Government Policy in Inter-generational Poverty

Hong Kong is an international city and a world’s leading financial centre. However, behind its affluence, it scores 0.5371 in the Gini coefficient, a

measure of disparity of wealth, indicating Hong Kong has one of the worst poverty wealth gaps. Out of its population of 8 million, over 1.2 million live below the poverty line2.

In Hong Kong, disparity of wealth and inter-generational poverty are both deep rooted societal issues. These issues impact negatively on the sustainable future development of our society. We are desperately in need of a long-term effective solution to these issues.

It is against this background that the Government introduced a policy through the Child Development Fund (CDF) in April 2008. 1 The Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong Government, 2012.2 Defined as household income below 50 percent of the city's median income.

Vol. 1 (July 2012)

The Child Development Fund

The Government’s Child Development Fund, with a funding support of HK$ 300 million from the Legislative Council Finance Committee, is operated under an

asset-building evidence-based model that sets long-term and innovative policy to provide adolescents coming from a disadvantaged background with exposures and opportunities to developing their potential. It also cultivates their positive life attitude, helps them build the habits of saving and managing assets, and ultimately helps them come out of poverty.

The CDF programme is expected to benefit 13,600 adolescents aged between 10-16 from disadvantaged families, especially those on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.

“Community care is more than simply handing out cash. It means building genuine relationships with the beneficiaries, understanding their needs, and providing sustainable support.”- Dr. Moses CHENG, Chairman

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The Child Development Initiative

• Advocating the culture of CDI and encouraging community involvement• Assuming the role of a charity to mobilize and consolidate resources from the

community at large to support CDF• Raising funds for “Targeted Financial Planning” to match with the personal savings

of the youths enrolled in the CDF programme

Mission

The Three Elements of CDMF

Targeted Financial Planning • Encourages participants to save and manage

their own finance for a period of 2 years• Matches participants’ savings with funds

collected from the general public (including those from the CDMF) and an incentive sum from the Government, enabling participants to achieve their target plans

Quality Mentorship• Assigns trained volunteer mentors

to participants to guide them and accompany them in their life journeys

• Provides quality training and professional support to volunteer mentors through Quality Mentorship Network, a partner of CDMF

Personal Development Plan • Helps participants set specific targets• Promotes asset-building, develop potential

and strengthen personal capabilities• Encourages participants to receive career-

related training, broaden their social network and live out their dreams

Child Development Matching Fund

The noble mission of CDI is enlivened through a community-based charity platform - the Child Development

Matching Fund (CDMF). In October 2010, a group of community leaders turned their kindness into action and launched the CDMF. CDMF is the executive arm of the CDI and aims to sustainably operate the scientific evidence-based youth development model of asset building.

“Disadvantaged children cannot wait. They are growing up, and our support today is crucial to their future. There is no excuse for us to delay, nor to procrastinate.”

- Dr. Philemon CHOI, Vice-Chairman

Following the establishment of the CDF by the Government, the community has responded positively to the CDF by advocating a novel concept of Child

Development Initiative (CDI). CDI believes the community should actively invest time, manpower and financial resources to enrich our next generation. It also believes that young people of today should develop an asset-building habit for both "financial" and "non-financial" resources as this is an effective way to help them fight poverty and to develop a positive attitude towards life.

The launch of CDMF on 5 th October, 2010

http://www.cdmf.org.hk

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How We MatchSavings

from Participants

HK$4,800Families of

participating youths are to make monthly deposit of $200 for

two years

Bonus from GovernmentHK$3,000Incentive bonus allocated by the

Government’s Child Development Fund

Final Amount of the Targeted Financial Planning Programme

HK$12,600Participating youths can make use of this amount to actualize their personal goals.

They also acquire financial knowledge and develop a positive attitude towards life.

Matching Funds from CDMFHK$4,800

Donations raised from the community by CDMF

Carol Singing FestivalThe objective of the Carol Singing

Festival is to advocate to the public to actively invest time,

manpowerandfinancialresourcestoenrich our younger generation. It also raises funds to match the personal savings of the youth participants enrolled in the CDF programme.

Sing for the Next GenerationThe Festival is held in Christmas

timeinhightrafficlocationsthroughoutthe territories, including shopping malls, special transportation vehicles, theme parks, land marks, and other public venues. Carol teams from different sectors of the community were formed to participate. Dressed in event uniforms, the choirs are expected to volunteer their time and resources to sing for the Festival.

Carolling Venues:Choir Members:Funds Raised:

50+2500+HK$1.2M+

2010 2011

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An Event of Loving, Caring, and Sharing

To achieve the fund raising objective of matching the HK$200 per month personal savings of the needy child from a deprived family, each choir member is encouraged to donate a minimum of HK$200 matching fund. To acknowledge their contribution, each memberispresentedaCertificateofRecognition. So far, we have raised over HK$3M from the Festivals. All proceeds are designated as matching fund.

CDMF will continue to organize the Carol Singing Festival, and make it an annual event where Hong Kongers and tourists may share their love and care for our younger generation.

70+7000+HK$2.1M+

Our Vision

Quality Mentorship Network (QMN) was founded as a non-profit organization with the aim to promote a caring-adult culture through mentorship in Hong Kong. QMN believes well-conducted, evidence-

based mentorship programmes are one of the key factors in helping young people succeed in life.

• Train and equip caring adults from the community with both knowledge and passion to become quality mentors and contribute towards the positive growth of our next generation, especially those from a disadvantaged background.

