XN000022-1978-05-09 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1978

SWD COMPLETES PILOT PROJECT ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS COMPLETED AN INTENSIVE PILOT PROJECT ON URBAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHICH AIMS AT PROVIDING WORKING REFERENCE FOR DEVELOPING A BETTER AND MORE COHESIVE LIFE IN HOUSING ESTATES.

THE PROJECT, INITIATED BY THE DEPARTMENT, WAS CARRIED OUT IN TSZ WAN SHAN ÉSTATE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS BY A TEAM OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF FROM THE DEPARTMENT, WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE FROM THE UNITED NATIONS."

IT IS MEANT TO ACQUIRE A DEEPER INSIGHT AND BETTER SKILLS IN URBAN COMMUNITY WORK WITH A VIEW TO DEVELOPING COMMUNITY WORK ON A LARGER SCALE IN FAST-GROWING HOUSING ESTATES,

DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE PROJECT WORKERS PROVIDED VARIOUS COMMUNITY WORK SERVICES ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS AT TSZ WAN SHAN ESTATE AND TESTED A NUMBER OF APPROACHES IN URBAN COMMUNITY WORK.

FIELD WORKERS DEVELOPED EXTENSIVE CONTACTS WITH HOUSEHOLDS, IDENTIFIED AND TRAINED RESIDENTS WITH POTENTIAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, HELPED SET UP COMMUNITY GROUPS TO TACKLE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS AND PROMOTED A SENSE OF IDENTITY AMONG RESIDENTS BY INVOLVING THEM IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF LIFE IN THE ESTATE.

DURING THEIR EXPERIMENT, SOCIAL WELFARE WORKERS ALSO ESTABLISHED AN EVALUATION SYSTEM ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES.

THE THREE-YEAR PROJECT HAS BEEN CO-SPONSORED BY THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AND THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY FUND.

A DETAILED REPORT ON IT HAS JUST BEEN COMPILED BY THE PROJECT DIRECTOR, MR. CHAN SAI-TAK.

COMMENTING ON THE PROJECT TODAY, MR. CHAN SAID HONG KONG'S RAPID URBANISATION OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS HAD BROUGHT WITH IT SOCIAL PROBLEMS ALONGSIDE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND THAT THE POPULATION INCREASE HAD EXERTED PRESSURES ON THE SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

+COMMUNITY WORKERS HAVE REALISED THAT PROBLEMS COULD ARISE WHERE PEOPLE WITH NO NATURAL COHESION AND COMMUNICATION ARE DRAWN TO LIVE TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY IN CROWDED ENVIRONMENT.

/+IT IS