes to the needy in our neighbourhood. I see old
ladies in the sweaters I have made and feel so glad
that I have helped them stay warm in winter.”
“Living here is not like living in those new towns where
people close their doors to their neighbours,” says Mrs
Ip. “We know each other here. We make sure of that.
It matters to us.” Noël emphasizes that her neighbours
are like parents. “In Sai Wan Ho, we say hello to every
newcomer and always have the time to share our stories.”
All the Ip family often discuss the current Hong Kong
situation. Still, despite the usual welcome they offer
strangers they reacted strongly when some young
people in their building argued with them in the
lobby one day. “Protestors in black were running past
the entrance to our building and some of the young
residents just let them in. We stopped them,” says Noël,
“and finally agreed that it should not be allowed.”
• 葉氏一家認為西灣河擁有良好和
緊密的鄰舍關係。
• 居民不論世代均樂於互相照應。
• 即使面對艱難時間，他們仍然守
望相助。
Noel, who identifies herself as “yellow ribbon”, believes
both the protesters and the police have done wrong. “But
however wrong the protesters are, the police should not
shoot live ammunition as they did that day in Sai Wan
Ho.” After this incident, the district saw much tension and
conflict. “These days, my kids both have skin allergies from
the tear gas and I have breathing problems. At weekends
we prefer the New Territories to staying in Sai Wan Ho.”
Mrs Ip says she doesn’t take sides though she is generally
pro-democrat. “I stay at home when the protesters
are around,” she says. Noël hopes the damaged public
facilities will soon be fixed, “especially the pedestrian
crossings which elderly people really need.”
Despite the troubles, they love Sai Wan Ho. Noël points
out that “Our neighbours grew stronger bonds with one
another after the shooting incident. Many of us will
fight for our rights. We help and support each other.
We care and pray for our community”, says Noël.
She believes that volunteering makes young people
more aware of other people’s needs. “My greatest hope
is that my children will live in a caring environment
like this all their lives. We truly live together, think
about each other’s problems and joys and know how
important it is to take care of each other,” she says.
9
 Perpectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Tseung Kwan O
more than smiles
Helen lived in Aberdeen as a child but moved to Tseung
Kwan O. “About six or seven of my friends lived in TKO
before I moved here but I seldom visit them. I have a few
relatives living in the area but most of the people I know
here now belong to the same local running club as me.
We all know exactly where each other lives and what we
do for a living. They are all different ages and when I first
joined, they would tell me where to shop and eat and
now we always exchange information when TKO is in
the news. They invite me to visit them as we are so near
to each other. I get home from work at around 6pm and
then have dinner so it is difficult to meet friends who live
far away, but I can always find a running buddy to train
with and it’s not too late to get back home afterwards.”
Once known as Junk Bay, the big new town
of Tseung Kwan O was built on reclaimed land
in the 1980s. It has over 300,000 residents in
many new, large private and public housing
estates. They are dependent on the MTR
for transport, the only other link being the
TKO tunnel to the town of Kwun Tong.
10
Although Helen now knows plenty of other people in the
TKO area, she barely knows the people living next door. “I
know that the family next door is called Ng, but that’s only
because I am always seeing ‘Ng’s family’ among the local
wifi connections when I am at home. One day, I talked
to their home help and confirmed that their surname is
indeed Ng. There are two other families living in the next
corridor who have children. They sometimes play the violin
and I give them red packets when I see them in the lift
lobby at Lunar New Year, but otherwise we rarely speak to
each other and if we do it is only to say good morning.”
Nevertheless, there are times when community spirit is much
more evident. “Problems tend to bring people together. Our
block was without running water for a week and when I met
others going down to collect water from tanks outside, we
joked about it, even when the shortage lasted for nearly a week.
Helen remembers fondly her days growing up in Aberdeen.
“When I was just a girl living in Shek Pai Wan, up the
hill from central Aberdeen, I used to go next door to sit
with an elderly lady. We also used to open our own front
door and chat with people passing through the corridor.
My brother and I used to play in the common area of our
 • Helen’s home provides all she needs: friends, facilities and
a sense of belonging.
• Although she is not familiar with her next-door neighbours,
they happily share day-to-day problems.
• She is convinced that despite the divisions that emerged in
recent months there is a stronger sense and belonging than
before.
floor, where other children would join us so it was quite
easy to make friends there, and in the park nearby. These
days, in privately-owned housing, children go to play in
the clubhouse. Perhaps that’s where they make friends.
“I don’t know whether it is a different style of building
from the one where I grew up, but now I find it rather
awkward and silent when I meet other people waiting for
the lift on my floor, Helen confesses. “I smile and try to
think of something to say. Easiest are non-personal topics,
like the weather, traffic congestion and so in. If it is the
children with their mother, I try to ask how old they are
now and where they go to school but I do wish people in
TKO would talk to each other more rather than just smile.
Asked about her greatest hope for her neighbourhood,
Helen says she wishes the spirit that began to build this
summer could extend beyond politics. “But I fear that many
wounds will never be healed and people with opposing
views will never make peace. I remember the fear I felt
when people near here attacked one other. It was horrible
and I sincerely hope that none of my neighbours would ever
hurt each other like that. Sometimes I don’t feel safe enough
to go out at night by myself. I have never felt that before.”
• Helen 在將軍澳的家提供了她一切所需
──朋友、社區設施和歸屬感。
• 雖然 Helen 跟鄰居不太熟絡，但仍然樂
意分享日常生活問題。
• 她認為，近月社會事件可能令社區內
出現意見分化，但社區意識和歸屬感
卻又同時建立起來。
The experience of living in TKO throughout the
protests has changed both Helen and her community.
“In the past I didn’t really feel that I belonged in this
district. I always thought I was an Aberdeen person.
Now, despite the problems, I really think that TKO
is my home and I wish I could do something to help
restore peace. I believe that Hong Kong people as a
whole have a much greater sense of belonging than ever
before. We used to think that local people only cared
about opportunities and money. Now, it is different.”
Helen’s pro-establishment parents-in-law live just two streets
away. “In normal times, we seldom talked about politics.
Now, we cannot avoid it. Angry about the strikes and
damage to the MTR station, they do not understand the
protesters. They think they are selfish and inconsiderate.”
On the other hand, Helen says, “It has become obvious that
Hong Kong people, especially the younger generation, are
willing to give up a lot for freedom and justice. This has
brought some of us closer together and we look after each
other as a community, not just as people who live close by.”
11
 Perspectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Sham Shui Po
change and continuity
• Fannie, who has lived in Sham Shui Po all her life, has a
strong sense of belonging.
• Although there have been many changes, she welcomes
the mixing of old and new.
• She now lives in private housing and knows fewer
neighbours but she works nearby and many relatives are
there too.
When I was growing up, I lived in Mei Ho House.
My grandparents owned a shop in the local Pei Ho
Street Market, selling fruit and, later on, dried seafood.
Many of our relatives live in Sham Shui Po as well.
It is so familiar and I have always loved it here.
My sister and I were quite “famous” among our
neighbours, not only because we used to hang out all
the time at our grandparents’ shop in the street market,
but because people love to play with twins. Even now,
after growing up and moving out from Mei Ho House a
very long time ago, many local people still say, “Oh look,
it’s the twins from the 6th floor!” It is very funny and
gives me a warm feeling towards them and the place.
12
• Fannie 自小在深水埗成長，十分喜愛該區的人
和事。
• 多年來深水埗改變甚多，她樂見這新舊交融的
社區。
• 居於自置物業，跟鄰居關係不如以往親密，但
對社區建立的深厚感情，使她希望可以一直住
在深水埗區。
I used to play with schoolmates who were neighbours but
also with my cousins who lived nearby. There are nine of
us, all of a similar age. It certainly is a big family and we
have always had a good relationship with people living
nearby. In Mei Ho House, we used to open the iron grille
at our front door so that we could chat with whoever
passed by. I remember clearly how happy we were then.
When my parents were busy, they would ask the
neighbours to take care of us. Everyone trusted each
other and sometimes we shared the food we cooked.
Later, when Mei Ho House was closed, we bought a flat
in Sham Shui Po through the home ownership scheme.
It’s nice and faces the park but although we like it, when

