2020-21 Awardees

• Mr. Hung Cham Kwan, Jeff (Year 4 Student)
• Ms. Wong Sin Nga, Zena (Year 4 Student) 

• Ms. Chung Man Wai, Vicky (Part-time Year 3 Student)
• Mr. Pun Wai Hong, Matthew (Part-time Year 3 Student) 

Mr. Hung Cham Kwan, Jeff (BSSc Programme in Social Work, Year 4, 2020-21)

In the final year of my undergraduate social work study, I applied for The Big Fish Award. The decision gifted me with the award, but I also got acquainted with passionate and ambitious people. This experience enlightened me on how one’s life can inspire and motivate others.

Along the journey of participating in the engagement activities for The Big Fish Award, I have enjoyed exchanging thoughts with the panel and other participants. We shared our passions in various social services and brainstormed how social innovation projects can bring structural changes to our society. Even we were in fierce competition for the award, it was still a precious chance to enrich our lives by discussing with people with brilliant minds. Even though I have never had a chance to know Mrs. Lam, I could imagine how she warmed other people’s lives from her friends and relatives.

I have joined the Hong Kong Children and Youth Services as a school social worker to continue serving teenagers and students in need after my graduation. Lastly, I would like to express my profound appreciation to Mrs. Lam and the donors of The Big Fish Award for having selected me as an awardee of the scholarship. The scholarship represents a significant accomplishment in my study. It also encourages me to stand up for challenges in the coming future.

Ms. Wong Sin Nga, Zena (BSSc Programme in Social Work, Year 4, 2020-21)  

As a social work student, I have a keen sense of mission and intention to better serve elders and children in the community through social integration. Throughout this 4-year university study, I was trained to understand a person's development through different lenses and analyze every incidence with a holistic vision. I practiced my vision and mission by co-founding a social organization named “The Voice of History” in 2020.

The organization aims at rebuilding connectivity between generations through initiating a series of community tours, human library, and audio drama workshops for primary students and elders. To achieve this goal, I have been working hard to equip myself and enhance my professional development. I learned to run an organization from scratch. I started with service planning, program design, quality management, program evaluation, and even resources management. Despite all of the difficulties of initiating a series of programs, the outcome of the programs which indeed bridged the gap between the green and grey generations were very valuable.

I am very grateful to have people help me throughout running the organization. Without the support from my teachers, advisors, and partners from CUHK, the result might not be as fruitful as now as it seems. I also wish to extend my deepest appreciation to Mrs. Lam Yu Lai Ling, Teresa and her family for founding this award. The award not only symbolizes her unfailing financial support to students’ study but also represents a great recognition of my accomplishment in both study and commitment to social innovation. Although I still have limitations, I would endeavor to conquer difficulties and strive for excellence.

Sharing of the achievement of my co-founding non-profit-making organization, The Voice of History

Founded by a group of graduates and current students from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Voice of History is a non-profit-making organization that aims at promoting intergenerational communication and co-creation, as well as inheriting the past stories to the next generations. Over the past two years, I have planned and organized a Sai Wan Community Project and a Kowloon City Community Project with six of the co-founders. Through community tours, human libraries, and audio drama productions, the young generation understood more about the history of the community, bridging different generations.

The release of community map with Voice Navigation

In August 2021, The Voice of History has published a community map with Voice Navigation about Kowloon City on a social platform named “SoundOn”. The audio drama was presented in the community screening with live effects, revisiting the old days of the community. The public could scan the QR code on the map and listen to the elders’ old stories. The funny moments in the residents' childhood, their struggle for a better living, and the memories in festive celebrations were brought back to the audience.

Interview at the “RTHK Daily 8:30 Interview”

• “RTHK Daily 8:30 Interview” is a magazine-style programme that gathers popular topics such as travel, music, parent-child, leisure and food, and explores information that is closely related to life.
• The program mainly introduces the community map of "Kowloon City Past and Present”. The Voice of History was invited to be interviewed by the RTHK about the community map with the Voice Navigation project in Kowloon City. Elders and university volunteers were presented on TV and performed the audio drama about the old Kowloon City to the public. The participants of the project shared the joy and gains during the projects such as creating a good friendship with the cross-generation and gaining insight about the community history.
• The show broadcasted at 8:30 pm on June 6, 2021. Link: https://www.rthk.hk/tv/dtt31/programme/830_magazine/episode/749169/miniepisode/514

Ms. Chung Man Wai, Vicky (MSSc Programme in Social Work, Part-time Year 3, 2020-21)

I am very grateful to Mrs. Lam Yu Lai Ling, Teresa’s family for setting up the "The Big Fish Award". The award is of great significance to me. Receiving the award encourages me to strive to become a social worker who cares about society and service users, shows caring and empathetic, while embracing the social work values. Before attending the social work course, I was engaged in elderly service and had a deep understanding of the needs of elderly people. Therefore, I was determined to equip myself to better serve the elderly. I will take Mrs. Lam’s enthusiasm and dedication to social service as a model for learning. On the road of social work, I will continue to learn and try my best to work with service users. I hope to influence lives with my life.

After graduation, I am now involved in elderly services. I work in the Jockey Club Charles Kao Brain Health Services under the continuing care service of St. James' Settlement. I mainly educate the public about dementia, conduct preliminary cognitive tests for people in need, provide support groups for service users and their carers, and introduce community resources, etc.

Mr. Pun Wai Hong, Matthew (MSSc Programme in Social Work, Part-time Year 3, 2020-21)

A big thank you to the adjudicators for awarding the Big Fish Award! I would like to express my gratitude for your appreciation.

What Mrs. Lam awarded was not only a scholarship but also a perseverant spirit of being a social worker.

I still remember that when I received the award, I was grateful for the affirmation. Now that I have become a social worker in the Integrated Family Service Center, the spirit of Mrs. Lam has taken a root in my heart as long as I serve others with a value of people-oriented. Without a doubt, I also hold on to my original goal to become a social worker - to impact the lives of one's life.