民社服務中心 People Service Centre

Introduction

The project uses various community-based approaches and focuses on the interaction with the public and experiential learning.  The participants can have a deeper understanding of the poverty issues by first hand personal experiences.  They can think about the root causes of the problem and how to responses to it. The Project aims to change public prejudices and concepts about the disadvantaged groups, eliminate discrimination and ensure that disadvantaged groups have opportunities for have upward mobility in the Society.   The operation expenses of the project is funded by Oxfam Hong Kong.

Goal

1. Arouse public awareness of poverty
2. Foster empathy for the disadvantaged
3. Enhance continuous public awareness and response to poverty by actions .

Service Content

1. Human Library Training Class

   The focus of the service is to train the less resources older persons/women to be interviewed by the public and share their stories of housing, food expenses, living support, and social life.  The human library targets to examine the reality of supporting the older persons/less resource families in a three-dimensional way and discuss policy changes in the near future.

2. Community observatory survey and educational courses in schools

   The problem of poverty is a complex one.  Observing, listening, and interviewing are equally important to enhance ones’ understanding of the suffering of less resource groups. The community field trips allow the participants to have “on-site” observations and conversations with less resources households, so that they can have first-hand experiences; the details of the background and living conditions of the less rescource groups.
   • First hand experience of collection of unsold vegetables: The activity allows participants to go to the markets to collect leftovers or unsold vegetables and distribute them to the less rescources people in the community. It helps to experience the urgent needs of the less resource households and enrich the knowledge of the food recycling service.
   • Community visits and food saving experience in markets: The activity arranges the participants to have home visit to the less resources older persons hidden in the community.  It allows them to go to the markets to prepare meals with limited budget; discusses the distribution of community resources and the limited living expenses of the older persons.
   • Interactive Game on Caring for the less resources persons: Group interactive games are organised in schools to allow students to experience the differences in living with limited resources and development opportunities of different groups of people. It allows them to experience the financial difficulties of less resource families with limited resources, allows them to understand and pay attention to the disparity between rich and poor.

3. Skills Exhibition and Bazaar of the less talented people

   The bazaar promotes the folk’s wisdom and talents of the neighbours, allowing them to sell their own daily necessities or products in a Bazaar. At the same time, an exhibition area is set up to display the conditions faced by less income family women caregivers and older persons.