Loneliness in Hong Kong: don’t let it kill you – how to reach out to others and enrich your life and theirs

Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling. Just ask Shum Si-ki, who founded Hong Kong Volunteers a decade ago. Then 50 years old and working as a financial consultant, Shum says that the feelings of disconnection and isolation he experienced were, at times, overwhelming.

“Working alone in my office all day, my life felt like it needed something more,” he says. “At the time, I didn’t feel satisfied with my situation. It was lonely as hell and that sense of loneliness eventually became too much to bear.

“I decided that volunteering might help me get out and meet new people who shared the same interests, and at the same time, give me the chance to connect with my community in bigger ways. And that’s how Hong Kong Volunteers was born.”

Loneliness can develop into a life-threatening condition, say researchers

Today, more than 8,700 people have joined the group, which organises events and programmes to help the community, from visits to senior citizens who live alone in run-down neighbourhoods, to gardening work for cancer centres and food preparation for the underprivileged.

It didn’t take long for Shum – and those around him – to notice the positive changes volunteering had on him. “I felt a greater sense of peace, fulfilment and motivation, and my physical health benefited, too. I lost weight because I was moving around a lot more, I was sleeping better at night, and people told me that I looked healthier.”

Shum might be on to something. With loneliness thought to be more hazardous to human health than heavy smoking or obesity, getting involved in community work and connecting with people on a deeper, more meaningful level might just be the secret to living a longer, healthier life.