Report from Service Committee (2014 – 2016)
Co-chairs: Elizabeth Law, Petrina Tam
In the past two years, we have worked with 10 NGOs and have donated approximately HK$1,000,000 to support 5 projects for women, 2 projects for the young, 2 projects for children and one project for the handicapped. During this biennium, we have particularly focused our service on projects that help to empower women and girls and also projects which help to educate and prevent violence against women to embrace the ideals of Zonta.
The following are some of the significant projects which are sponsored by our Club in the past 2 years:
Care For Women
“Say No-Step Out” Project is one of our “Zonta Says No” to end “Violence Against Women” project whereby our Club worked with the Tung Wah Groups of Hospital CEASE Crisis Centre to develop the production of computer games and mini movies to help educate Intellectually Disabled Women to understand basic sex education, the dos and don’ts and how to handle situations to prevent or minimise sexual harassment or violence against them.
“SELF” Project is our Club’s follow up project with CEASE group aiming at a holistic approach for empowering Women Violence victims to gain confidence and self esteem through a series of seminars and workshops to enable victims to gain back their sense of control and rebuild their trust in love resulting in fulfilment.
“Mindfulness Training for Mothers with Special Needs Children” is a project our Club worked with Heep Hong Society to implement a mindful training programme for mothers with autistic disorder, sensory impairment, mental / physical handicap, behaviour / learning problem children. Mothers play a key role in creating a healthy environment for needy children and the program uses / a meditation based intervention approach to help reduce the stress of the mothers, enhance the parent-child relationship and increase the capabilities of mothers to contain the stress and negative emotions and promote positive coping abilities. The programme includes training groups, workshops and parents and trainers manual.
“PGS & Ace Pamphlets” is a program our Club worked with Mother’s Choice to help design and develop the Pregnant Girls Services pamphlet and Sex Education Pamphlet and the purpose of these Pamphlets are to provide knowledge and support to young girls facing crisis pregnancy and young people who are asking questions regarding sexualitity education.
“Collaboration with the Hong Kong Correctional Services and Hong Kong Single Parents Association” to give award to winners in a dessert competition held at Lai King Correctional Institution aiming to bolster the self-confidence and self – esteem of the women inmates and single mothers to help facilitate the inmates’ and single parents’ successful integration into the society. Our Club also paid visits to the Lai King Correctional Institution to meet and talk to the young inmates to give encouragement to them and to influence them about positive attitudes to life.
Care for the Young
Scholarships and Bursaries for Female Students
Our Club continued to award Scholarships to Ethnic Minority women students to enable them to pursue tertiary education through Unison.
Our Club also continued to sponsor Scholarships and Bursaries for Female Students nominated by the Open University.
Care for the Children
“Operation Smile”
Our Club sponsored the costs relating to the free reconstructive surgeries for girls suffering from clefts provided by medical volunteers during the various China Medical Missions.
Best Improved Student Awards for Primary School Students
During the past 2 years, our Club has sponsored “Improvement in Academic Performance and Conduct Performance” of Primary School Students from Wah Fu Precious Blood School, Sham Shui Po Ka Ling Primary School and Ho Fok Tong Primary School with the support from Wing Han Education Foundation Ltd.
Care For the Handicapped
Since 1986 Our Club has a sponsored the Shek Kip Mei Lutheran Centre for the Blind for the set up of their recording tape and production centre, as well as the purchasing of equipment and tapes every year.
Since year 2000 our Club has sponsored the set-up of the 24 hours Hotline Service for the Blind. With computerization, such service was extended to the visually deficient sector globally through the internet. From 2014 and going forward to 2016-2018, our Club will continue to sponsor the Centre with the improvement of their 24 hours Hotline Service, various equipment purchases and the on-going maintenance costs.
