Local social workers have made many contributions to address social problems and help people in need, with a view to fostering a harmonious community in Hong Kong. Faced with rapid changes of the 21st century, today’s social workers should be able to empower individuals and advocate positive changes in the community. It is also the mission of the Outstanding Junior Social Worker Awardees in the 32nd Outstanding Social Workers Award (2022-23), Tom LUI Ka-chun and Kane CHAN, who are graduates of CityU’s Social Work and Counselling programme. The award is a recognition to the junior social workers who have outstanding performance and make great contribution to the profession and society. They are selected among all junior social workers working less than seven years in the social work field in Hong Kong, and only two awards are given each year.
Photo 1: Kane (left front) found CityU’s social work programmes very practical, which equipped her with useful counselling skills. Kane has never thought of becoming a social worker, until the day she lost her beloved one. “I went to Germany for working holiday after my mother passed away. While I was facilitating a High-Event Adventure activity in the forest, I realised that the interpersonal interaction is the most beautiful moment in life,” said Kane. The facilitating experience in Germany enlightened Kane to pursue studies in social work. After she returned to Hong Kong, she applied for Associate Degree of Social Science in Social Work (Part-time) at Community College of CityU (CCCU), and later completed her studies of Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (Part-time) at CityU in 2019.
Photo 2: Tom joined the ‘Voices of the People’ project when he was an undergraduate. The learning experiences have helped develop social work values in him. Tom’s social work journey began when he studied the Associate Degree of Social Science in Applied Psychology at CCCU. He was invited by a teacher at that time to participate in volunteer services in an NGO. While he listened to the life stories of people with mental health issues, he felt that people should deserve respect and care no matter who they are. Aspiring to work in the frontline services, Tom decided to pursue further studies in Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Social Work at CityU, and graduated in 2018.
Both young social workers agreed that the social work and counselling programmes of CityU CLASS provided them with professional practices across micro and macro levels. “In addition to learning knowledge and skills, I was grateful for joining the ‘Voices of the People’ project, which developed my social work value via out-of-classroom visits,” Tom recalled. He met different groups of people such as residents of subdivided units, homeless, waste pickers, young night drifters, ex-drug abusers, homosexuals, ethnic minorities, and sex workers, etc, and the stories of these people aroused his interest to strive for human rights and social justice by advocating for change. The relationship built between Tom and a cardboard-picking granny compelled Tom to work in his current position to serve waste pickers in Communion Lutheran Elderly Health Centre (ELCHK).
Photo 3: Kane never ceases to improve her social work knowledge. She further studies play therapy, hoping to help children with special needs develop self-confidence and enhance their communication skills. As they are still green in the field, Kane and Tom faced different challenges at work. “I think the greatest challenge at work is that sometimes I am not confident enough. Often, I doubt myself whether I have made the right decisions or actions… I want to be a more reliable companion to walk side by side with my clients,” Kane said. Currently Kane is working in Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service which provides social work services in pre-primary institutions. She loves being with children and hopes she can help children to better express themselves through play. This year, she will finish her practicum course on play therapy and become a registered play therapist.
Photo 4: Tom treasured the chance to chat with people in the community. He developed a close relationship with a cardboard-picking granny in his university days, which has inspired him to work with waste pickers. For Tom, he thinks being humble and patient is what he can do to tackle the challenges faced when serving the users. He would like to keep serving the elderly, especially the cardboard-picking grannies in the future. “Nowadays, waste pickers lack resources in terms of service and welfare and are facing different social exclusions. I want to make the best attempt to work with the waste pickers and strive for a better working and living conditions together,” Tom remarks.
The Outstanding Junior Social Worker Awards mean a lot to these two young social workers. They may be green to the industry, but their red-hot passion and enthusiasm will continue to influence the lives of the powerless, bringing positive impact and changes for the society.
Cover photo: Tom Lui Ka-chun (third from left) and Kane Chan (second from left) were awarded Outstanding Junior Social Workers in the 32nd Outstanding Social Workers Award (2022-23) presented by the Hong Kong Social Workers Association.
