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SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 1979
HK SOCIAL WORKER WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD
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A SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WILL BECOME THE FIRST BLIND WOMAN IN ASIA TO RECEIVE AN
INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN THE FIELD OF WELFARE FOR THE BLIND.
MISS LUCY CHING, IN CHARGE OF THE WELFARE UNIT FOR THE BLIND, HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON ASIAN AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD COUNCIL FOR THE WELFARE OF THE BLIND AS THE WINNER OF THE 1979 TAKEO IWAHASHI AWARD.
THE AWARD IS GIVEN EACH YEAR BY THE COUNCIL TO AN OUTSTANDING WORKER, SIGHTED OR BLIND, IN THE FIELD OF BLIND WELFARE. THE 1978 WINNER WAS MR. HIDEYUKI WAHASHI OF JAPAN.
IN HIS LETTER INFORMING MISS CHING OF THE AWARD, MR, SURESH C. AHUJA, COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, SAID HER COURAGE AND DETERMINATION IN OVERCOMING THE DISABILITY OF BLINDNESS HAD SERVED AS AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER BLIND PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY TO BLIND WOMEN IN HONG KONG AND OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES.
MR. AHUJA SAID HER EFFORTS TO HELP THE BLIND AND TO PROMOTE SERVICES FOR THEM WERE WELL KNOWN AND IT WAS THEREFORE MOST BEFITTING THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS THE FIRST BLIND WOMAN TO RECEIVE THE AWARD.
+1 FEEL GREATLY HONOURED TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE AWARD. IT WILL BE A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE BLIND PEOPLE IN HONG KONG,+ MISS CHING SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
+I SHALL ALWAYS CHERISH IT AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN MY CAREER, SHE ADDED.
MISS CHING, WHO LOST HER EYESIGHT WHEN SHE WAS SIX MONTHS OLD,
HAS BEEN A DEDICATED WORKER IN THE FIELD OF BLIND WELFARE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.
DESPITE HER DISABILITY, SHE FINISHED HER SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG AND SPENT THREE YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES STUDYING TEACHING OF THE BLIND, ON A SCHOLARSHIP.
UPON GRADUATION 20 YEARS AGO, SHE TURNED DOWN A FEW OFFERS OF TEACHING POST IN THE UNITED STATES AND RETURNED TO HONG KONG TO JOIN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AS SOCIAL WORKER IN THE BLEND TRAINING CENTRE.
MISS CHING WAS AWARDED THE M.B.E. IN 1975 AND APPOINTED OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S BLIND WELFARE UNIT IN 1978.
LAST YEAR, SHE HELPED ORGANISE THE FIFTH ASIAN CONFERENCE ON WORK FOR THE BLIND HOSTED IN HONG KONG BY THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND FOR 145 DELEGATES FROM 21 COUNTRIES.