簡介
Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focussing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
最新
Abi Tannis Porter, founder of the charity A Little Bit Extra
Good morning, Hashtag HK.
As a mother of three, my husband and I have been blessed with our 6-year-old daughter Naima, and our 11-year-old twins, Ava, who is neurotypical, and Jacob, who has Down Syndrome. Throughout our parenting journey in Hong Kong, we've encountered various challenges—ranging from Jacob's prenatal diagnosis and the need for sensitive, comprehensive information about Down syndrome, to accessing essential health and developmental resources.
The start of our journey wasn’t ideal. our doctor in the public sector at that time lacked the bedside manner and the training to sensitively discuss her findings of our 20-week scan, so instead she chose to go through her findings in silence, which unfortunately created a huge sense of unease and nervousness as first-time parents. What should have been a momentous and memorable visit ended up being a confused and daunting encounter where we were left with many questions unanswered and were instead given a bunch of leaflets on Down syndrome to go home and read.
We gathered information from a range of diverse sources, such as parent blogs and Down syndrome charities. The challenge of organizing this wealth of information inspired me to create A Little Bit Extra: a centralized resource platform dedicated to providing the latest information, fostering connections, and offering support for the Down syndrome community.
One of our goals at ALBE is to work with maternity units within public hospitals to ensure expectant and new parents have access to ongoing support and contemporary accurate information regarding Down syndrome. We aim to provide training and resources to health care practitioners to ensure they understand the lived experience of having Down syndrome and realise the importance of their language and attitudes when speaking of Down syndrome.
There appears to be a real lack of understanding Down syndrome as an individual condition as it is often grouped under a general disability. This then leads to a lack of awareness as to what it truly means to be born with this condition and how to fully support those with down syndrome medically, within the educational arena and within the job market.
A huge emphasis is placed on early intervention for any child that has an additional need, however often parents are left to fend for themselves once their child reaches school age, as there is a real lack of inclusive activities available for our children and in particular as our children grow to become teenagers and young adults many are left to feel quite alone and isolated.
During Jacob’s early years we were provided with fortnightly occupational therapy, speech therapy and PT (physical therapy) sessions which were an absolute godsend as it helped to alleviate the financial pressures of the private therapy sessions we were giving him. However, after two years these were ceased which is frustrating as both occupational therapy and speech therapy are essential for Jacob’s development and something he will require until he’s an adult. The monthly expense of therapies is a significant financial burden for many parents.
There is estimated to be 3000 individuals with Down syndrome in Hong Kong and it will be our mission to seek out our friends and their families within our community to ensure they are able connect, engage with others and feel supported within our community.
Our biggest support has been the family network here in HK. When Jacob was born and was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital we were appointed a social worker who then put us in touch with the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association who in turn connected us with a number of families here in HK which was invaluable for us at the time and we have built and maintained some beautiful friendships. This support and connection is something that we will continue to nurture through A Little Bit Extra.
To enhance the support for individuals with Down Syndrome in Hong Kong, we request the support of the government in the following key areas:
● Enhance Education and Training: Implement comprehensive education and training programs in hospitals so healthcare professionals can deliver diagnoses sensitively, using language that is both respectful and non-discriminatory during scans and upon delivery.
● Expand Therapy Support: Increase subsidies for therapy sessions, particularly for children aged 5 to 11, ensuring they receive essential support beyond early childhood to foster their development and integration.
● Promote Awareness and Acceptance: Officially recognize Down Syndrome as a distinct condition to elevate awareness and acceptance. This initiative will educate healthcare professionals, school educators, and corporations, encouraging inclusive employment practices.
● Alleviate Caregiver Concerns: Address the longstanding worry of caregivers regarding the future of their children by providing structured support systems, ensuring a secure and supportive environment for individuals with Down Syndrome as they transition into adulthood.
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. Please wear bright and bold coloured socks on this day to raise awareness and let us work together to build an inclusive and supportive community for individuals with Down Syndrome and their families.
重溫
Ivy Leung, Executive Director, CarbonCare InnoLab
Happy 2025 to everyone, we are a small Hong Kong-based NGO focusing on climate justice.
While looking back at 2024, it has been the warmest year on record since 1884 with an average temperature as high as 24.8 degrees. While you may have the impression of how hot the weather was, you may not be aware that we had a total of 52 very hot weather warning days, with the highest temperature reaching over 36 degrees. All these record-breaking weather conditions are telling us that climate change has been more drastic than ever.
