WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1984
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FACELIFT FOR ESTATE
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SHEK KIP MEI ESTATE IS TO CELEBRATE ON FRIDAY (NOVEMBER 30) THE COMPLETION OF A REDEVELOPMENT SCHEME WHICH HAS GIVEN THE ESTATE A FACELIFT AND UPGRADED THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT.
ORGANISED AS PART OF THE HOUSING FESTIVAL '84, THE CELEBRATIONS WILL FEATURE A VARIETY SHOW, A LION DANCE AROUND THE ESTATE AND AN EXHIBITION DEPICTING THE CHANGING FACES OF THE ESTATE.
OFFICIATING AT THE CELEBRATION CEREMONY WILL BE MR F.K. LI WHO SOME 30 YEARS AGO WAS IN CHARGE OF PLANNING REHOUSING FOR VICTIMS OF THE BIG SHEK KIP MEI FIRE WHICH TRIGGERED OFF HONG KONG'S PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME.
MR LI, NOW CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, WILL BE PRESENTED WITH A SOUVENIR BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR DONALD LIAO.
SHEK KIP ME1 ESTATE IS THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE BUILT, AND THE FIRST IN WHICH REDEVELOPMENT WORKS HAVE BEEN FULLY COMPLETED.
PROBLEMS OF SINGLE ELDERLY PEOPLE HIGHLIGHTED
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WELFARE AGENCIES AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS WERE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) URGED TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SINGLE ELDERLY PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAD RECENTLY LOST THEIR SPOUSES.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS' PONG WING SHIU SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY AT PING SHEK ESTATE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ROSE GOODSTADT, SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD A VERY LARGE GROUP OF SINGLE ELDERLY PEOPLE.
THE 1981 CENSUS SHOWED THAT ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S ELDERLY POPULATION WERE EITHER NOT MARRIED, WERE SEPARATED FROM THE IR SPOUSES OR WERE WIDOWED AND THAT ABOUT 90 000 OF THEM WERE LIVING ALONE, SHE SAID.
+AS THEY GROW OLDER, + SHE SAID, THEY BECOME INCREASINGLY ALONE AS THE IR FRIENDS DIE OFF AND THE NUMBER OF SURVIVORS IN THE IR OWN GENERATION DECLINES.+
+FOR THE ESTIMATED 200 000 OR SO ELDERLY WIDOWS OR WIDOWERS IN OUR MIDST, THE PROBLEM IS MUCH MORE ACUTE, SHE ADDED.
/MKE GOODST.DT