The General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau (UGAMM) yesterday held the launch ceremony of a community caring campaign at its Social Services Building in Toi San district.
The union is generally known as Kai Fong, its name in Cantonese.
Sponsored by Sands China, the campaign is jointly organised by two Kai Fong subsidiaries, namely the “Peng On Tung” Tele-Assistance Service Centre and Ngai Chon Centre, and incorporates a series of training activities to nurture young local volunteers for the “Peng On Tung” (“Safe Telecommunication”) Tele-assistance Service programme.
According to Kai Fong’s official website, the “Peng On Tung” Tele-assistance Service programme provides the elderly living alone with 24-hour immediate assistance and hotline services including emotional support, information enquiries, referrals and regular visits. The programme also consists of a haircut service for the elderly and a “home maintenance team” who assist senior residents with checking the condition their flats are in and carrying out household repairs.
Kai Fong Vice-President-cum-lawmaker Alan Ho Ion Sang underlined in his opening remarks the importance of community support services against the backdrop of Macau’s ageing population, adding that the trend of “ageing in place” [i.e., the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely and independently, regardless of age, income or ability level] was gaining popularity and credibility in Macau, given that many senior citizens have been opting to remain in their homes.
In light of this, Ho said, the campaign aims to enhance understanding and interaction between the younger and older generations, through a variety of volunteering activities and dialogue sessions which “are essential for fostering social harmony”. He added: “We are pleased to see in recent years an increasing number of young volunteers taking the time to serve the elderly community which, in return, genuinely feels excited and is looking forward to seeing them.”
The event also included a cheque handover ceremony, in which the symbolic donation cheque of 240,000 patacas was handed by The Venetian Macau Director of Community Affairs Annie Lam (林妤庭) to Kai Fong Director-General Chan Ka Leong, who received it on behalf of his organisation.
According to a Kai Fong statement, Sands China has been a financial supporter of the organisation’s “Peng On Tung” Tele-Assistance Service programme since 2010, enabling the union to develop more value-added services. The statement noted that a total of 3,136 elderly residents have benefitted from the programme’s “home maintenance team” service thus far.
The statement added that about 100 local seniors participated in yesterday’s event, at the end of which a free haircut was also provided on-site by volunteers from Kai Fong and Sands China.
Annie Lam (林妤庭), director of community affairs for Venetian Macau (right), hands a symbolic donation cheque of 240,000 patacas to Chan Ka Leong, director-general of the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau (UGAMM – aka Kai Fong), during yesterday’s launch ceremony of a community care campaign at the UGAMM Social Services Building in Toi San district. – Photo: Gabriel Tam
