In Hong Kong, young people are taking the lead in addressing social issues. Whether you’re a teen who is looking to make your voice heard, or maybe you’re just interested in seeing what the city’s youth are up to, here are five youth-led organisations making an impact on the city.
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GlobalMinds HK
GlobalMinds initially began as a one-time programme in which the group’s founders aimed to enhance critical thinking and public speaking skills for children in schools with fewer resources. From that experience, the leaders noticed the severity of educational inequality in Hong Kong, since most of their pupils could not form sentences in English.
Melanie Cheung, who is currently a Year 12 student at Chinese International School, decided to tackle this problem through an educational programme, GlobalMinds.
“GlobalMinds targets beneficiaries in local primary and secondary schools lacking certain resources. Our NGO has a strong emphasis on accessibility to education, so we try to reach as many students as possible, regardless of their backgrounds,” Melanie said.
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So far, GlobalMinds has collaborated with the NGO, Society for Community Organisation (SoCo), to host its Global Issues Programme, which conducts educational activities on topics such as food insecurity and mental health.
Their Model United Nations (MUN) Programme, which was organised in local secondary schools, has successfully enriched students’ confidence and public speaking skills. They were able to include volunteers from three other cities to give participants a wider perspective on global topics.
To join the GlobalMinds team, there are three areas you can volunteer in: education, logistics and outreach. To see the roles and commitment required for these respective teams, you can refer to their application guide linked in their Instagram description (@globalmindshk_).
Medivox HK
This student-led initiative enables individuals to take control of their health through information and awareness on social media.
“We’ve always been passionate about reaching out to help more people. Provided with a great opportunity on this platform, we desire to allow people to gain healthcare information and … take care of their own health,” said one of Medivox HK’s co-founders, Katrina Leung.
The group has created informative posts on medical topics such as high cholesterol, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. Become a researcher at Medivox by visiting their Instagram page and applying through the link in their description.
Animal Blessing HK
Animal Blessing HK is dedicated to raising awareness about animal welfare. They have hosted many volunteer events: for example, a visit to the Hong Kong Rabbit Society, where volunteers cleaned cages.
The group assists larger organisations such as Hong Kong Bunny Rescue, the Society for Abandoned Animals (SAA), and Animal Social Enterprise in promoting their upcoming volunteer activities. They also create posts about local and global animal-related news.
“We are both animal lovers, and we are passionate about community service … Other than simply participating in animal volunteering events, we decided to organise our own events on behalf of our organisation to promote animal welfare,” said the group’s founders, Sharon and Kate.
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They pointed out one of their previous projects, which had received funds from a social impact competition: “Green Pet Pals helped animal charities by donating eco-friendly pet toys made by underprivileged groups. Volunteers from underprivileged groups were given subsidies after they completed making the toys.”
Their next service project is planned for April and May.
If you are interested in volunteering or collaborating with Animal Blessing HK, you can message them on Instagram (@animalblessing.hk).
ISSIA HK
Interested in making your voice heard on global affairs?
With more than 300 members representing over 80 schools, ISSIA HK (Inter-School Social Issues Association) is passionate about putting the spotlight on important issues of our times.
Established in 2019, their flagship project is the ISSIA Magazine, which features student writing on social issues, such as disability inclusion, sexism in sports and more. Besides their magazine, ISSIA also creates podcasts and social media posts to spread awareness. They have also hosted an inter-school serve-a-thon to encourage students to explore volunteer opportunities.
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Renaissance College graduate, Reese Wong, was motivated to start ISSIA HK to form a platform for the city’s students to collaborate and make their voices heard on social issues. Chinny Kwok is the 2023-24 president of the organisation.
“We aim to cultivate global citizenship and empower young change-managers through peer-to-peer and project-based learning,” Chinny explained.
To get involved, you can apply to be a part of ISSIA’s team: they are recruiting for executive positions, school ambassadors, graphic designers, and more. They are looking for people who are passionate about social issues.
PsyLawSophy
PsyLawSophy uses social media to make the fields of psychology, law and philosophy accessible to everyday people.
They make educational posts that cover engrossing topics such as the psychology of cults, the difference between solicitors and barristers, and the archetypes of the psyche as models of human behaviour.
Members at PsyLawSophy often contribute through research, graphic design for Instagram posts, or executive operations.
Their team consists of 20 passionate young individuals in Hong Kong. If you are interested in getting involved, whether through a long-term role or volunteering on a post or two, you can email [email protected] or message them on Instagram (@psylawsophy).
