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The Lunar New Year is around the corner. You can make your festive shopping more meaningful by patronising the social enterprise (SE) stalls at FarmFest 2015 and the 2015 Kwun Tong Lunar New Year Fair.
Six SEs (see Annex 1) funded by the Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership (ESR) Programme of the Home Affairs Department will set up booths and promote their products, including organic vegetables, healthy food and eco-friendly products at the FarmFest 2015 to be held in Fa Hui Park, Mong Kok. The event will run from 10am to 8pm from January 23 to 25. Admission is free.
In addition, two SEs (see Annex 2) will sell food products and household products at the 2015 Kwun Tong Lunar New Year Fair at Hong Ning Road Recreation Ground, Kwun Tong, to be held from February 13 to 18.
A spokesman for the Home Affairs Department said that the participation of SEs in the events aims to enhance public understanding of SEs and to encourage more people to use their products and services, thereby promoting self-reliance and caring consumption.
Since 2006, the ESR Programme has been providing seed grants for eligible non-profit-making organisations to set up SEs for the creation of job opportunities for the socially disadvantaged to enhance their skills and capabilities in order to foster their self-reliance and effective integration into society. Total funding of about $180 million has been approved to more than 160 SE projects for creating some 2 600 job opportunities.
For more information about SEs and the ESR Programme, please visit the following websites: www.social-enterprises.gov.hk and www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/en_self_reli/index.htm.
Ends/Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:30
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