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SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 1974
C.Y.O. HELPS ORGANIZE SERVICES FOR YAU MA TEI BOAT PEOPLE
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ONE SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY WHICH APPARENTLY TENDS TO BECOME OVERLOOKED IN COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS OR ACTIVITIES ARE THOSE PEOPLE LIVING ON BOATS IN THE TYPHOON SHELTER.
WHILE THEY CAN, OF COURSE, PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS SERVICES PROVIDED IN THE DISTRICT WITHIN WHICH THEY ARE LOCATED, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY SPECIAL DIRECT SERVICES TO THEM, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE, SO FAR.
WITH THIS IN MIND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNITY AND YOUTH OFFICER FOR YAU MA TEI, MR. YEUNG VAI-TSANG, HAS MOTIVATED A GROUP OF YOUNG VOLUNTEERS TO WORK EXTENSIVELY WITH BOAT FAMILIES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
THIS GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS HAS NOW ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH A GROUP OF INDIGENOUS YOUTH IN THE TYPHOON SHELTER WHOM THEY WILL BE ASSISTING IN MAKING A STUDY OF THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR BOAT CHILDREN.
ACCORDING TO MR. YEUNG, THE 140-ACRE TYPHOON SHELTER IS POPULATED BY SOME 11,746 BOAT PEOPLE MAKING A TOTAL OF 1,750 FAMILIES.
+AN ORDINARY FAMILY OF SEVEN TO EIGHT MEMBERS LIVING IN
A LARGE A SMALL HOUSEBOAT ALLOWS LITTLE ROOM FOR ACTIVITY.
SURELY, NUMBER OF BOAT CHILDREN ARE NOT AT SCHOOL NOR AT WORK. WHAT THEY NEED IS SOMEWHAT MORE THAN RECREATION+, HE REMARKED.
WITH ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE C.Y.O. AND WORKING WITH THE VOLUNTEER YOUTH WORKERS, THE GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM AMONG THIS FLOATING POPULATION HAVE ORGANIZED AN OUTING TO THE NEW TERRITORIES TOMORROW (SUNDAY) FOR. THE YOUNGER CHILDREN LIVING IN THE HOUSEBOAT IN THE SHELTER.
MR. YEUNG SAID THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING ON THE WATER HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, AND THE CONFIDENCE, TO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES IN VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY SERVICE.
HE SAID THE SAME GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAS ALSO INDICATED THEY PLANNED, IN THE FUTURE, TO PROVIDE A WIDER RANGE OF VOLUNTARY SERVICES FOR BOAT DWELLERS.
APART FROM THIS OUTING TO THE COUNTRY-SIDE, THE GROUP HAS ALSO PLANNED A SERIES OF ACTIVITIES CONSISTING OF HOLIDAY CAMP AND EXCURSIONS INTO THE CITY FOR BOAT PEOPLE.
+BY INVOLVING THE INDIGENOUS YOUTH OF THE TYPHOON SHELTER FLOATING POPULATION IN VOLUNTARY SERVICES+, MR. YEUNG SAID, +IT IS HOPED THAT EVENTUALLY THEY WILL BE HELPED TO DEVELOP INTO RESPONSIBLE AND CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
+THE DWELLERS IN THE YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER AND THE YOUNGER GENERATION IN PARTICULAR, ARE QUITE CAPABLE AND WILLING TO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES TO AMELIORATE THEIR SOCIAL CONDITIONS,+ HE SAID.
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