It's Christmas Time...

Wow! It's Christmas time again, and what an exciting time it is! The malls are decked out with beautiful decorations, and over the buzz of activity you can hear Christmas carols being broadcast through the sound system of every mall in town. Since 2010 you may have also had the privilege of seeing real people singing carols in the streets of Hong Kong. Many of them are not just doing it for fun but because they want to raise funds for underprivileged children.

The Child Development Matching Fund (CDMF) is an independent Hong Kong Foundation that raises funds for children between the ages of 10 and 16 years old, from low income families. CDMF ask various churches, schools, organizations and companies to send a small 'choir' into the streets to bless the people by singing Christmas carols. Each caroler is asked to contribute HK$200 towards the CDMF.

The children are trapped in a cycle of poverty that chokes their dreams year after year.   At Christian Action, we help them to break that hopeless cycle by modeling a better future for them, in a number of ingenious ways, including a mentorship programme and a planned savings scheme. It’s very encouraging for the children when the CDMF adds to each child’s savings by matching it, dollar for dollar.

Every year, Christian Action takes these children out caroling. Unfortunately none of them have HK$200 to contribute to the CDMF, but they love to experience the joy of giving of themselves.

Very few of the children in our programme have ever experienced Christmas as anything other than a commercial holiday. They have never heard the story of the birth of Jesus. This is probably the first time they’ve heard the real message behind Christmas, and they are keen to pass it on! So, if you happen to be making your way through the busy streets of Hong Kong, and you hear the sound of young voices enthusiastically singing Christmas carols, you may just be hearing voices of children whose hopes for the future are being restored.

You can add to their joy by donating HK$200 for each caroler who has reached into his or her heart to give what these children have – themselves.