When talking about climate change in the past, people might have liaised it with environmental problems only, but it is now widely known that climate has made extensive impacts to social and economic areas as well, and we must take real actions to tackle the climate disasters.
So for example what have you done to cope with the extreme heat? Maybe you have turned on the air-conditioning, went swimming or enjoyed some icy drinks to cool off yourself. However, not everyone in the society is as fortunate. There are quite some vulnerable communities in Hong Kong who suffer much more in terms of physical and mental health. These groups include low-income families living in inadequate housing units, elderly, people with disabilities and chronic illness, and outdoor workers. They contribute the least to the climate crisis, yet suffer from its worst impacts, while having the fewest resources to cope with these challenges, including but not limited to typhoon, flooding and extreme heat. Through our community dialogue initiative, we have mobilized over 100 NGOs to integrate climate action into their daily services and support these vulnerable communities.
The climate crisis is here and ahead, making adaptation essential. Since 2021, CarbonCare InnoLab has launched a pilot community programme in Kwai Chung area, aiming to build climate resilience of the underprivileged groups together with other NGO partners. We provide training and facilitate workshops for the residents to practice low-carbon living styles including onsite gardening and upcycling initiatives, while we also co-create ways with them to enhance energy efficiency and get prepared for extreme weather disasters. Over two years, we are proud to see how the residents forming groups in voluntary basis to continue and lead on these climate actions.
Of course, in the long run, we would like to call for an elimination of inadequate housing as the first step, so no one has to face the extreme heat together with poor air circulation issues which can be fatal. Also, the government must plan for building the climate resilience of the vulnerable groups, which can include the climate adaptation capabilities in the public housing projects, for example, having water resistant and windproof designs for buildings, introducing heat prevention technique and materials, and significant green public areas to ensure air circulation within and between buildings.
Besides the adaptation measures, CarbonCare InnoLab always advocates tackling climate issues from the root cause with a comprehensive mitigation strategy. We are delighted to see Hong Kong announcing our own Climate Action Plan 2050, and set goals to cut half of carbon emissions by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050; but there is still a very big loophole in how the government is leading us to achieve these targets.
Taking renewable energy as an example, we welcome the government to continue promoting green transportation policy and to develop green hydrogen, yet there is barely any mention of developing solar and wind power. We urge for a detailed energy transition roadmap with a clear timeline to phasing out fossil fuel.
Since 2019, CarbonCare InnoLab has launched the SolarCare Programmes to build solar energy systems for NGOs and schools with the support from philanthropy and corporate funders. In the past five years, we have built more than 30 PV systems widely spread across the city and generated more than 6000 megawatt-hours in total, and we target to have 20 more systems upcoming. Being sincerely thankful to the trust of funders and our solar partners, we have successfully avoided over 3300 tonnes CO2 emission together, and walk one step closer to a Zero Carbon Hong Kong in the near future.
While more stakeholders are aware of the affordable and clean energy, it requires more incentives from the government to continue the growth. The current feed-in-tariff scheme only lasts until 2033, and we truly believe that an extension of the scheme will largely encourage sustainable investments in renewable energy.
Apart from the local issues, CarbonCare InnoLab also believes in the importance of upholding values as a global citizen. Climate disasters are one of the most prioritized global issues and it requires all the countries to pay tremendous attention and effort to save our planet, which also means saving the human habitat.
Every year, we provide training to the enthusiastic young professionals and students who are devoted to climate solutions and advocacy. Global perspectives and climate issues development are key content in our training. We have been attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference since 2015 as an NGO observer, and we have led groups of youth to participate and negotiate onsite in recent years. The learnings and experiences have inspired our young leaders to create and continue climate actions back in Hong Kong. And we are thrilled to see the alumni network growing into a resourceful and insightful young climate leader circle. The future belongs to the young generation, and CarbonCare InnoLab is dedicated to fight for a sustainable future jointly with their force.
We are celebrating our 10th anniversary and I would love to take this opportunity to present my wholehearted appreciation to our small team of 15 people with aligned values. I would like to dedicate the song, “Truth To Power” by OneRepublic to everyone who is with us on the just transition journey.