we compare our neighbours here with those in Mei Ho
House, I cannot say we have such good relationships.
One reason is that people are now concerned more about
their privacy. Even we do not open our door as we did in
the past. Also, in the old days, as long as you paid the rent,
you could live in a public housing flat for many years. That
meant we knew our neighbours for a long time and got used
to having each other there, living side by side. But when we
moved to this flat, we found that people bought and sold
frequently and there is a far faster turnover of people on
every floor. They just come and go so we don’t know them
all and cannot build such good friendships as in the past.
Now I’m grown up and my twin sister is married with
a little boy. For a while, she and her husband rented a
flat in Kwai Chung, but eventually they moved back to
Sham Shui Po to live with me because they missed the
people here so much. They couldn’t find the kind of
neighbourhood support in Kwai Chung that they have here.
Another reason we like it here is because there is so
much creativity. I work on a project in Sham Shui Po
that invites young artists to revitalize old buildings by
painting their walls. It made such a difference. I have
worked on this project for three years already and I love
it so much to be able to both live and work in the same
area while making a contribution to my own community.
In Tai Nan Street, there used to be a lot of old shops selling
leather and buttons. Now people are using the empty
shops as cafés and that attract a lot of young people. I
think it is a good thing as it helps to bring the district
alive again. Most people who live around here welcome
this as well. It doesn’t affect our daily lives and yet it
attracts young people to come and discover the district.
Bernard Spragg. NZ flic.kr/p/qug77v
Many new small food stores have opened too and our
old neighbours like them. They also like doing some
shopping at the old little shops that are still doing business
here. I like this kind of mixing of the new and the old.
Introducing new things doesn’t have to mean cutting
out all the old things. They can live side by side.
I have heard it said that there are many people from
ethnic minority backgrounds living in Sham Shui Po,
but they mainly live in a specific area, far from Mei Ho
House or the place I live now and I seldom meet them
or have the chance to make friends. There are many
mainlanders living in the public estates here now too. We
seldom make friends with them either. I don’t think it
is a question of discrimination. Perhaps it is because we
already have people living nearby with whom we grew up.
I love Sham Shui Po not only because I grew up here
and know the people here. It’s also because the place
is super convenient and the transport is wonderful. I
can always get home no matter how late it is. If I have
the chance, I will definitely continue living here, but
it will not be easy. The price of the flats is so high and
difficult for me to afford. A flat selling for HK$2 million
when I was a girl is now selling for HK$7 million.
Formerly part of Shek Kip Mei Estate, Mei Ho House is
the last remaining example of a "Mark I" resettlement
block built in the 1950s. It is being preserved as a
Grade II historic building and is now used by the Hong
Kong Youth Hostels Association as their City Hostel.
13
 Perspectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Shatin
a town transformed
• Stephanie values Shatin’s convenience and the
town’s recently acquired sense of unity.
• Although she has few friends living in the district,
what she misses most are small local shops.
• She lives for the day and enjoys what she has.
Stephanie is a single child who has lived in Shatin with
her parents since she was five. “My grandma, who lives
a few blocks away, is so different from me and the rest
of my family. She made friends with all the people living
near her. She knows what their jobs are, the names of
their grandchildren and even knew how much they
have in the bank!” When asked why she is so different,
Stephanie replies, “I think that in the 1960s they felt a
greater need to make friends with their neighbours.”
14
• Stephanie 認為沙田區十分方便，而最近整個社
區的凝聚力更顯著。
• 雖然有朋友住在沙田區，但她最懷念的，是以
往的街坊小店。
• 她仍然嚮往安居於此，珍惜在這裡的美好時光。
A bright young lawyer typical of her generation, Stephanie
loves the environment and the convenience of Shatin
but doesn’t know many people there. Like a lot of Hong
Kong people, she barely knows her neighbours. “I don’t
think that I need them like Grandma does, nor do I
particularly want to get to know them. I think it was
different for older generations. It’s unlikely that my
life would change a bit if my neighbours changed.”
 by tszchungwing_httpsflic.krp6jGEDk
On the other hand, she cares about the ways her shopping
centre has changed. “In my school days, there were many
small stores where we used to wander after classes. They
have all gone. I remember a comic shop in the mall. The
owner didn’t mind if we just browsed and left without
buying anything. And there was a local cha chaan teng
café where the boss was so nice to us. We loved him. But
then he retired and nobody similar has replaced him.”
She says in some ways Shatin no longer feels like home.
“It is full of chain stores that all look alike. They sell
exactly the same goods everywhere in Hong Kong. The
old local shops, usually owned and run by local people,
served local customers. They had a unique character
that you couldn’t find anywhere else. Almost all of them
have disappeared.” Even New Town Plaza, a shopping
mall built near Shatin MTR station, has really changed
a lot, Stephanie says. “Until recently, there was no local
“feel” anymore and there were always thousands of
mainland tourists so I avoided going there for a while.”
Stephanie confesses that most of her reasons for liking
Shatin are not related to the other people living there.
“We have a library, a running track and a swimming
pool. We can reach everywhere in Hong Kong quickly
by public transport. However, I expect the community
here will age quickly because private housing is too
expensive for young people so they will move out.
For now, I like its convenience and environment.
That’s more important to me than my neighbours.”
Shatin has changed again recently, but for the better
Stephanie thinks. “There are still many people but not
Pingz Man_httpsflic.krpA8UqgS
by fuzheado_httpsflic.krp8fPZY
Shatin is the most densely populated part of
Hong Kong’s New Territories. With its satellite
town, Ma On Shan, it has over 630,000 residents
in an area of about 36 km2.
Sources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_trading_in_Hong_Kong
many tourists. I like it there again and I think there is
greater unity because during the protests many of us share
similar goals, although that is not true for everyone.”
Although there have been some inconveniences, when
the station is closed, for example, she says the protestors
do not cause any safety concerns for her. “Only when
there are conflicts with the police does Shatin become
unsafe because it is unpredictable. Members of my family
do complain, mainly because of disrupted transport
and they do not support the non-peaceful protests.
Mum is concerned about the dangers of tear gas. She
sometimes avoids going to New Town Plaza. My views
are different so we avoid discussing the issues.”
On the whole, however, Stephanie finds that people talk
to each other more in her neighbourhood. “People living
next door to each other don’t necessarily have anything
in common and so they think there is no need to get to
know each other. Now, there are reasons for talking to
each other more, even if it is only about traffic problems
and blocked streets, aspects of the protests that we all
share. We have all had extraordinary experiences.”
15
 Perspectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Fanling
Parents at playtime
• Kathy, a parent who has lived in North District all her life,
takes part in a neighbourhood play programme organised
by HKFYG.
• She enjoys it so much that she volunteered to help organize
it and then brought other members of her family along as
well.
• Talking about how it builds bonds and trust, she says it
also provides fun and encourages people of all ages to help
each other.
I grew up and went to school in Sheung Shui and moved
to Fanling when I got married. As children, we used to
play in a local park or playground after school. It’s too
crowded there now but I do sometimes take my little
3-year-old boy to North District Park, an important
place for many local people who want to relax.
Now we also go to play at sessions of the HKFYG
programme. They are sometimes in a Sheung Shui garden
or at the Cheung Wah Estate basketball court or at North
District Park’s basketball and soccer-cum-handball court.
When I first found out about them my son and I just
enjoyed all the fun of playing different games with the other
children. Later, when the social worker said they needed
more helpers, I really wanted to have the chance to try.
16
• 住在北區的 Kathy，可謂「生於斯，
長 於 斯」。除 了 參 加 香 港 青 年 協 會
「北區小節」活動外，最近還成為該
活動的家長義工。
• 她享受協助舉辦活動的感覺，亦熱
衷於將家庭成員帶進義工服務。
• 除了能協助鄰舍建立關係及信任
外，她認為活動能帶來快樂，並鼓
勵大家發揮互助精神。
Whenever there are upcoming activities I help out by
calling the other participants and then I help to organize
the games. Other parents help to take care of my son while
I am busy and sometimes my mother and husband come
to play as well. We all help now and as well as enjoying the
games I think we all get on better and communicate better.
We seldom play like this at home. I think sharing
so much fun helps my son in particular. He even
tries to help organize the games too sometimes, even
though he is only three. It’s great to see how active and
willing he has become to help the other children.
Perhaps what matters most to me is that helping to
organize the playtimes means contributing to other
people’s enjoyment, not just our own. There was one
time when used chalk to draw on the floor of the
basketball court and football pitch. It was just a simple
game, but I remember how much all the people,
regardless of age, enjoyed it. It’s great for everyone,
however old they are. Afterwards, everyone pitches in
and helps to clean up and that can be super fun too.
This neighbourhood HKFYG programme in North
This kind of activity brings people together and makes District is partnered by the Social Welfare Department.
it easier to get to know them. The games break the More details
ice and get people chatting. What makes the whole
programme worthwhile is the way it links people in the Email chw@hkfyg.org.hk
neighbourhood and creates bonds. I think it also helps to
Tel 2669 9111
relieve the stress so many Hong Kong people feel today.

17
 Perspectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Tung Chung
catching the joy
Jack French flic.kr p 3PQLr
“Our first big idea was called FreshOrder,” Vivian
explains. “We chose Tung Chung because of the big
poverty gap there.” Tung Chung’s relative isolation
from the rest of the city also made it a good choice
because it is short of resources and facilities. “It
is a special place,” Vivian says. “Not only is it far
away from Hong Kong’s centre, like Tin Shui Wai,
but there is a wide range of people living there.
It is near to airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao
Bridge, so there are many overseas residents and many
mainland tourists.” Yet, as Vivian points out, “Inadequate
town planning means that people who live here share
18
Can Pac Swire flic.kr p NGVbJT
NorthLondonCares flic.krpehbxXY
limited public facilities. Even though a new wet market
has been opened, prices are high and local residents
have little choice. That’s why we set up FreshOrder.
It’s a project to serve people who usually have to go as
far as Tsuen Wan to buy food at reasonable prices.”
Although senior citizens are entitled to public transport
subsidies, it is time-consuming and tiring for them
to travel so far. “The same is true for housewives and
for them the costs are much higher, so when they go
shopping they usually buy enough to last for several
days. As a result, much of the food is not fresh when it is
eaten and has lower nutritional value,” says Marvis. The
• Vivian and Marvis studied together at Baptist University • Vivian 及 Marvis 在香港浸會大學認識，現
and now run innovative social programmes for 在一起為東涌社區提供社會創新項目，
underprivileged people in Tung Chung. 服務弱勢社群。
• With a group of dedicated volunteers, they bring • 他們有賴義工團隊的協助，拉近居民的
people together. 關係。
• Their latest neighbourhood venture is developing an • 他們現正積極開發手機應用程式，繼續
app that empowers housewives who are skilled in 為居民，特別是家庭主婦提供平台，發
cooking. 揮所長。

beauty of FreshOrder was that it involved a partnership Hong Kong people are well known for their team
with a local NGO that lined up volunteers who went spirit and hard work and Vivian and Marvis are no
to buy food and shared transport costs. “A few families exception. “For young people like us who have lots of
joined together and one person shopped for them all.” ideas for contributing to society but few resources or
connections to do all the groundwork, we always look
Empowering deprived women in Tung Chung is the aim of for ways to link people together.” They are seeking
their current project, E+Chill. It is an app-based platform funding to launch the E+Chill app in early 2020.
under development. It fosters inclusiveness by offering
opportunities to underprivileged women with cooking
skills. Because it is a local, neighbourhood programme,
E+Chill supports non-profit groups based primarily in Tung
Chung, Vivian says. “It provides an interactive map with
recommended venues and events. The aim is to encourage
people to take a break and relax, and users who download
the E+Chill app earn coupons when they upload videos
of the Tung Chung housewives cooking. “Eventually we
hope to extend the project and serve other disadvantaged
groups such as those with physical disabilities. We believe
it is scalable and has both social value and sustainability.”

pp Vivian and Marvis

Note The term “E+” in Chinese means “now”( 而家 ), so the

app means “Let’s chill now”.

