A Second Home

“I see myself in these children. Whenever they throw a tantrum while doing homework I tell them, ‘after you’ve grown up, you’ll know how great it is having someone to teach you and a place you can call home.’ I can’t thank Ms. Tam and Ms. Lee enough for the time they spent with me.” - Ben.

To my great joy, Ben, formerly a child in our After-School Child Care Service programme, has joined Christian Action (CA) as a full-time employee and mentor to our underprivileged kids!

Ben said “I’ve spent 15 years of my life with CA. It’s my second home. It’s where I feel a sense of belonging. Ms. Tam and Ms. Lee, the social workers here, were so helpful that they became like family to me!”

Ben’s parents enrolled him in our After-School Child Care Service programme shortly after they immigrated from Guangzhou. He was seven years old and like many other immigrant kids, he struggled with making friends and adjusting to Hong Kong’s school system.

To help Ben with his classes, our social workers spent the time going over the content of his lessons with him each day. They also helped him with his homework and exam preparation. Ben shared that when he was in secondary school he lacked motivation - but credits the programme with helping him graduate.

Ben also participated in a wide range of interest classes in CA and met a group of kids with a similar background as him whom he now calls lifelong friends. They did homework together every day and participated in summer activities, which have provided him with everlasting childhood memories.

Click to Support the After-School Child Care Service Programme.