OSC funds initiative seeking purposeful work for youth
An education initiative by a local charity will receive funds from Operation Santa Claus 2023, which is jointly organised by RTHK and the South China Morning Post. The "Magic Moments"-themed campaign is raising money for 16 causes, including some that cater for the needs of children and people with disabilities. One such cause is 'D-Generation' by Asia Pacific Youth Development Foundation, a charity that empowers young people who lack social capital or self-motivation in their transition from the classroom to the workplace. The young people are placed in partner organisations to engage in social projects with real-world impacts. The foundation's co-founder and chief catalyst, Dan Cheung, told RTHK's Saadia Usmani that the initiative helps people gain skills and experience while doing purposeful work. "During the job placement, we also teach them how to communicate with your colleagues, with your supervisors. We also have the CV clinic to help polish their resume and portfolio after graduation from our programme... We want to equip everyone with an impactful career that is aligned with their purpose and also with their aspirations," Cheung said. Alysha Bibi, a final-year journalism student at the University of Hong Kong and a beneficiary of the charity, said 'D-Generation' made her more confident and her career development more "substantial". "I never heard back from employers, and that used to make me feel really pessimistic about my future in Hong Kong. I thought maybe it's because I'm not fluent in Cantonese... and maybe that's why I'm not standing out," she said, recounting how she was not accepted for internships in her first two years of university. "But through the workshops that I've joined and the industry leaders that I've met, I realised that it's more about how you connect with your colleagues and how you overcome challenges. Now that I'm a final-year student and I'm about to get into the real working world, I'm a lot more confident and I genuinely see myself working in Hong Kong and succeeding," she added. To find out more about Operation Santa Claus or to support the campaign, visit the Operation Santa Claus website.