Tung Chung is on the northwestern coast of Lantau

Island in an area that was once an important stronghold
against pirates during the Ming and the Qing dynasties.
Today it is the location of one of Hong Kong’s most
recently built new towns and has both public and private
Lakuda-san flic.kr p 9vygV2

housing estates. Developed as part of the Chek Lap Kok

airport programme, it is the first new town on an outlying
island and is built partly on reclaimed land. It is known for
nearby Disneyland and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.

19
 Perspectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Tuen Mun and Yau Ma Tei
no longer strangers
• Corn Sim helps young people from
ethnic minority families become tour
guides within their own communities.
• Bring South Asian and local people together.
• One of the guides, 22-year-old Ahtsham ( 夏
天生 ) fromPakistan, has great energy and
passion for his role and says it breaks down
barriers between Hong Kong people.
The aims of the Hi! Strangers project are to promote
ethnic diversity, connect people from different cultural
backgrounds and find an outlet for the great potential
of local ethnic minority youth. “We prefer to say co-
existence rather than inclusion and would never
force anyone to change but hope we all can accept
differences while treating each other equally.”
Corn believes that lack of acceptance is largely due to lack
of understanding. “6% of people from ethnic minority
groups live like strangers in Hong Kong. Although it is
an international city, stereotyping, discrimination and
racism are still normal. Today, there are people in Hong
Kong with quite extreme political views and different
values concerning justice. Even if we don’t have trust
between them, treating people all the same, as human
beings, is a basic essential and the responsibility should
be shouldered by both government and citizens alike.”
Unfortunately, Corn says, “Education about other
cultures is absent in our education system and in social
policy. Ethnic minorities always keep their distance
and remain a mystery. Some people even suspect them
20
• Corn 提供機會讓少數族裔青年成為當區導遊，
服務社群。
• 很多少數族裔青年都難以融入社群，計劃「Hi!
Strangers」正好協助他們跟本地華裔青年互相
認識及了解。
• 22 歲的巴基斯坦籍青年夏天生（Ahtsham）以
義工身份積極熱心投入服務，希望打破居民的
溝通障礙。
of being criminals or terrorists who are dirty and ill-
educated.” He notes that although it has become
evident that non-Chinese residents support Hong
Kong Chinese people, they are still stigmatised.
He says that there is no door or window through which
people can see and understand non-Chinese people in
Hong Kong. “Perceptions have changed for the better
recently while everyone dealt with the effects of road
blocks, disrupted public transport, tear gas and water
cannons. But I think the effect will be short term because
any bad news about South Asian residents will override
the good for as long as cultural misunderstandings exist.”
It was this dilemma that inspired Corn to bring young
people from ethnic minority communities together
with other Hongkongers. News about the project
spread quickly. Ideas and applications from young
people flowed in from Wanchai, Tin Shui Wai, Lam
Tin and other areas. Tuen Mun and Yau Ma Tei were
among the early prototypes for the tours because
the programme’s partner has service units there.
pp Ahtsham, tour guide and group

“Now, we co-create walking tours for the district where very satisfying when local Chinese people come to
the young applicants live. Tuen Mun and Yau Ma Tei understand something about ethnic minority culture
are very different from one another and can represent that they have never imagined hitherto. That’s why
neighbourhoods where ethnic minority youth from people start to understand each other better. At
contrasting backgrounds live – both in public and the end of the day, that’s what I really want.”
private housing.” The tours always involve exploring
something interesting or inspiring with local Hong Kong Wellbeing and sense of identity as a Hongkonger
people. “All of them are unique and visits to ethnic depend on social inclusion, concludes Corn. Without
shops, restaurants and even mosques are included as they it, human capital cannot fully develop. “Culture is an
are part of the original neighbourhood network of the abstract concept and attitudes to strangers cannot be
tour guides and so they make visitors welcome. Hitherto changed easily but Hi! Strangers can provide ‘human-
invisible stories are shared in a real, living environment.” library tours’ that allow better understanding of
difficulties and coping. Most importantly, participants
One of the guides, Ahtsham ( 夏天生 ), is a 22-year- recognize similarities rather than differences.”
old student at City University of Hong Kong. He lives
in Yuen Long and his family is originally from Pakistan.
His first tour was for a group of primary students in Yau
Shim Mong district. “I enjoyed it because it could break
down social and cultural barriers.” Ahtsham has given
tours for locals ranging from students to the elderly
and he tries to speak Chinese, “both to improve it and
to build better connections with the participants.”

The local tours are mostly for 20-30 year-olds, he says.

Cultural diversity and social inclusion are key elements.
“I want to spread the message that we are all living in the
same society and nobody should differentiate between
us on the grounds of culture, religion, language or race.
Another good thing about the tours is that I get to learn
about cultures different from my own and make friends.”
For Ahtsham, the best outcome of being a tour
guide is that it gives him a new role to play. “It is
pp Corn Sim, founder of Hi! Strangers
InnoPower@JC: Hi! Strangers is supported by
The Hong Kong Jockey Club, operated by The
Salvation Army and partnered by schools and NGOs
such as the New Home Association, Central Asia
Centre, Hok Yau Club and Hong Kong Red Cross.

21
 Perspectives
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Lamma
an island apart
• Living without motorized transport, connected to
the city only by ferries, is not for everyone.
• But Cheng, who works on Lamma, enjoys its
tranquillity, Zenas sees his long-term future there
and two young volunteers appreciate its
challenges.
• They say inconveniences are outweighed by
bonuses, including the speedy acceptance of
newcomers as neighbours.
Lamma Island appears to be rather different from other
parts of Hong Kong when it comes to neighbourhood spirit.
Cheng, who has been living in Yung Shue Wan village and
working on the island for the last four years, says, “Here, you
often meet your neighbours in the street and stop to chat.”
“When I first moved in,” Cheng continues, “I made
friends with my next-door neighbour, an English girl
who teaches in Aberdeen. She put a welcome card under
my door. I went to thank her and straight away we
were friends. I believe that knowing your neighbours is
very important but we all have to take the initiative.”
Cheng knows all the people who live near him. “There’s
Emily, a local young lady in her 30s who works on
Hong Kong side. She is very quiet and a good person
to have as a neighbour. Upstairs, there is a friendly
English designer. When she arrived two years ago she
22
• 居住在離島，交通難免較為不便。出入只靠渡
輪，也不一定適合任何人。
• 鄭先生因工作關係住在南丫島，享受這裡的寧靜
及較慢的生活節奏。而 Zenas 與另外兩位義工亦
期望能在這裡長期居住及發展，亦珍惜生活在這
裡帶來的挑戰。
• 他們認為生活上雖然不及市區方便，但跟鄰舍關
係密切，感到優點遠勝缺點，很喜歡住在島上。
had a house-warming party and invited me. Everyone
else was western and it was my first experience of
kissing other people’s cheeks,” laughs Cheng.
Before moving to Lamma, Cheng lived in Fanling for 20
years. “Once, a neighbour invited me into his flat to teach
his son, but in general, I found Fanling not so friendly.
The estates are large high-rises and the streets are very
busy with mainland shoppers who create chaos on the
pavements. I don’t plan to go back and live there again.”
Cheng’s family used to live in Shek Kip Mei and he remembers
how neighbours all knew each other there. “Almost everyone
left their doors open. Hardly anyone does that now.” Asked
why, he thinks it is because they don’t want to talk to each
other, or “perhaps people trust each other less. Maybe it
is because we have more money,” says Cheng, wryly.
 Returning to Cheng, his greatest hope for Lamma is
public transport for the needy. Today there are no cars
or buses anywhere on the island, only small vehicles
that are not allowed to carry people. “I wish those
village vehicles could offer transport to the elderly
and anyone else in need. Otherwise they will never
see much of Lamma Island. On the other hand, my
greatest fear for the future is over-development.”

There is a real sense of belonging to a community In

Lamma, Cheng concludes. “Although I will never be truly
local because I wasn’t born here, I think once you become
part of the Lamma community, even incomers like me find
it very hard to move. Here you can take life slowly.”

