Ideal place for work training to open doors
A special charitable organisation is celebrating its 20th birthday in Hong Kong this year, and the installation of a new cybercafe in its offices would be more than just icing on the cake.
The Intellectually Disabled Education and Advocacy League (Ideal), an Operation Santa Claus beneficiary, is planning on buying new computers and remodelling part of its 122-square-metre space so its students can prepare cups of coffee, fruit juice and powdered classics for members of its group.
Ideal originated as a parent self-help group in 1989, and moved into its current Nam Cheong Estate offices in 1998. Presently, the organisation has around 400 members and students, including about 150 who have intellectual disabilities such as autism and Down's syndrome.
'It's not just making coffee or using coffee machines. [The students] can learn how to make different kinds of drinks like juice, tea, or Ovaltine or Horlicks,' said Laura Yeung Yuen Chi-kwan, the group's chairwoman. 'And we will check what's popular in the outside restaurants and we'll teach them.'
By doing so, it will teach the students serving, money-handling and communication skills, Yeung and Nora Fung Leung Yee-ping, a vice-chairwoman, said. 'Then, when they learn this, they can go out and get open employment. That's what we aim at. That's our final goal.'
Other than teaching students skills, arranging outings and providing an outlet for parents, the group is fighting for over 1,000 intellectually disabled Hongkongers who are waiting for residential services, as well as calling attention to the needs of ageing Hongkongers with intellectual disabilities.
'Because of the advancement in technology and medicine, they have longer lives,' said Yeung. 'Before we didn't expect them to be 60.'
That leads to new problems, including the fact that the older people with Down's syndrome can now suffer the effects of Alzheimer's disease.
Yeung's 35-year-old daughter has Down's syndrome.
'When we first knew that our child was disabled, we were very, very sad,' said Yeung, who started Ideal. 'I cried for a whole month. But now after getting resources, knowing friends, parents in the same boat who support each other, we are more at ease, more settled, because we get help from them.
'Now we don't feel disadvantaged. We're just the same as others.'
Cheuk Hang-chi, 35, is intellectually disabled. He has been an Ideal member for nearly 20 years.
Like Cheuk, all Ideal students are welcome to join the proposed cybercafe training programme.
'We ... will make coffee here,' said Cheuk, excited to serve fellow students and parents, and promising that the drinks will taste good.
His recommendation was the cappuccino, he said with an infectious laugh.
The self-funded charity, which is running at a deficit, raises money on its own and applies every year for funding.
'Every month, we need over HK$40,000 for staffing, all the maintenance, all the costs,' Yeung said. 'It's not easy. We have to do fund-raising every year to survive. If we have to do something like [the cybercafe programme], we have to get money.
'We want to train [Ideal's students] to help them get more independent. That's a reason why we need to apply for funding.'
You can help make a difference
How you can give
Donate online by credit card at osc.scmp.com
Donations can be made by ATM or at any HSBC branches: a/c number 502-676299-001 for SCMP CHARITIES LTD - OPERATION SANTA CLAUS
You can donate by cheque, payable to 'SCMP CHARITIES LTD - OPERATION SANTA CLAUS' and mailed to:
Operation Santa Claus, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible. If you'd like a tax receipt, please send the completed donation form and original bank receipt, with your name, address and phone number, to the address above
