Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung visited the Hub Hong Kong in Sham Shui Po this afternoon to learn about the various support services provided by the centre for underpriviledged children and their families.
The centre provides after-school support, personal guidance and counselling, and mentorship programmes. Plus, development services and various recreational and socialisation programmes aimed at giving disadvantaged children an equal opportunity to become valuable and contributing members of the community.
Mr Cheung said he was also glad to learn that the centre would start a new two-year project to provide a wide range of weekend interest classes and visits for the children, with a matching fund under the Social Welfare Department's Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged.
"I am glad that the dedicated fund scheme has been greeted with an overwhelming response, with a total of 89 projects involving over $50 million in donations pledged for this school year. These will benefit some 20,000 primary and secondary school students. As some of the after-school learning and support projects operate until the early evening, we estimate that parents of some 1,500 grassroots families will be able to stay in employment or join the workforce.
"This would result in a win-win situation. Whilst the children are well looked after through such meaningful value-added projects, their parents can concentrate and work, thereby augmenting the family income and enhancing Hong Kong's overall economic productivity," Mr Cheung added.
