In response to the International Day of Families commemorated annually on May 15, the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) has joined hands with 48 community associations and local charity organisations to co-organise the 2023 Happy Family Months, with over 300 activities featuring carnivals, community campaigns and workshops to be held between this month and August in six local neighbourhoods, Lei Lai Peng, who heads the bureau’s Family and Community Services Department, said yesterday.
Lei made the remarks during a press conference at the bureau’s Healthy Life Education Centre in Areia Preta district.
Themed “Promoting Family Life Education, Building a Happy Family”, the three-month-long activities targeting couples, families with infants and young children, as well as families with teenagers and the elderly, aim to strengthen young people’s concept of marriage, convince newlyweds to plan for children early and encourage parents to participate in parenting education, thereby enabling them to learn parenting skills and cultivate positive family concepts, so as to build a solid foundation for the healthy growth of their children, according to Lei.
Lei pointed out that as the activities are carried out both online and offline in six neighbourhoods – Toi San, Ilha Verde, the city centre, northern district, Taipa and Coloane, it was estimated that the total cost of this year’s activities will be about 500,000 patacas.
Lei said she hoped that the number of people participating in this year’s activities will be as good as last year, which stood at 247,000.
In line with the “Family Life Education Programme”, this year’s activities focus on messages such as “promoting the concept of marriage”, “strengthening marriage education” and “preparation for birth”, so as to better promote the harmonious and healthy development of families in Macau, Lei noted.
Representatives of the organisers of activities in each district introduced their respective arrangements for the event during the press conference.
Lei Lai Peng (centre), who heads the Social Welfare Bureau’s (IAS) Family and Community Services Department, and six representatives of the respective organisers of activities in each district address yesterday’s press conference at the bureau’s Healthy Life Education Centre in Areia Preta. – Photo: Yuki Lei
