Ellen Li District Elderly Community Centre has launched the “Network Village Network Love” programme (“the Programme”) and invited volunteers from different sectors, professions and generation to pay regular visits to the elders living in rural areas.
Elders living in rural areas usually lack interaction with the society as they only visit nearby stores for food and necessities. Hence, the Programme gathers volunteers to learn more about their needs and share news of the society. Those with professional qualification can provide further services. For example, chiropractors and physiotherapists teach the elders to do exercises that can relieve the pain in different parts of the body. Nutritionists give tips on choosing food good for their health. Young students who know a lot about new technology often bring amusements to the elderly. In return, the elders like to treat the volunteers with traditional food.
The Association received funding from Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) to launch “Network Village Network Love” in 2017. Since then, 16 rural villages located in Sheung Shui, Sha Tau Kok and Ta Kwu Ling, including Ma Tso Lung Shun Yee San Tsuen, Tam Shui Hang Village, Ma Tsuek Leng etc., have been visited. The Programme encourages community participation, promotes social cohesion and strengthens people’s sense of belonging to the community. It helps to increase an individual’s capacity to contribute to the welfare and benefits of the community, leading to a more caring and harmonious society.
You may know more about the Programme with the video below, which has recently become one of the most-liked videos in CIIF Facebook video competition.