• Provide support to the resource bearing adults in offering their time and loving care to help the deprived children and youths build non-financial assets in life (proper mindset and attitude, personal resilience and capabilities, and social networks).

• Build quality mechanisms at the institutional level for sustainable mentorship programmes in the community.

Consultancy Service Knowledge Management Platform

Our Mission

Our Services

• Corporate Social Responsibility Project• Knowledge and Technology Transfer• Programme Management and Evaluation

• Face to Face Tuition

• E-training• Workshops

• Service and Fieldwork

• Supervision

Mentorship Training

• Mentor Recruitment and Matching• Mentor/Mentee Communication• Resources and Experience Sharing• Process Data Management• Periodic Reporting

A Mentor, A Role Model, and A Life-long Friend – Story of Hannah and Ka Wai

Hannah learned about the mentorship programme from her church. She signed up right away, wishing to learn how to get along better with youths. “I was rebellious

when I was young, so I wish to provide guidance to youths using my experience,” says Hannah. It turned out Hannah was paired with Ka Wai, a well-behaved girl.

“When I decided to enroll into the programme, I was just attracted to the saving plan. I never thought there would be a mentor accompanying me and providing guidance to me,” says Ka Wai, a Form 5 student whose family of five are on CSSA.

Saving Dollar by DollarMany parents might choose to make

up the $200 by cutting back on cigarettes or gambling, but Ka Wai’s mother did not have much of this luxury. She saved up the dollar by spending less on groceries. Feeling the love, Ka Wai now enjoys talking to her parents and they share almost everything in life.

As Ka Wai learned more about non-financial asset building and how it benefits her family in the long run,

she started to plan to use the fund to acquire valuable knowledge. “The fund can be used on my university tuition. If I cannot enroll into a university, I will use it to learn pet care because I love animals.” Ka Wai is now so very clear about what she wants to do in the future.

http://www.qmn.hk

Ka Wai and Hannah analyzed and compared different options when they prepared the career plan for Ka Wai. With the plan in hand, Ka Wai is a lot more confident about her future.

“As a mentor, a role model, and a life-long friend, I can bring positive influences to young people,” says Hannah, who is determined to continue mentoring youths in the future. “I am going to introduce Ka Wai to my new mentees!”

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Please Join Hand with Us to Support Our Next Generation

The Child Development Matching Fund is a non-profit NGO set up in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong (Charity Registration Number: 91/10500). To enable more youths to benefit from the programme, CDMF will continue gathering resources from the community. We gratefully accept all donations by the following methods:

• By Cheque – Please send a crossed cheque (payable to “Child Development Matching Fund Ltd”) to:

Publicity and Fund Raising UnitChild Development Matching Fund 1/F, Jervois House1, Jervois StreetSheung Wan, Hong Kong

• By Direct Deposit – Please deposit cash or cheque into “Child Development Matching Fund Ltd” (Hang Seng Bank: 787-047802-883), and fax the bank-in slip to 2815 0011, or mail the slip along with the donation form (available on www.cdmf.org.hk) to the address above.

Contact UsChild Development Matching Fund SecretariatTel: 2533 7671 Fax: 2525 6516Website: www.cdmf.org.hk E-mail: winnie.lin@cdmf.org.hk Address: Rm 1225, 12/F Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, Hong KongContact: Ms Winnie LIN, Executive Secretary

Child Development Matching Fund Publicity and Fund Raising UnitTel: 2815 3388 Fax: 2815 0011Website: www.cdmf.org.hkE-mail: angela.chan@cdmf.org.hk Address: 1/F Jervois House, 1 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong KongContact: Ms Angela CHAN, Senior Manager, Publicity and Fund Raising

Dr Moses CHENG

Dr Philemon CHOI

Mrs Amy CHAN(Hon. Director, Publicity and Fund Raising)

Dr Charles CHAN (Hon. Director, Mentor Recruitment and Training)

The Hon. Mr Paul CHAN

Ms LAW Kar Shui

Mr TAI Hay Lap

Dr Benjamin WONG

Dr Anthony YEUNG (Hon. Treasurer)Mr Steven YUNG

Chairman:

Vice-Chairman:

Members:

CDMF Board of Directors

Organization and Governance

Publicity and Fundraising Unit

Ms Angela CHAN, Senior Manager, Publicity and Fundraising

Secretariat

Ms Winnie LIN, Executive Secretary

Mrs Evelyn TSANG, Hon. Secretary

CDMF provides matching fund to target match the personal savings of the participating youth of the CDF programme. The funds will be matched to each child upon his/her successful completion of the personal savings scheme at the end of the two years’ period. The funds will be disbursed to the youth via the related NGO appointed by the Government to manage and monitor the child.

During the two years’ personal savings period, CDMF’s partnering NGOs are required to submit to CDMF biannual progressreportofeachbenefittingchild.ThisreportwillhelpCDMF to monitor progress and to identify any cases that haveexperienceddifficulties.CDMFandtheNGOswilljoinhands to provide possible early intervention to these cases. ThechildbenefittingfromtheCDMFtargetmatchingfundwill also commit themselves to participating in the volunteer services of CDMF.

CDMF will receive applications from various NGOs three times a year. An assessment panel consisting of CDMF directors preside the meeting which will submit recommendationtotheBoardforfinalfundingapproval.(Applications and assessment criteria, please access www.cdmf.org.hk)

How Our Funds are Governed and Disbursed

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