SHA visits HOME Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities (with photos)
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     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, visited the HOME Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities (HOME Centre) in Yau Ma Tei this afternoon (December 9) to meet and exchange views with ethnic minorities. The HOME Centre is funded by the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and operated by the New Home Association (NHA).

     Mr Lau participated in a children's story-telling activity and a parent and child Cantonese lesson and presented gifts to children who answered questions and led them to read vocabulary in Cantonese.

     Mr Lau also talked to ethnic minority women and elderly persons who joined the English course for adults. He then visited the workshop for ethnic minority women learning to make handicrafts.

     "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has all along been caring about the needs of the ethnic minorities, enhancing their communication skills in Chinese and English and facilitating their early integration into the community. I am very grateful for the effort and contribution of the NHA on helping the ethnic minorities," he said.

     During the visit, Mr Lau was briefed on the facilities of the Centre, including the Harmonious Multi-cultural Mobile Service Centre. He also chatted with the ethnic minority youths participating in a gathering organised by the youth units to better understand their issues of concern.

     The HAD has set up youth units in all support service centres and sub-centres from 2014-15 to provide dedicated programmes such as sports and interest classes to encourage young people to make good use of their leisure time and develop new hobbies. The youth units also provide counselling services for ethnic minority youths to strengthen their problem-solving skills and refer cases to relevant government departments or non-profit-making organisations for follow-up if necessary.

     The HAD provides support services for ethnic minorities including commissioning non-profit-making organisations to operate six support service centres and two sub-centres to help them adapt to the local community.

     Among these, the NHA established the HOME Centre in Yau Ma Tei and a sub-centre in Sham Shui Po in December 2012. Since then, they have annually provided over 10,000 people from ethnic minorities with a variety of support services, including Chinese and English language classes, tutorial classes, computer classes, outings, interest classes, employment support services, volunteer services, youth and school projects, integration programmes and counselling services.

Ends/Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:28

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