Building a Caring & Inclusive Community in SSP Through Cross-Cultural Support

1. Rationale • Community-based in SSP district • One of the poorest districts, with around 2000 South Asian residents (2002) • SA feel difficult to integrate into community, with language barrier, rising unemployment, great religious and cultural differences • Lack of mutual communication, understanding, community support (from Government, NGOs or business) & economic activities between SA & Chinese, partly resulting in racial disharmony, social segregation without social capital investment

2. Rationale • Yet, we believe in their personal strengths and potentials to give according to each other’s culture uniqueness, (strength-oriented vs. problem solving model) • Unexplored potentials to draw community resources together from different sectors/ parties to build a more caring community with collective efforts

3. Objectives • Facilitate cross-cultural understanding and mutual support between ethnic minorities (EM)/ South Asians (SA) in SSP community, so as to build up a more caring community with racial harmony • Empowerment of SA through employment, language & youth mentorship support, and community volunteering and leadership building for capacity building & social inclusion • Enhance social capitals in the community through development of mutual supportive networks, community volunteering and economic activities

4. Strategies • Drawing & better use of community resources through cross-sector collaboration in 3-win approach • Strategic Partnership with NGOs (e.g. HKCS Project SASA), SSP Islamic Centre, SA concern group (e.g. IHRF), NCS schools (e.g. LCUk, Delia & California) & business (e.g. Li & Fung, DHL, SA & local shops) • Cross-cultural volunteering approach to collectively build up a more caring community

5. Cross-cultural Volunteer Ambassador Training Scheme 無國界種族共融義工訓練計劃 • Training & implementation stages • About 45 volunteers from different races have joined to learn from each other’s culture • Cultural sensitivity training conducted. Community (SA shops, Islamic Centre, Christian church) & home visits paid

6. Cross-cultural Volunteer Ambassador Training Scheme • At service implementation stage: • Cross-cultural Drama group formed • Some volunteered themselves in racial harmony Carnival, multi-ethnicity dinner & women support group • Some will help out in coming “cross-cultural mentorship scheme” for SA & Chinese kids living in poverty

7. Women Culture Ambassador Group • Women from 4 different races join together harmoniously to transfer life skills with each other in cooking and handicraft • Role transformed from service user to provider as volunteer (e.g. food ambassador, Henna booth in carnival)

8. Women Culture Ambassador Group • For future group development, it is planned to make income earnings and learn life skills from selling snacks & handicraft at YMCA shop, after learning from each other

9. Cultural Dance Ambassador • Create opportunities for SA kids from Cultural Dance Group to perform dances in public for cultural diversity appreciation and individual empowerment

10. Cultural Dance Ambassador • Role of SA dancers transformed to “junior dance ambassador” to teach Chinese kids cultural dance for confidence & leadership building • In return, Chinese kids teach SA kids Cantonese through songs and games

11. Upcoming “Cross-cultural Youth Mentorship Scheme” 無國界師徒計劃 • Train up SA and Chinese volunteers (e.g. life & program mentors) to help needy kids in SSP regardless of races building up self-confidence for better coping of poverty • Life mentor giving individual concern & guidance to kids in social adjustment & schooling life • Program mentors transferring special skills & knowledge (e.g. computer, language, team building, junior reporter & food ambassador) as well as facilitating kids community exposure and volunteering for empowerment