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The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, signed the Guangdong-Hong Kong Youth Volunteer Service Programme Agreement with the Chairperson of the Guangdong Youth Federation, Ms Zeng Yingru, today (December 3).
The Programme will allow Hong Kong college students to spend their summer vacations participating in various voluntary services in villages and towns in Guangdong Province. The services will be in the areas of teaching assistance, cultural promotion, agricultural science and technology, environmental science and medical care. It is hoped that through co-operation with Mainland tertiary students the exchanges and mutual understanding of youths between the two places will be enhanced. The Programme is expected to be launched in the middle of next year.
Mr Tsang said, "The Programme will support hundreds of Hong Kong young people to travel to the grass-roots areas of Guangdong during their summer holidays. They will be able to make use of their knowledge and skills to provide services and enhance their knowledge of the social conditions and public opinions in the Mainland. Their co-operation with Guangdong tertiary students may also foster friendship."
During his stay in Guangzhou, Mr Tsang also met with delegates of the Service Corps Programme, who are providing voluntary teaching services in the Mainland, to learn more about their services in Shaoguan and Meizhou.
A total of 21 Hong Kong young people from different backgrounds were recruited to the Service Corps Programme (Phase V) to serve in the Mainland in the first semester (from September this year to January next year). Among them, eight delegates are serving in schools in Meizhou and the other 13 delegates are providing services in primary and secondary schools and health education centres in Shaoguan.
Ends/Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:06
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