Zenas, a 20 year-old design student, was born and brought

up in the family home in Yung Shue Wan. He has no plans
to move away from the island. “If circumstances permit, I will
always stay here. It’s a cool place to live and I think Lamma Visit HKFYG Lamma Youth Camp
Island has a suitable environment for developing my art.” ● Adventures
● Traditional Chinese Archery Workshops
Time seems to stretch for many Lamma residents once
● Mindfulness activities
they are away from the city’s hustle and bustle. “When I
am not studying and especially during the holidays I can Booking
find, more time here for drawing and reading.” Most of
Zenas’ neighbours were also born on the island but he
says that most of his friends are not Chinese. “Integration
between members of the community is usually fast,” he How to find the camp
comments, regardless of nationality, although it varies. Take a ferry from Central to Lamma

Jasmine and Steve are young volunteers with the

Hans Andersen Club, a charity that serves Lamma’s
grassroots and underprivileged families. They have Central - Yung Shue Wan Central - Sok Kwu Wan
storytelling sessions and other community activities Timetable here Timetable here
and hope to encourage senior citizens to pass on their Then about 40 minutes’ walk
knowledge and experience to the younger generation.

Jasmine, who works mostly with the children, finds Lamma

both friendly and supportive. She believes strongly in the From Yung Shue Wan Pier From Sok Kwu Wan Pier
benefits of creativity and mindfulness. “I have found it Courtesy of Google maps
very rewarding to be part of this community,” she says.
Steve also loves it there. “We go out hiking and there are More details
challenges for people of all ages. The club encourages the Web lyc.hkfyg.org.hk/
idea of letting children play games in the wild, make friends Tel 2395 5676
with nature and find plants like basil, dill, mint, pepper Fax 2664 4776
and lemon grass that they can smell, touch, even taste.”
Email camp@hkfyg.org.hk

23
 Services
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

NEIGHBOURHOOD Fir

N EIGHBOURHOOD First was launched by HKFYG in 2012. Since then, this

community-building initiative has been energized by Hong Kong’s youth and has
grown into a territory-wide project.
HKFYG believes in neighbourliness and NEIGHBOURHOOD First brings together members of all ages
and walks of life, emphasizing the importance of caring for each other. A warm welcome awaits all
young people who join any of the Neighbourhood First Teams in Hong Kong’s 18 districts.

Annual Neighbourhood Reunion Lunch

Young volunteers from the Neighbourhood teams
promote mutual support at the annual pun choi
(basin feast), inviting neighbours to share lunch
and stories of the old days at Lunar New Year.

Date for your diary Saturday 11 January 2020

Main location Yuen Long District

Cross-city reunions In all 18 city districts

Participants 3,300 people from the community

1,000 Neighbourhood First Team members

Special invitations Needy families, elderly

people, and people with disabilities.

2020 theme NEIGHBOURHOOD First uKitchen

with young volunteers cooking.

24
rst for Community Spirit

NEIGHBOURHOOD• uKitchen

Good neighbours support each other and they usually

share the same tastes in food, so cooking and eating
together provide great opportunities for getting
together. With this in mind, HKFYG and the Social
Welfare Department organized NEIGHBOURHOOD
First·uKitchen, launched officially in July.

Combining elements of community care and cookery skills

training, the project also introduced young participants to
careers in catering. The project successfully set up nine
kitchens in HKFYG Youth SPOTs, and young people led
the way, bringing neighbours in the community together
while sharing food and the culture of helping and caring.

Highlights
Training Over 100 Neighbourhood First Team members,
beginners included, learned basic cooking skills—like
steaming, stewing and braising—from professional chefs.
Visits Teams went to chefs’ workplaces to explore
industry developments and career prospects
at ClubONE, Tai Hung and Ginger Grill.
Community service They then prepared sweet
potato mooncakes and other delicious dishes for
members of the community including the elderly and Participants 110 young people aged 15-24
needy people living alone in mid-Autumn Festival. District locations Southern, Eastern, Wong Tai Sin, Yuen
Recipes Included steamed fish, fried rice, Long, Tuen Mun, Kwai Tsing, North, Sai Kung, Kwun Tong
chicken soup, lotus root patties, sweet and Supported by Professional chefs from the Food
sour beef and braised vegetables. and Beverage Group and Lee Kum Kee

25
 Services
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

Neighbourhood Specials

Post-typhoon Clean-up Campaign Super typhoon Mangkhut left Heng Fa

Chuen and Tseung Kwan O estates littered with garbage, fallen trees, sand
and mud. Neighbourhood First Teams launched a clean-up campaign in
response, restoring the environment and the good spirits of their residents.

Neighbourhood Leftover Recycling Project Setting an example of

sustainable use of resources and community care for the environment,
the Neighbourhood Team at HKFYG’s Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth
SPOT organized a Leftover Recycling Project in Kwun Tong. The
leftover is collected before the market close. Then they will make
use of these food to prepare food boxes to those in need.

Lucky Neighbourhood: Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair

Welcoming the Year of the Pig, 50+ members of Neighbourhood
First Teams ran a stall at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair,
the stall debuted with free lucky roulette games,
festive handicrafts, live painting sessions and
youth busking. Exclusive celebratory souvenirs on
sale featured Alan, the NEIGHBOURHOOD First
mascot lion, symbolizing good fortune and sharing
festive spirit to welcome a new, energetic year. 

Neighbourhood - Love Street To promote mutual

help and ease the financial burdens of low-income
families and solitary elderly people, the Neighbourhood
First Team at HKFYG Jockey Club Shaukiwan Youth
SPOT created Love Street. They issued coupons
and invited Shau Kei Wan Main Street East shops
to give discounts to elderly people and families.

Rice Giving Scheme Thousands of youngsters have

volunteered to operate 19 rice stations in this ongoing sponsored scheme with the Au Bak Ling Charity Trust. Periodically,
they also visit underprivileged families and people living alone, delivering rice to those unable to collect it themselves
while showing neighbours and the needy they care. Over 5,400 households benefit from the scheme every month.

NEIGHBOURHOOD Day “Neighbours bring Happiness” is the theme and low-income families and the elderly are feeling
joyful and warm when team volunteers arrive with goodie bags and care for 1,000 households on Neighbourhood Day.

26
 Loving Soup for All
At the end of November, hundreds of young volunteers Locations Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long: HKFYG
from the territory-wide Neighbourhood Teams helped Youth SPOTs at Tin Yiu, Tin Yuet & Hung Shui Kiu
to cook great vats of soup with loving care and deliver
Sponsor and donors Heart.HK01
it to needy people. Their goal was strengthening Hong
and members of the public
Kong’s sense of solidarity and healing divisions.

Offered in the community every winter solstice since

2012, Loving Soup is a festive celebration of youthful
efforts to build community spirit. The annual event brings
together thousands of folk of all ages to enjoy over 4,000
warming bowls of home-made soup. The programme is
supported by schools, government officials and celebrities
who went along on the neighbourhood household visits.

Note Both soups can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated gently before serving.

More details neighbourhoodfirst.hkfyg.org.hk

Enquiries 3755 7072
27
 CITY SPACE
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong
Better for cyclists, now or never?
“SORRY!” I heard for the second time in two weeks
as a cyclist crashed into me. I seemed rather prone to
such accidents as a newbie in London. I hit the ground
hard, cracked my cell phone screen and looked up,
dazed, as a cyclist dressed in office clothes attempted
to apologize in that terribly English way. “Sorry” he
cried, and immediately cycled away. There are many
commuters on London’s bike lanes, all travelling to the
city centre. I hadn’t paid proper attention to the rules.
Hong Kong is different. It has one of the greatest public
transport systems in the world. There are multiple options
and about 70% of commuters use buses and trains.
Although using public transport rather than private cars is
officially encouraged to reduce emissions, few people have
their own vehicle and road transport contributes heavily to
pollution.1 More than half of the carbon monoxide emitted
originates from road transport whereas, by reducing the
number of trips taken by car, cycling has been shown by the
European Cyclists’ Federation to contribute to reduction
in greenhouse gas emission. So, looking with dismay at my
cracked cellphone that day, two questions came to mind:
Why don’t Hongkongers cycle as much as Europenas and
how can Hong Kong become a better city for cycling?
A friend of mine told me that Hong Kong is not
cycling-friendly because there are no government plans
for urban commuting by bicycle. When I found the
Hong Kong 2030+ Public Engagement document, I
understood. The illustrations show there is no intention
of encouraging it. The only signs of cycling are bicycle
icons placed around residential areas, quite separate
from the city’s bustling centre. Cycling is considered
a leisure pursuit only and the bike lanes, where they
exist, are often ignored or treated as footpaths.
28
pp Typical London cyclists: packed together at traffic lights
UK’s Cycle to Work Scheme
Implemented 1999
How it works Employers buy bicycles for workers who “hire”
them for commuting and benefit because the fee they pay
offsets tax and National Insurance contributions. At the end of
the hiring period, the bikes become the property of the workers.
Results 65% of employees increased the
number of times they cycled to work.
Obviously, Hong Kong is not among
the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities
as far as terrain is concerned but more
could be done to improve safety.
Research indicates that Europe
succeeds because bike commuters
are considered normal traffic with
equal rights to motorized vehicles.2
Driver education is the key. Sadly,
the court decision about the tragic
death of Hong Kong cyclist, Collin
Robertson, in a collision with a van
in Tung Chung in 2014, was that this
is a place where drivers are against
cyclists. If Hong Kong people are
afraid to cycle around Hong Kong
it is because they know the average
driver will not take sufficient care.
Two Asian cities are considered
bicycle-friendly: Tokyo and Taipei,
as the chart shows. Singapore has
also tried to increase cycling with an
 The Most Bicycle Friendly Cities: 2019
100%
90%
80%
70% Europe
Score

