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In Tai Po, a group of children took a break from helping people affected by the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court. But they did not rest for long.
Once they finished eating, the kids darted through the crowds to bring essentials to residents. Many of these people had lost their homes to the fire.
Under their parents’ guidance, this group of six children spent two evenings helping residents get supplies. With hot water, ginger tea and essentials, they offered warmth to anyone who needed it.
Pitching in
Ten-year-old Leif Ng is a Primary Five student at NTWJWA Christian Remembrance of Grace Primary School in Tai Po.
He wanted to join the community efforts after seeing the fire break out.
“I felt a bit sad. We saw so many people hurt and dead,” the Tai Po resident said.
Leif said he was glad he and his 12-year-old brother, Liam, could pitch in. They handed out meal boxes and heat packs to elderly residents.
“I did not expect so many people would come to help,” Leif added.
His schoolmate, Primary Six student Rainbow Lam, said she had been helping out for two nights in a row. The 12-year-old was there with her father and her 10-year-old sister, Summer.
Rainbow said: “I felt both happy and sad – happy because we could help others, but sad because when I saw Wang Fuk Court, the buildings looked abandoned after the fire.”
The sisters said the same thing: “The residents need homes; they need somewhere safe to stay.”
In this group, there were two more pupils from the same primary school. For 11-year-olds Summer Chan and Elena Ho, their tasks included filling water bottles and calling out to passing residents.
“We were distributing hot water today,” Summer said.
“Some elderly people do not need them, but they would come up to us and compliment us.”
Why parents want their kids to help out
Sing Lam is the father of Rainbow, Summer and a three-year-old toddler. For Lam, the volunteering was about more than just distributing goods. It was a lesson in empathy. Lam hoped this experience would open his daughters’ eyes to the world.
“I asked them how they felt about volunteering,” he said. “I asked, ‘Are you happy because you’re playing or because you’re helping people?’ They told me: ‘Because we’re helping.’ That really moved me.”
Lam used to be a concert director but lost his job during the pandemic and has battled depression.
He reflected on the mental health struggles many young people face today. He offered his own take on resilience.
“When something bad happens, we shouldn’t hide it. We should help them process it. I tell my daughters: if you feel sad, cry; if you feel uncomfortable, say it. But learn to face it,” he said.
The father explained how this was connected to the volunteer efforts.
“You cannot just tell kids to be strong. You have to show them how. That is why I brought my daughters here – to see suffering, understand it and learn how to comfort others,” he said. “If they can do that, they’ll grow up knowing how to be kind and how to face life.”
