Hongkongers’ generosity during Covid-19 fifth wave shows the can-do spirit lives on

From major developers lending land and donating huge sums, to the many unsung heroes who delivered supplies to the needy or volunteered therapy and counselling, a united Hong Kong has shown it can be an unstoppable force

Bernard Chan

Published: 6:45am, 8 Apr 2022

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I have always liked the Arab proverb, “If you have much, give of your wealth. If you have little, give of your heart.” That encapsulates the generosity of the community during this fifth Covid-19 wave, as we have all pitched in to help Hong Kong.

I would like to salute and thank all those who have given to the city’s Covid-19 relief efforts – from developer land loans to monetary donations, from people who lend their expertise to those who volunteer their time. Too many to mention; due to space constraints, I will only be able to highlight some of these philanthropic efforts, though I want to stress that they are all important and valued.

As an example, major developers such as Sun Hung Kai Properties, New World Development and Henderson Land lent the government private plots of land for free to build community isolation and treatment facilities. The city’s developers also lent the government 100,000 hotel rooms to turn into community isolation facilities.

Private foundations have stepped up and contributed generously to the city’s antivirus efforts. The Li Ka Shing Foundation donated HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) to help public hospitals move non-Covid-19 patients to private hospitals to relieve the burden on the Hospital Authority. This is on top of the HK$101 million that the foundation gave to the medical and welfare sectors in 2020.

In addition to a HK$5 million donation for paediatric care, Sino Group’s Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation joined the Social Welfare Department to set up 500 Belun remote health monitoring systems at residential care homes. The D.H. Chen Foundation provided HK$4.5 million to subsidise short-term accommodation for residential care staff. The Wharf Group also pledged HK$5 million to subsidise grass-roots families.

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I was especially moved by an anonymous donation of HK$50 million to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, which represents over 500 NGOs. Whoever the donor or donors are, they needed no applause or acclaim, save for the joy of giving.

Other businesses have also risen to the occasion, with Jardine Matheson Group and Swire Trust donating HK$25 million and HK$15.5 million respectively to underprivileged communities, and HSBC committing HK$100 million to help low-income households, to name a few.

Some companies are offering gifts in kind. Maxim’s gave out HK$1 million in food vouchers to low-income families, the MTR Corporation provided 10,000 free MTR City Saver tickets to healthcare workers, and Lalamove has helped more than 50 NGOs deliver more than 20,000 items, including epidemic prevention supplies.

NGOs and organisations such as Feeding Hong Kong, Food Angel, Christian Action and Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link donated food and other essential supplies and resources to frontline workers, the elderly and communities in need.

Ordinary citizens, too, have joined the fight against the coronavirus. The newly launched Share for Good crowd-donation platform has seen robust contributions of medical supplies, daily necessities and services from all walks of life.

Top Hong Kong athletes including former world No 1 snooker player Ng On-yee and 12-time Paralympic Games medallist So Wa-wai have contributed hand sanitisers, masks, oximeters and more.

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Another heartwarming story is the “Gift n Take” fridge project founded by Wong Wai-kit. He places artistically painted second-hand fridges in about 40 locations across Hong Kong to feed the underprivileged so they don’t have to scavenge for leftovers at food courts. Volunteers stock the fridges with canned food, noodles and other provisions donated by NGOs, individuals and retail outlets.

Aside from offering antivirus supplies, unsung heroes have also pitched in with much-needed expertise and time. Volunteers and therapists have provided counselling services to families in need. Good Samaritans have donated their time and energies to preparing meals, packing and delivering care packages and necessities, and vitally important blood to blood banks.

All these initiatives and many more unnamed are vital to Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic efforts. While some of our detractors are looking at the estimated 150,000 or more who have left the city, I prefer to look at the 7.5 million here who have shown their commitment.

In this challenging environment, it is touching and heartening to see all of Hong Kong come together to support each other. A Hong Kong working together is an unstoppable force, especially when we finally emerge from pandemic restrictions. The Hong Kong can-do spirit is alive and well.

Bernard Chan is convenor of Hong Kong’s Executive Council