Young people plan to use fund to pursue hobbies and travel to broaden horizons

Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki on Monday chairs a meeting of the Commission on Poverty for the first time. Members were briefed on and consulted about the Strive and Rise Programme at the meeting. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Monday said it will give a first-round quota of 2,000 underprivileged secondary school students each a HK$10,000 ($1,275) allowance under its youth poverty-alleviation program, which will be launched in October and aims to address intergenerational poverty.

The project was launched by a government task force led by Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki. At a news briefing, Chan said the first phase of the project will last for a year and mainly target secondary students living in sub-divided flats. If there are over 2,000 applicants in the first phase, those in Secondary 3 will be prioritized. The quota will be increased later.

The government will offer each student HK$5,000 in the initial funding, which can be used at their own discretion under the guidance of their mentors. Another HK$5,000 will be provided after they finish the project.

Each student will be paired with a mentor, who will share their own life experience, help the student establish personal development goals and arrange activities to broaden the student’s horizons.

Under the scheme, the government will arrange for students to visit cultural and technology organizations, such as the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Science Park, as well as Disciplined Forces’ operation bases. Special activities, such as inviting students who have never flown before to do so, will be included.

Students will also get the chance to interact with some “star mentors” in the sports and art sectors, such as fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long, and table tennis player Doo Hoi-kem, who won gold and bronze medals respectively at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Regarding the requirements for volunteer mentors, Chan said the government will give priority to employed young people aged 21 or above, who have a positive attitude and are willing to communicate with teenagers.

The government will invite business and professional groups to nominate mentors. Matchups will consider students’ likely career direction. Chan stressed that candidate selection will not be affected by political factors.

Students and youth leaders responded positively to the release of the program’s details.

A Form 2 student surnamed Chan, who lives in a subdivided unit, was thrilled by the news. The girl from the Confucian Tai Shing Ho Kwok Pui Chun College uses a small desk to study at home. She said that having a private tutor would be unimaginable for people in her position.

Chan said that if she could participate in the scheme, she wants to learn how to fence from her idol, the Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long, and to use the government allowance to buy fencing equipment. The girl who has never been on an airplane before, is also keen to visit Hong Kong International Airport and the Government Flying Service to broaden her horizons.

Praising the scheme, Angus Ng Hok-ming, chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association, said he will encourage 5,000 of his members, who are from the business and political sectors, to apply to be mentors.

He said he hopes that the task force follows up on the plan and produces a precise effectiveness evaluation mechanism for all parties involved.

Kevin Lau Chung-hang, a member of the Commission on Poverty, said that the new program is an excellent complement to the Child Development Fund, which was founded in 2008 to support the development of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said he hopes that the two programs can work together well and achieve the desired results.

Contact the writers at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com