SOCIAL WELFARE
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ly in the urban areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon. Their aim is to concentrate the efforts of the residents of a district on the development of practical welfare work on behalf of those of their own fellow-residents who stand in need.
The Community Development Section of the Social Welfare Office was set up in 1952, and is specially concerned with maintaining liaison with the many Kaifong Welfare Associations, Welfare associations in Resettlement Areas, with clan and district associations, and with other associations in the Colony of a similar kind. The Community Develop- ment personnel offer advice and guidance to these neigh- bourhood associations, but there is no attempt at Government control over their welfare activities, which are spontaneous and genuine expressions of service to the community.
The principal activities of these Kaifong or 'Neighbour- hood' Associations are in the fields of education for under- privileged children, public health and personal hygiene, and sports and recreation. Free schools, clinics, playgrounds, libraries, domestic science classes, theatrical performances, etc., are regularly maintained and conducted for the benefit of the community. The following figures give some indication of the extent of Kaifong welfare activities during the year 1956:
(i) 6,191 poor children received primary education at 19
free schools;
(ii) 248,300 cases were treated in 18 free clinics at which
28 doctors and 46 dentists gave their services; (iii) Total membership of the 23 recognized Kaifong Associations reached 40,500 family units, the equiva- lent of over 300,000 persons.
The Kaifong Welfare Associations are always ready and eager to co-operate with the Government in any emergency relief measures. A notable example of this was after the Kowloon riots in October, when the Kaifong Associations, in co-operation with the Kowloon Women's Welfare Club,