The Lean Poverty Alleviation Initiative (LPAI) programme concluded its activities by the end of the 2023-24 academic year. To summarize the programme’s outcomes, a debriefing session was organized on 22 June 2024. The LPAI programme encompassed multiple initiatives, including the “Fitness x Mentorship” Scheme, the I·CARE Hong Kong Cultural Tours Project, the I·CARE Cross-generational Integration Service Programme, and the Community Inclusion Service Programme 2023-24. Over 50 students and staff from the Office of Student Affairs participated in the event.
We were blessed to have the participation of mentally impaired individuals from the TWGHs Lee Yen & Lee Yuk Lun, BBS, JP, Father & Son Lohas Villa, along with student volunteers in the Community Inclusion Service Programme 2023-24. They performed an African ditty, with participants joyfully swaying to the beat of the djembes. The interaction between the students and service recipients exemplified the essence of community inclusion. It echoed the idea that service is a reciprocal endeavor, where the heart of giving is embodied in Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote, “Reciprocity is the law of life – what you give, you get.” On one hand, the service recipients received our kindness and demonstrated their abilities. On the other hand, students as service providers also benefited, fostering an equal relationship, inclusiveness, and a sense of equality.
After the djembe performance, the students shared their achievements and reflections on the social service activities they had undertaken throughout the previous year. These included learning pickleball with hearing-impaired individuals, leading secondary students on local tours to deepen their understanding of Hong Kong’s culture and history, cooking lunch and experiencing university life alongside the elderly, and serving as guide runners to complete a short marathon with mentally impaired persons.
In addition to the insights they gained and the difficulties they encountered, they also created good memories through their service. It was indeed a platform for students from different programmes to come together, support one another, and strengthen each other’s learning experiences.
Group photo: LPAI Debriefing Session 2024
Students sharing their insights obtained over the past year’s devotion to programmes
