August 23, 2022
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Monday said it will give 2,000 secondary school students 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 that the quota will be increased later.
Each student will be paired with a mentor, who will voluntarily share their life experience, help the student establish concrete personal development goals and arrange various activities to broaden the student’s horizons
Each student will be paired with a mentor, who will voluntarily share their life experience, help the student establish concrete personal development goals and arrange various activities to broaden the student’s horizons.
Under the scheme, the government will also arrange for students to visit various cultural and technology organizations, such as the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Science Park, as well as many Disciplined Forces’ operation bases.
They 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.
The government will offer HK$5,000 to each student in the initial funding, which can be used under the guidance of their mentors. Another HK$5,000 will be provided after they finish the project.
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.