60%
50% South America
40% Asia
30%
20% North America
10%
* New cities added recently to the index
0%
Source copenhagenizeindex.eu/

n
am ch
t
er
p
ur
g slo is a
nk
i
en ta na na lin yo ei al er urg
ge d re o O ar enn si m ogo elo lka Ber Tok Taip ntre ouv b
ha er Ut
tw sb
P
Vi
l e
n st An ra He *Br *B arc Ljub * o
an
c
Ha
m
pe Am St B M
V
Co *

Belgium’s cycling certificate Singapore’s Walk Cycle Ride (WCR) Taipei’s YouBike Bike Share
Implemented 2003/2004 Implemented 2016 Implemented 2009
How it works Called the Brevet du How it works Combination of How it works More incentives
cycliste, this training scheme develops enhanced accessibility of footpaths including free bike rental services
children’s cycling skills. From the age and a comprehensive cycling for seniors and discount rentals
of 10, it is used to improve safety awareness campaign as well as more for mixed mode commuting.
by enhancing traffic awareness and convenient transport systems.
Results Became the first Asian city to
both spatial and physical skills. Results WCR accounts more than host the European Cyclists’ Federation
Results Large number of schools 70% of all peak-hour journeys. annual global cycling summit.
participate in the training
Sources Source guidetotaipei.com/article/youbike-taipei-
mot.gov.sg/Transport-Matters/public-transport/detail/walk-cycle- city-public-bicycle-rentals-ubike-%E5%BE%AE%
Source
ride-sg E7%AC%91%E5%96%AE%E8%BB%8A\
provelo.org/fr/page/brevet_du_cycliste mothership.sg/2019/10/public-transport-peak-period/

interconnected transport network and financial incentives intention of converting cycling from a purely leisure activity
to encourage the use of bicycles for short commutes. Such to a recognized form of transport. In the medium term, of
changes gradually change the cycling habits of citizens. course, the answer is yes, because where there is a will there
is a way. However, without government support the concept
Similar to Singapore, Hong Kong is highly centralized. has a very long way to go before becoming a reality.
Although the government has no plans for enhancing
cycling in central urban areas, something can be done
to improve the accessibility of facilities in the rural areas
of the New Territories. This might eventually mean
people will slowly develop the habit of incorporating Hazel Wong, a regular
cycling into daily commutes. Financial incentives contributor to Youth Hong Kong,
and easy payments for hiring are also a good idea. is currently doing a master’s
degree in Environmental
A Hong Kong government proposal for future new Systems Engineering at
towns does include cycling.3 The concept may appear
University College London.
simple but would be difficult to implement, requiring
a balanced combination of government policy, citizen
Read more
awareness, proper driver education, safe bike lanes
and the creation of mixed-mode commuting. 1. epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/
air/data/emission_inve_transport.html
To return to the question of whether Hong Kong will 2. Breukel, S. The bicycle capitals of the world: Amsterdam
become a better city for cyclists in future, the short-term and Copenhagen, 2010. Fietsberaad.nl/library/
repository/bestanden/Fietsberaad_Publicatie7A.pdf
answer seems to be no because the government has no
3. climateready.gov.hk/files/report/en/6.pdf

29
 Arts & culture
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

Imagination,
fiction and
gaming
by Simon John

Our capacity for imagination is a very rare thing indeed. It

gives us the ability to create something that never previously
existed. It often begins with the desire for something better,
more original or different but its genesis can sometimes be
sheer inspiration.

When imagination is applied to entertainment we enter the

realm of fiction. Rather than simply relaying information
that already exists in “novel” ways, we construct events,
develop characters and explore narratives that can either be
barely discernible from reality or vastly removed from it. As control, customize
adult readers tend towards the former, young readers find and contribute to the
tremendous inspiration and relief in the latter: the story as it unfolds. You
transportive experience that fiction – in prose or in film become as important as
– provides. the story itself.

This is clear from the “Harry Potter” series which continues
to enjoy monumental success among readers and mobile
game players. The “Percy Jackson” series is another notable
favourite for under-15s. Many in the English-speaking
world also cut their literary teeth on the “Diary of a Wimpy
Kid.” All these involve fantasy worlds created through
narrative fiction and images. Chinese equivalents include
Louis Cha’s wuxia-inspired videogames such as “The Heroes
of Jin Yong.” “Enslaved: Odyssey to the West” a sci-fi
version of “Journey to the West”, and a classic of Chinese
literature, as well as “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” are
other examples.
Although videogames have always tried to tell stories similar
to narrative fiction, only recently have they reached levels of
visual finesse that make the experience truly memorable. As
a reader immersed in these imaginary worlds you are an
observer, even though you use your imagination as you
read. As an active game-playing participant, you also
This takes the
imagination found in
storytelling to entirely new
levels.
Imagining what isn’t, not what is
Let’s take two very different dystopian videogames as
examples. “Horizon: Zero Dawn” is a visually mesmerizing
first-person role-playing game. Following the exploits of a
young female protagonist trying to solve the mystery
behind the fall of the human race, you navigate her through
a machine dominated Earth-like world of robotic mecha-
monsters in order to uncover the truth. The game explores
the consequences of unbridled human ambition and
subjugation of people by superior machine masters.
The recently released “Death Stranding” explores a future
world that is dark and mysterious. In an eerie, desolate

30

environment you play as Sam
Bridges, tasked ostensibly with
reconnecting cities across the US,
society having succumbed to an event
that has fractured humanity in a
disturbingly profound way. Its mechanics
make it possible for players globally to share
the experience and the benefits of the
progress made by a single player amongst a
collective user base.
The beauty of games of this kind is in their
imaginative complexity. They exploit real concerns of
the day, be they future relationships between man and
machine or the unintended consequences of tools like the
internet creating fractured, polarized societies. We are able
to enjoy them because the experiences they deliver are both
immersive and fictional so that we feel we are taken
somewhere we couldn’t otherwise reach. Yet they are real
enough in themes and ideas to make us reflect.
Novels and games access your imagination
As with novels, videogames tell stories. Some provide us
with a way into previously unimagined worlds. It is no
coincidence that we open a book as we would open a door,
with an idea but no knowledge of what lies behind it until
we explore inside. Others are reimaginings of history, telling
stories we are already acquainted with in new and inspiring
ways.
Significant events such as the world wars are taken by
studios and explored with creative divergence. In “Call of
Duty: WW2”, set in wartime Europe, players take the role
of Ronald Daniels, fighting alongside a squad from the
D-Day landings and culminating in the liberation of a
concentration camp in Germany.
The mobile game “My Child Lebensborn” introduces you
to a very different experience of World War II. Assuming
the role of a foster parent, players care for a child who is
ostracized for having a half-Nordic, half-German heritage.
The often moving experience reflects that of a child of the
era in a brutal world that leaves a profound new
understanding of the experiences of noncombatants.
Then there are truly dystopian games like “Papers, please!”
in which the player becomes an immigration official in a
communist regime, managing cross-border movements
between three fictional states, all of which are hostile from
time to time. You follow procedures like any government
official, stamping permits allowing people in and refusing
entry to those who don’t meet requirements that change
unpredictably from day to day.
And if you miss someone… Well, the repercussions of such
sloppiness can’t be understated.
Imagination is as real as we want it to be
What we see in such iterations of the world are things that
aren’t, but also things that very well could be. This is where
imagination within fiction comes into its own. It can present
us with unpleasant representations of our time in places or
periods either far removed from or very close to those of today.
And in these imagined worlds we can safely confront the
various threats we face, fears we have and problems we don’t
yet know how to solve. When we do, we may find answers or
new approaches we hadn’t yet thought of.
Fictional experiences empower the imagination of readers
and players of all ages. They can help us appreciate what we
have, or focus on what we need.
31
 HKFYG
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong 　

Family communication
troubled times,
troubled minds
M any parents have wanted to help their
children during Hong Kong’s protests. But
what sort of help is best? Troubled and anxious
about the situation, parents may find that
analyzing their own emotional reactions is the
best first step. HKFYG’s Parent Support Network
(PSN) offers advice and a forum for views.
“I’m worried that my children will get hurt. They might even
be arrested,” one mother posted on PSN. “I feel depressed
and incapable of protecting them but I am conflicted as well.
Sometimes I also feel angry when they disagree with me.”
Sharing feelings like this gives insight and comfort but it also
helps one to separate practical worries from raw feelings.

The purpose of dialogue at such a time is not agreement

on politics. Rather, it is to find a way to communicate
peacefully. For example, if a youngster insists on taking
to the streets, PSN advises parents to consider saying
something like, “I understand that you want to join the
protests to express your views, but we are worried about
your safety. How you will protect yourself if the situation
gets out of control? Can you promise to stay in touch?”

Parents might also try to encourage their children to tell
them how they feel about the core issues underlying the
demonstrations. They could ask them to describe how they
feel when violence erupts. They could ask, “How does it
feel out there? Doesn’t it scare you? Or does it just make
you angry and helpless to change anything?” Feelings, no
matter the reason for them or how positive or negative, are
perfectly natural so being reassuring about them helps.
Parents can also help their children think ahead.
“Imagine the worst thing that might happen
today. How would you deal with it?”
Asking about constructive ways of expressing
opinions instead of protesting is another
angle. “Do you think a compromise might be
reached soon?” one parent at PSN asked.
Another said, “Every time we watch the TV news together,
it triggers conflict. What should I do?” Young people think
mainstream media is not comprehensive enough, while a
parent may see online information as too prone to contain
fake and prejudiced news. In such difficult times as this,
with change taking place constantly, everyone has to admit
the limits to accuracy of most sources of information.

