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Lee Wing-Sze

Three years ago, housewife Tam Chow Wai-king  began volunteering. It was originally just a means   to  broaden her    horizons.  She did not expect that she and her only child, On-yue, would enjoy a happier life because of it.

Under her mother's influence, On-yue took up volunteering a year later.  They had to work as partners and got to know  each other better.

In fact, social workers have found that voluntary work can help enhance  a family's relationship and harmony.

To encourage more families to get involved in voluntary services,  build better family harmony and help others at the same time, a  10-month campaign called Family Fuel-Up has been launched by  Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (HKFWS) and Caltex Oil Hong Kong.

The  programme aims to promote family harmony and offer support to underprivileged families.

It includes   a new family volunteer scheme, a children's development fund, charity sales, leaflet publishing and a family carnival at Victoria Park on Mother's Day.

In a recent HKFWS survey of  1,530 Primary Four to Form Three students from 29 schools and their parents, 45.6 per cent and 4.9 per cent of students  said they had fair and poor family harmony,  respectively.

For parents, it is 47 per cent and 2.3 per cent.

HKFWS regional manager Amarantha Yip Yun-wan says voluntary services  participation could improve  communication between family members and build  stronger bonds  in the family.

'By carrying out social services together, parents could be a role model for  their children and children could be encouraged to serve the community,' she says.

Mrs Tam, who has been  serving children with learning problems,  would sometimes ask for On-yue's assistance and comments.

'As I am  dealing with children, I need to understand   their thoughts and minds. On-yue is the  person I go to,' she says.

Mrs Tam also got a chance to appreciate her child from a new angle through serving the needy.

'I was really touched by the way she talked to and encouraged   children with learning problems,' she says.

On-yue  also feels that   her  relationship with her mother has improved.

'She was more like an authority figure to me. Since she took up volunteering and we  worked together,  she has been friendlier and we've  become closer,' says the St Paul Secondary School student.

The new family  volunteer scheme  serves deprived children and elderly. For details,   contact HKFWS on 2465 6868.

The  Caltex Children Development Fund,  which provides financial assistance to help needy children achieve balanced development,  is now  accepting applications from families. For details, contact HKFWS.



Family volunteers