Hong Kong (China), 19 May 2012 — What if you could help to raise funds to sustain an NGO for a year? And what if you could do it by constructing Legos houses and paper hats? On the 12th and 19th of May, QI and QNET staff in Hong Kong got together to Make A Difference to the lives of children at Changing Young Lives Foundation in Shek Kip Mei.
What made the event so special was not only that it was performed with the children themselves, but also that the activities contribute to their physical and mental development. For more than half a century, Legos have literally and figuratively been great building blocks of child development. Plus, it’s also lots of fun!
All 24 QI employees partnered with the kids to build Lego houses and make paper hats for their annual signature fund-raising dinner, Festival of Trees. The hats are party favours for the guests, whilst the Lego houses will be auctioned off to raise money for the Foundation. Funds raised will go towards paying for an entire year’s rent, utilities and maintenance of the building. Such basic needs remain one of the major challenges that non-profits face today.
The activity proved to be most rewarding for the kids and QI staff alike. “It’s a wonderful feeling spending time with these children, and being able to help raise money that will fund the Foundation’s efforts,” said Melody Fung, Accountant of QNET Hong Kong.
Hopefully, the lovingly-crafted Lego houses and paper hats will be a smashing success with guests at the fund-raising dinner. What better way is there to show “We Care” than to Raise Yourself To Help Mankind?
About Changing Young Lives Foundation (CYLF)
In a city as wealthy as Hong Kong, there are roughly 380,000 children living in poverty, many of whom have yet to be identified and are forgotten. In the Mainland, there are many more in similar dire circumstances who need help.
CYLF reaches out to children in need and gives them a brighter future. Their mission is to provide health and welfare, as well as educational and recreational programmes to enhance their lives. It is also their aim to develop the children’s inner strength and personality in order for them to cope with the challenges of a complex, modern world.
They have launched protection, education, development and participation programmes in Hong Kong and the Mainland, working with children from disadvantaged families in Hong Kong and those in the poorest regions of rural China.