32
 What if …
Teenager I find it very confusing when opinions about the protests vary
so much, especially when they come from close friends.
Parent It’s OK to see things differently. No people are the same and it’s important
to respect one another even if we don’t share the same views.
Teenager The videos are so shocking.
Parent Some videos are edited to make a shocking impact. There is so much
fake news. Let’s see if we can find some more reliable reports.
Teenager Yes, look at this…
Parent Right, you can see it shows the same event from a different angle and
so the interpretation is different. What do you think that means?
Teenager Might the reporters have different political backgrounds?
Parent Probably. Which part of the report do you disagree
with? Any idea why you disagree?
Teenager I don’t know. I just find it easy to fight and shout
at others when they disagree with me.
Parent Yes, but wouldn’t you also like to improve the situation?

Focused discussion sessions at

the Parent Support Network
Practical support Communication skills
for handling parent-child conflict
Targets Parents concerned about
discussing social issues with children
Aim Enhanced parent-child communication
With Emotional support for children and youth
and schools in the district
Coming up on Thursdays
12 and 19 December     
Time 10.30am-12.30pm
The best answer is to look for news that offers opinions contrary
Venue HKFYG Parent Support Network,
to one’s own and share them with the family. This allows
Unit 125-132 G/F, Tsui Shek House, Ping
for more balanced guidance that encourages young people Shek Estate, Kwun Tong, Kowloon
to think critically rather than simply reacting emotionally.
More details
If a child knows their parents have strong opinions, they
might become increasingly uncommunicative. It’s important
to keep calm, maintain perspective and try not to take sides.
Everyone needs the chance to speak and be listened to.

The main message should always be to try to stay safe, Call HKFYG Parent Support Network to find out
more
try to avoid conflict and analyze options. That way,
Enquiries Phoenix Ngai 3755 7066
less harm will be done to the relationship between
or Jessica Ling 2402 9230
parent and child and understanding can grow.

33
 HKFYG
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

Wellness for all

20
20

all for wellness

in
us
n i
Jo

We all need to find balance in life and HKFYG provides all sorts of opportunities for young
people to work out a way that suits them best, both physically and mentally. The annual
Run for Wellness and the Mobile Wellness Truck are two examples.

Run for Wellness

l Open to participants of all ages l 10KM (Individual, Team Challenge)
l 2,500 entrants in 2019 l 4.2KM (Individual, Corporate,
l Three categories School Team, Team Challenge)
l 2.1KM (Family)

The Wellness Carnival, which takes place during the annual Run for Wellness, includes a chill zone,
a yoga zone, an art zone and a mini athletic meet. Games like Ludo and a rainbow parachute are
part of the fun and the goal is to connect people of all ages. Looking after emotional health and
living for the day with family, friends and most importantly, your inner self, is what it’s all about.

34 More details:
 Mobile
Wellness
Truck
Theme of the Year: Wellness Time
Me Time
Make time to listen to your heart Me Time We Time
and understand your needs. Me Time是專屬於自己的獨處時間，要與
世界和平共處，先要學懂和自己相處。定期
安排獨處空間，可更真實地聆聽與回應內在
人是群居動物，總有機會與人共處。
We Time不單指與他人共處，更重要是感
受人與人之間的聯繫，透過有質素的相處時

● How well do you know

需要，有助提升心理健康。 間，互相分享、支持，成為彼此的後盾。

。你最近一次和自己好好相處是甚麼時候？ 。你最近一次和別人好好相處是甚麼時候？
。你有多了解自己的身體與心靈？ 。與身邊人相聚時，你能夠放下煩惱、手機與
。你準備好靜下心來，覺察自己的感受嗎？ 雜務，全情投入地與對方共處嗎？

your body and mind?

。你有否及時向他人表達愛意和謝意？

享受獨處（me time）與共處（we time）

● Do you know how to

的優質時間，為彼此心靈注滿能量。

make quiet time to realize

what you need?

We Time
There are many “We Times” in
our daily lives but we should
make quality time together.
● When was the last time you
really listened to others?
Magnets on the truck
Choose a cartoon that matches your feelings.
● Can you put aside your
troubles, ignore your
phone and focus on
those you’re with?
● Have you told
anyone recently how
grateful you are?
Wellness Space Wellness Map Wellness Tree
● Try our mindfulness ● Record your ● Write down your thoughts, put
exercise, take a happy travelling them in the hollow tree and
break and rest. tips. look for our supportive reply.

● Make the time you need

波蘭歷經紛亂，更曾亡國整整一世紀，波蘭人仍然能保持
樂觀。他們常說「Jakoś to będzie」，意思是「事情終會解
身處繁華熱鬧、
決的」，更深一層的含意是不會守株待兔，要及時採取行
動而不計較結果。這句話顯示波蘭人努力實現目標、毫不
畏懼、勇於冒險的態度。 生活節奏急速的香港，
to care for both yourself
墨西哥是個盛產辣椒的國度，當地人無辣不歡。「辣」也是他們
感到開心幸福的其中一個原因，為甚麼呢？原來辣椒內含有一種

以色列長期受到戰爭威脅，然而在各種國際「幸福指標」
中，以色列竟名列前茅。以色列人之快樂源於國民十分重
你的快樂秘方 名為「辣椒素」的生物鹼，會讓人產生一種被灼燒的疼痛感，繼
而促進腦內釋放腦內啡，使人產生愉悅感。不知詭墨西哥人是否

and others
視人與人的關係，將與親朋好友的優質相處時間視為日常 因此而越吃辣越開心，越開心越想吃辣？

是甚麼？
首要事情。正是這種親密聯繫與相互關懷，讓他們感到幸
福。你有每天抽出一點時間，與家人朋友共處嗎？

● Find quality “Me Time” 抓住平凡幸福

全心投入當下

and “We Time” every day

丹麥以「世界最快樂的國家」聞名，有賴其生
活哲學 Hygge 和 Pyt。Hygge意思是抓住日常
生活的平凡幸福，全心投入當下，無論午後用
心享用一杯咖啡；或是走路時放慢腳步，心情
也可平靜下來。至於Pyt則代表「隨它去」，接
受現況未必受自己控制，即使感到沮喪，仍
能夠不執著、選擇坦然接受並繼續前進。

● Relax and enjoy the power

丹麥很多地方都裝置了Pyt按鈕，按下去會響起 古巴奉行社會主義，雖不富裕，但人民熱愛舞蹈，音樂聲
台灣推祟「慢活」，即放慢腳步、擺脫物質、注重工作與生活的平衡。
「Pyt」一聲，提醒我們： 不丹GDP雖不及其他已發展國家，但被譽為全世界最快樂的貧窮小國。前不丹國王辛 響起，群眾便會自然地隨樂聲手舞足蹈。音樂、舞蹈、活
花蓮的鳳林鎮於2014年成為全台首個獲國際認證的慢城，隨後包含嘉義
格旺楚克創立了國民幸福指數（Gross National Happiness），替代GDP和GNP來衡 大林、苗栗三義與南庄，也獲得認證。 在當下，足以概括古巴人的生活態度。你的愛好和生活態
量不丹的發展成效。國民幸福指數的量度範圍包括心理素質、生理健康、教育、時間 度又是甚麼？音樂、跳舞、閱讀、畫畫、運動或是旅行？

charge
分配、文化多元、社區活力、生態多樣性等，但不包括財政狀況。如果我們也把財富 要通過「國際慢城」認證，所需條包括推行可持續發展的技術、培育本 無論如何，享受當下一刻便是最好的生活態度。
的重要程度放下一點，會否也令快樂指數大大提升？ 地文化、保護當地風俗習慣與文化資產、推行健康的飲食與生活模式、
支持本地手工藝者與本地商業的發展等。

35
 HKFYG
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

Future lives,
future jobs
Y oung people should start planning early.
To help them keep abreast of job
opportunities, industry prospects and trends
in the local market, these Federation
programmes from the Youth Employment
Dream Support Scheme: sign up now
Network (YEN) are about making informed
The goals of the scheme are to encourage corporate
choices about further studies and career social responsibility among Hong Kong-based companies
options. and to help youth understand the world of work.
Features
● Promoting life and career planning
Guiding Dreams: places still available for potential future leaders
● Offering company visits
A 3-year programme in two parts, the goals of the
programme are to help parents support their children’s ● Organizing sharing sessions with staff
efforts in life planning. It offers ideas and advice on the ● Job shadowing and internships
skills and knowledge they may need. Target clients Companies with business registration
● Dream with You Target participants Secondary students, especially
Talks for parents and junior secondary students about Secondary levels S4-S6
potential career paths ● Call for donations
Overnight camps with parallel groups for parents and ● Pledge HK$3,000+
their children ● Support life planning programmes
● Dreams Come True and activities at HKFYG
Exploring dream careers and imagining making them ● Join our current sponsors: CW CPA
a reality ● Sign up here bit.ly/2MFNpSe
Putting plans into action Extras Recognition at annual Caring Company ceremony
Awards for best ideas Caring Company Logo nomination
Targets More details yen.hkfyg.org.hk/dreamsupport/
● 4,000+ secondary students Enquiries Lau Ka-yu 3113 7999
● 700 parents
● Join the programme:
guide career dreams towards reality!
● Registration Hurry:
a few places vacant
● Interested teachers Call
Cheung Chi-wai or Crystal Lau 3113 7999
Sponsor Youth Development Commission
More details
yen.hkfyg.org.hk/dreamwithyou/
yen.hkfyg.org.hk/dreamcomestrue/

