News Flash - Our Mong Kok Centre students Ace the DSE!

The results are in and I am bursting with pride for our Mong Kok Centre students who sat for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE)!

This year we had six students who sat for their DSE, but in many ways they had already passed before they even sat the exams. During the exam preparation period the fifth wave of the pandemic was at its peak. This meant that all the schools, libraries and parks were closed, and since these students came from low-income families, they were all confined to their unimaginably cramped, shoe-box sized sub-divided apartments. The fact that these six could maintain a positive attitude and persevere with their studies is truly incredible!

On the day that their results were scheduled to be released we were all as nervous as if the students were our own kids! The team included volunteer tutors, care-givers and social workers from our MKC and Manna English Tutorial Group from the International Christian Assembly. Throughout COVID the team provided the students with unstinting support through Zoom classes and made themselves available to answer questions, care and encourage them and checked on their progress.

The results are almost too good to believe: five of the students did so well that they were accepted into the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology! The sixth student, whom we’ll call Mary (not her real name), scored the highest possible score of “5**” in three of her subjects and extremely high grades in all her other subjects. She has been accepted into The Chinese University of Hong Kong to study medical. Bravo!

Sharing from one of the students: "I come from a single parent family. I live in a sub-divided apartment with my mother and a younger brother. We don’t have much, but we are happy. It is my dream to pursue a higher education because I want to help my family to live comfortably in the future and engage meaningfully with society. For this reason, I put enormous effort into my studies to prepare for the DSE.

I am grateful to MKC who allowed me to use a corner of the centre to study quietly. There was a proper desk and chair and I could use a computer to study, which felt like heaven compared to the tight space I have at home. Arriving at the centre as soon as their doors opened around 8.30am, I normally stayed till 7pm, Monday to Saturday. MKC was truly a blessing to me, the study room was peaceful, and my younger brother could not bother me. As soon as the DSE exam was over, MKC offered me a part-time tutoring job. Now I have an education grant from the government and living expenses by working at MKC. This really means a lot to our family, to ease our financial burdens and help me focus on studying. Thank you Christian Action.“

At Christian Action we believe a good education is the key to ending generational poverty, (hence our MKC and other Centres!). Congratulations to the students and every donor, volunteer and CA staff member for the beauty of your labour and the fruit it has brought forth!

You are welcome to donate or volunteer.