Page 17 - Sphere No.30 (Dec 2011)
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Sphere 30
With its goal of encouraging
compassion and improving the lives of Hong Kong
people, the “Love Ideas, Love HK” campaign has
struck a chord among local citizens looking for
meaningful ways to make lasting contributions
to their community. The scheme is part of LKSF’s
HKD300 million (about USD38.5 million)
interactive philanthropic campaign to engage local
citizens in making a difference.
Making it easier is the fact that “Love Ideas,
Love HK” is Internet based. Through the platform
, participants create projects
and the public votes for those they would like to
receive LKSF grants. Round 1 saw a flood of more
than 1,000 proposals and participation from 74,000
voters who elected 177 projects they considered
worth funding. In Round 2, with the introduction
of voting by telephone, the number of voters for
competing projects increased five-fold, to over
370,000. They elected 230 projects benefitting a
wide cross-section of the community.
Round 1 projects received HKD28 million in
total, and Round 2 projects were granted a further
HKD36.75 million. They included caring for
unattended teenagers by providing a pot of warm
soup, sending stand-up comedians to entertain
patients in hospital and support for those grieving
the loss of a deceased pet. Also among the initiatives
were the following two projects, one aimed at
comforting underprivileged elderly citizens, and
the other at preserving the distinctive culture of
Hong Kong’s small businesses.
Faces to remember
It used to be common for families in Hong Kong
to have a photo taken of their ageing loved ones,
eventually to be displayed at their funeral and
placed, in remembrance, in the family’s ancestral
shrine. In recent times, however, as ownership of
cameras increased, providers of this special service
all but disappeared, along with the tradition.
That is, until Gabriel Yu, 23, and Benson Hung,
24, stepped into the picture, so to speak. After
brainstorming how to help Hong Kong’s elderly
citizens feel more cared for, they decided that
leaving a beautiful last portrait for their families
would be a meaningful gesture. The pair wanted to
volunteer their time and skills for the project they
called “Last Photo”.
The HKD25,000 they received from LKSF made
all the difference to their plan. It enabled them to
buy special equipment that otherwise would have
been beyond their budget. “With the tsunami last
March in Japan, the price of some new Japanese
photo equipment we needed to purchase had
radically increased,” explained Benson.
Already, they have been approached by two
local nursing homes, interested in the possibility
of Gabriel and Benson providing their free portrait
service on a regular basis. But, so far, most of 300-
plus individuals photographed have been visited at
their homes. “Many elderly people are unable to go
out of their homes on their own,” explained Gabriel.
“We intentionally purchased portable equipment so
that we are able to visit them in their homes and
take their photo in the location that is most
convenient and comfortable for them.”
Gabriel and Benson hope that their project will
show other generations that young people do care
about the well-being of the Hong Kong community.
“As members of the generation born after the 1980s,
we do not want other generations only to view us
as radical, short-sighted individuals,” said Gabriel.
“We want people to know that the post-1980s
generation can be just as caring and forward-
looking as any other group.”
The power of love has been doing a
power of good since the Li Ka Shing
Foundation (LKSF) launched its
“Love Ideas, Love HK” initiative just
over a year ago.
Sphere
has been
speaking to Round 1 participants
whose funded projects are now
completed, and to community
service experts helping entrants
turn great ideas into action.
Elderly citizens benefit from the “Last Photo”
project, which gives them a free-of-charge
portrait to leave for loved ones.