36
 GradJob: upcoming at YEN
Against the challenging background of the slowing economy and flat hiring environment, YEN
is launching a brand new electronic platform aimed at helping next year’s graduates.
Calling
● All companies planning to hire 2020 graduates
● Post your vacancies FREE on the GradJob platform
Featuring
A graduation job-matching platform for university students
Goals
● Helping newly graduated students find jobs
● Providing career counselling to enhance transition to the workforce
Targets
● New 2020 degree holders
● All companies hiring 2020 university graduates
● Career preparation talks for final year students
● February 2020 Launch ceremony to deliver platform password and user tips for career hunting
● Next 6 months of job counselling for successful hires on GradJob
Sponsor Prudential
More details and registration yen.hkfyg.org.hk/GradJob
Enquiries Rennie Wong 3113 7999

Daisy Fairy and the Bear

Creative Magic at Christmas
Dreams fulfilled: that's what
this charming story is all
about. Beautifully illustrated
by students at schools served
by HKFYG, its theme is hope,
love and healing. For a perfect
Christmas gift, you can find it
at Kelly and Walsh stores or
the bookshop on the G/F of
the Arts Centre in Wanchai.

Sponsor Illustration
Candice Lee, Asia Art Hong Kong Chan Cheuk Tung CCC Kei San Secondary School
Chan Mei Wah Buddhist Tai Hung College
Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Chui Tsz Tung Qualied College
Phoenix Ngai Foo Wai Hin Buddhist Tai Hung College
Chun Chun Hui Alex Ho HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Cheung Ka Wai Claris Hung Lok Yiu Lions College
Lin Man Tuen Chelsey Jasmine Lai Kiangsu-Chekiang College (Kwai Chung)
Li Chi Yin PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College
Hong Kong Art School Li Wai Han Buddhist Tai Hung College
(a division of Hong Kong Arts Centre) Lo Tze Hei Buddhist Tai Hung College
Karen Lam Lui Ka Yui Karina HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College
Chris Cheng Tsang Yu Tung Buddhist Tai Hung College
Wong Sze Lon Janelle Qualied College
Salesians of Don Bosco Ng Siu Mui Wong Tsin Yu Eugenia Holy Trinity College
Secondary School Yan Tin Suet Wai Kiu College
Li Kin Man Principal Yee Viann The YWCA Hioe Tjo Yoeng College
Chan Kai Pong Yeung Shuk Man SKH Lam Kau Mow Secondary School
and
Ti Liang Yang
37
 HKFYG
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

HKFYG Leadership Institute Lodge

open now in historic former magistracy
The newly opened lodge is a part of the former Fanling Magistracy complex which was revitalized by the HKFYG and is now
home to the HKFYG Leadership Institute. The Institute was opened earlier this year and conducts leadership and skills
training programmes to create a new generation of leaders for the community.

Special features
● Well-equipped multipurpose facilities for functions
● Indoor and outdoor spaces for social and commercial
purposes
● Exhibition space for residents
● 49-inch HD television with major TV channels
● Accommodation for 85 residents
● Convenient place to live, work and study
● Less than a minute’s walk from the Institute’s main block
● Eight minutes’ walk away from Fanling MTR station
● Rooms for 2 to 12 people
● Free WiFi, en suite bathrooms and lockers

Also available: wide range of training courses

and activities
● View heritage features
● Visit nearby Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail

More details
leadershipinsitute.hk
The HKFYG Leadership Institute
leadershipinstitutehk

Enquiries
admin@leadershipinstitute.hk
(852) 2169 0255

Address
The HKFYG Leadership Institute Lodge
302 Jockey Club Road,
Fanling, NT, Hong Kong

38
The HKFYG Youth Hostel PH2
co-living and co-growing in Tai Po
HKFYG presents PH2: comfortable, affordable accommodation
specially designed to help youth build networks and grow.

70 single units 2 co-living units for 3 persons

2 twin or disabled units

Design Concepts
simple ∙ practical
ü Comfortable living space with durable,
safe and easy-care furnishings

sustainable ∙ smart
ü Abundant natural light
ü Effective soundproof windows
ü Waste recycling, energy-saving, carbon-emission reducing
ü Intelligent systems for safety and convenience

communal ∙ interactive
ü Creative use of space to encourage
community-building and socializing

Tenancy
ü The first contracts for two years
ü Renewable for up to five years maximum

Rent
ü To accord with both official
and independent data
ü Not to exceed 60% of market price
ü Subject to regular review and adjustment
ü Utility charges paid by tenants

Address 2 Po Heung Street, Tai Po Market

Enquiries Email ph2@hkfyg.org.hk
Tel (852) 2656 0009
Application form and guidelines
hkfyg.org.hk

Note
The first of its kind under of the
government Youth Hostel Scheme
39
 HKFYG
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

Combatting drug addiction

T hree programmes from the Federation’s Youth Crime Prevention Centre (YCPC) focus
on services that prevent and treat drug addiction in youth. They use tried and tested
methods from overseas that enable social workers and teachers to target high-risk youth.

Healthy Transitions
a preventive, remedial and educational programme

This programme offers strength-based cognitive behavioural therapy (SB-CBT)

with the aid of psychological health education. The method enhances emotional
management and resilience with the aim of reducing mental health problems and
the risk of drug abuse in high-risk youth. Localized assessment tools are being
developed and on completion, a service protocol that specifically demonstrates SB-
CBT and targets local youth drug abusers with mental health issues will be available.

A 3-year programme for 10-35-year-olds

Goals
● Reduction of mental health problems and effects of drug misuse/abuse
● Enhancing awareness of the benefits of a healthy life style
● Providing emotional support for family members
● Developing Hong Kong-based identification and assessment tools

In collaboration with Prof Daniel Wong Fu-keung of the Department of

Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong

Enquiries Kenneth Yeung 2701 8866

What is strength-based therapy?

It’s a type of positive psychotherapy and counselling that focuses on
internal strengths and resourcefulness rather than on weaknesses, failures,
and shortcomings. It is part a social work practice that emphasizes
people's self-determination and strengths in the face of adversity.

40

Project SEToff II
an anti-drug programme for working
youth and hidden drug abusers
This project, first developed between 2017 and
2019, has grown into an app for relapse prevention
using Marlatt and Park’s intervention approach. Now
extending its online network into the workplace, it
will provide up-to-date, useful information for both
employers and employees, encouraging them to
support drug abusers and actively seek help if needed.
A 3-year programme for 16-35-year-olds
Goals
● Reaching and engaging 150 working
youth and hidden drug abusers
● Enhancing drug abusers’ motivation
and ability to give up drugs
● Assisting ex-drug abusers to maintain abstinence
● Enhancing a positive relationship between
family members and drug abusers
● Creating a supporting network between them
Enquiries Kenneth Yeung 2701 8866
What’s relapse prevention?
Relapse means a breakdown or failure in an
attempt to maintain change in a set of unwanted
behaviours and Marlatt’s model for preventing it is
well-known. Marlatt was a pioneer in the field of
addiction treatment. He described an urge as an
impulse to pick up an old habit, such as drinking or
drug using, and likened such urges to waves in that
they rise in intensity, peak, and eventually crash.
● All programmes territory-wide
● Funded by the Beat Drugs Fund
● More details ycpc.hkfyg.org.hk
* Youth Marijuana Prevention and Education Programme
Project CHOICE
an education and training project
This online and offline interactive project uses the
YMPEP* Regional Implementation Comprehensive
Educational Guide developed in the US for
anti-drug training. Professionals involved use
motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural
therapy to help clients to reduce or quit drugs.
A 2-year community-based project for all
16-35-year-old cannabis abusers
Goals
● Motivating cannabis users to reduce
consumption and helping them to quit
● Raising social workers’ and teachers’
awareness and skills with cannabis abusers
● Providing updated cannabis-related information
and education for schools and the general public
● Promoting a healthy lifestyle
● Professional training for social workers and teachers
● Remedial services for high-risk cannabis
abusers and former users
Enquiries Ken Lee 2702 2202
What is cannabis abuse disorder
Also known as cannabis or marijuana addiction,
cannabis abuse disorder is defined as the continued
use of cannabis despite clinically significant
impairment. There is evidence that cannabis use
during adolescence, at a time when the brain is still
developing, may have deleterious effects on neural
development and later cognitive functioning.
Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders
41
 Advertorial
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

The Autumn Edition of the 39th Hong Kong Electronics Fair, held from 13-16 October 2019,
attracted more than 3,700 exhibitors from all over the world. Organized by HKTDC, it
included robotics, fitness and training, food and beverage gadgets and smart home security.
Exhibitors shared ideas and in the Tech Hall’s startup zone, two company founders
explained their services.
C

