Operation Santa Claus: Hang Seng staff go back to the classroom to help underprivileged Hong Kong primary students
Employees hold fun after-school tutoring sessions for children in Sham Shui Po, with Christmas gifts thrown in
For students from poor families in Hong Kong whose parents struggle every day to make ends meet, finding someone to talk to when they have problems with their studies is a luxury.
It is especially so for students at Sham Shui Po Kaifong Welfare Association Primary School where many from low-income families could not afford to sign up for private tutorial and interest classes. Busy working during the day, the parents also could not pick up their children when they finished school at 3.20pm.
Realising this need, six employees from Hang Seng Bank - armed with Christmas presents and snacks - this week visited around 20 Primary One pupils of the school who were attending their free after-school tutoring sessions at the campus.
The sessions, organised with the support of volunteers from Hang Seng Bank and education charity Sowers Action, is part of Operation Santa Claus, the annual campaign jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK to raise money for various charities in Hong Kong and on the mainland.
After helping the children with their homework and entertaining them with word puzzles, Don Lo Yiu-wai, an information technology manager at Hang Seng Bank, said: "The kids are very well-behaved. They are all very innocent."
Although Lo found the homework manageable, he said great patience was needed to supervise the kids. "Sometimes, the children will twist around when they lose their attention, so you have to be very patient."