Kary Kung, a psychology graduate in master Dr Michael Lee has a M

degree who joined the finance sector, heads PhD in electronic

the Asian region for Vcan FinTech. engineering from
Y

HKUST and is
CM

Our company’s main focus is e-commerce and

e-payments, an area where there is a large gap Managing Director and MY

between supply and demand. Because Hong Kong is behind the pace Chief Executive Officer CY

in this area we found a good market here and after a year’s groundwork, at iDisplay Hong Kong. CMY

we launched officially in August 2017. My research at UST was about electronic K

Companies setting up in mainland China often want to do business with displays. I am interested in making them into
overseas markets and need a channel for payment. Our services marketable products that will sell well on the
provide an easy platform for cross-border financial transactions market. I started up my company in 2014
regardless of the size of the company. and now, with our patented AdverTag,
clients can save on electricity and display
For example, one of my both product information and pricing.
mainland clients is trying to buy
from India and sell in Europe Our product also helps clients save on
and the US. He also has an manpower and promote products more
agent in Vietnam, so when sales widely. For example, they can change price
are made, he needs to transfer tags any time and send updated information
funds from Europe and the US to customers instantly. We are the first
to pay both the Indian vendor company in the world to use coloured
and the Vietnamese agent. Our screens for this. Our next development will
services streamline the process. be the use of wifi for more advanced and
efficient transmission of data. Our
We also have online verification
for clients with features
V-account technology allows display boards to
One for All Payment Account withstand extremes of temperature and so
developed as a result of AI. Empower your Global e-commerce
Business Expansion they are suitable for most environments. We
Such forms of e-ID are in their ◆ Global banking services
also sell tailor-made AI-based solutions.
infancy in Hong Kong and we
◆ Designated segregated account (USA, UK, EU, HK, JAP, etc…)
◆ Support 100+ currency conversion

Joining TDC’s exhibition has helped us to

◆ Support 10+ marketplaces: Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Rakuten, etc…

promote our business with ◆ Expertise in B2C, B2B, O2O and shopping cart

clients from all over the world at connect with more potential clients and
this fair. It really helps us make After 2 years and 10 months of preparation, we proudly announced the
founding of Vcan in the June of 2016. Located in the financial center of
Hong Kong and Singapore, our team is full of experts from different areas
expand our network while brand-building
connections. and finding out more about local
in finance and technology. With our combined 20 years of experience,
we are passionate in providing easy-to-reach financial services with the
most advanced technology to our clients. We aim to build a fair and
open trading platform for the global ecommerce market.

businesses.

42
43
 Financial management skills
H ow do students manage their money, what do they think about controlling their own
finances and what sort of skills do they need?
Many of life’s major decisions involve financial matters and with
rapid change and high inflation the pressure on the younger
generation is likely to increase. Financial management skills are
therefore increasingly important so this study investigated how
young people manage their money, including their spending,
saving and investing patterns as well as their values concerning
money, opinions of financial education and preferences for dealing
with personal debt.
Report No. 46 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S.
Education and Innovation group
Published title Improving Financial Education for Young People
Respondents 1,034 young people, from those
in Secondary 4 to recent graduates.
[Interviews were also held with 5 experts in the field of
financial education and 20 youth interviewees.]
More details
[in Chinese] 
Enquiries Angus Choi 3755 7038
44
Key points from respondents
● 82.8% agreed that being capable of good personal financial
management is very important.
● 67.5% and 54.5% respectively did not agree with spending
money before they had earned it or borrowing money on
behalf of friends.
● 48.6% admitted to having overspent their budgets in the
past. Among them, the majority said they would prefer to
spend their savings (63.5%) or earn more (53%) rather than
overspending, using credit cards or taking loans.
● 38.2% said they did not budget for personal expenditure or
record any details of their spending patterns.
● The majority rated preparing oneself to meet one’s own future
financial goals as the most important function of financial
education, rating it 8.03 on a 0-10 scale.
● Interviewees and experts agreed that the best time to
implement financial education is at senior secondary school
level and the best method is experiential learning.
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S think tank members
David Wong, deputy convener “We recommend the inclusion
of financial education in Other Learning Experiences as part of
the Education Bureau’s New Senior Secondary Curriculum in
order to give students a basic understanding of personal
finance.”
Jay Chan and Allison Chan, group members “A useful
branding focus for the Investor and Financial Education Council
(IFEC) would be encouraging financial planning in youth for
better preparation to meet personal goals.”
Derren Lam and Silver Ng, group members “The IFEC should
also consider prioritizing the components suggested in the
Hong Kong Financial Competency Framework and providing
related teaching guidelines in order to help educators design
lessons.”
 Overseas work experience
T his study seeks ideas about ways to enrich the overseas exposure of Hong Kong’s working
youth in order to enhance their competitiveness and improve the overall quality of
the city’s workforce.
Hong Kong bridges east and west. 9,040 businesses with Interviews with young people who had worked
overseas parent companies are located here with 493,000 overseas revealed that the experience broadened their
1
employees.  Staff with overseas experience are needed for horizons, enhancing their competitiveness with an international
the daily operation of these businesses as well perspective and wider social network. However, these young
as for their future overseas expansion.   people say that if they travel on a working holiday visa in an
industry unrelated to that for which they have trained, the value
Key findings of such experience will be questioned by potential employers
● 51% of respondents are interested in short-term and human resources managers. The report recommends
employment overseas  government subsidies for companies that incur extra costs
when joining the Young Management Overseas Development
● Respondents agree that overseas employment is helpful for:  Programme.
- Developing international perspective (88.3%) 
- Improving language ability (82.5%)  Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members
- Improving interpersonal communications (80.2%)  Ernest Chan and Manson Chow, group convener and
- Enhancing problem-solving ability (80.2%)  member “The world of international business is highly
● Some respondents worry that overseas employment competitive but there are few opportunities for young Hong
may impact their future career development negatively resulting Kong workers to take temporary overseas jobs, apart
in:  from on the government’s Working Holiday Scheme. If the
local talent pool had international experience it would help
- Missed development opportunities in Hong Kong (45.8%)  Hong Kong expand in both its major and
- Lack of recognition of overseas work experience by employers emerging overseas markets. Government measures are
(40%)  needed to help young people make better use of working
- Reduction in salary by employers (39.6%)  holidays and to find other overseas work opportunities.” 
Dylan Kwan, group member “Company managers need to
understand overseas markets to expand their business so
we propose a ‘Young Management Overseas Development
Report No. 47 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S.  Programme.’ Set up by the Hong Kong government, this
could strengthen overseas exposure among young
Employment and Economic Development group 
management staff while offering subsidies for relevant
Published title Enriching the Experiences of overseas training.” 
Working Youth through Overseas Exposures 
Cindy Chiu, group member “The Labour Department should
Participants/respondents 520 Hong Kong working youth enhance the effectiveness of the Working Holiday Scheme. This
aged 18-34 were polled. 20 Hong Kong 18-34-year-olds who could include improving employers’ impression of it and
had worked overseas and four experts in youth exchange providing career counselling to the young participants before
programmes and human resources were interviewed.  they leave.” 
 
More details 

[in Chinese]

Enquiries Amy Yuen 3755 7037 

Source
1. Census & Statistics Dept. Numbers of overseas and mainland companies and
startups in Hong Kong continue to grow- Press release, 16 October 2019.

45
 Advertorial
December 2019　|　Youth Hong Kong

Hong Kong 200

Leadership Project 2020
Build Competencies & Equip Yourself to Serve - Sign up now
The "Hong Kong 200" Leadership Project, initiated by HKFYG in 2006, aims to enhance young people’s sense of social
responsibility and reinforce their willingness to give back to the community. This is an initiative under HSBC Future Skills
Development Project and the training is intended to equip participants with essential skills to tackle challenges in the
future, thus enhancing employability. Participants also find professions and callings for study and work and demonstrate
their compassion, love and care for others, both in Hong Kong and other parts of the world.

Adrian Ko won seed funding Lynette Yip participated in

for his Project for Hong Kong. a Job Shadowing: Tradition
It proposed the cultivation and Future with well-known
of positive thinking among media company LINE Plus
secondary school students Corporation. The editorial
with an interactive board experience not only enhanced
game. His team will execute her digital marketing C

their project using the seed knowledge but also helped

funds. He recognized how boost her confidence for M

technology helps him to future challenges. She learned Y

practise the spirit of “My online publishing skills with

Commitment to Hong Kong”. media company and showed CM

an interest in creative thinking MY

Gold Award winner of Project and effective communication

for Hong Kong of HK200 for future learning. CY

CMY

I learned how 3D-printing can help very high- Big data analysis can help the media to identify K

quality mass production and will actively consider
it for implementing our project. As a participant
of HK200 in 2019, I felt empowered to serve
Hong Kong’s community, learn about Hong Kong’s
society, understand people and tackle their
problems. I’ve built an extensive network and feel
more confident about putting my ideas about
positive thinking into action.
readers’ interest for better content creation. I
believe skills in this area will be important for
employment. I was a bit anxious when I first
enrolled but as a result of HK200’s job shadowing
programme, I published my first online advertorial
and got a taste of digital marketing. That took me
out of my comfort zone but was a great first step to
prepare for work.

Key Training Modules

l Future leader programmes: Leadership guiding, mentorship,

job shadowing
l Team challenge: Leadership adventure camp
l Innovation and society: Design thinking skills lab
l Social and experiential learning: Project for Hong Kong
l Global horizons: Impact lunch and seminars with global
leaders

Deadline for applications: 3 April 2020

Details & Application:
The HKFYG Leadership Institute (leadershipinstitute.hk)

46
 HKFYG Organic Farm
Tel: (852) 2838 4808 Fax: (852) 2488 9034

E-mail: organicfarm@hkfyg.org.hk Website: organicfarm.hk

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hkfygorganicfarm/

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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