Hong Kong 15 years old teen returns to Thailand a year after volunteer trip to continue commitment to education of special needs students.
Chloe efforts have earned her a nomination for 2020 Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.
Chloe Jazzy Lau tries to do more to help underprivileged children with special education needs.
While taking part in a volunteer project, the 15-year-old was already thinking about the next step to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
The South Island School student’s altruistic pursuit began early, and in 2018 Lau joined a service trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she helped out with volunteer work at Thomas House, a special education facility.
The experience led her to believe that effective support for underprivileged children with special needs entailed long-term commitment.
“I felt a deep responsibility to do something,” the teenager said.
After returning to Hong Kong, she decided to learn more about special needs education, while also continuing to support the Thai students.
“Technology is definitely the key to employment today,” she said. “Knowing basic technology and knowing how to operate a computer are important.”
She said she wanted to grow the YouMatter organization to benefit more children with special education needs, adding she would also do her best to help their families, who might suddenly get stuck in difficult situations.
The student was recommended by Josephine Leung Wai-lin at The Hub Children and Youth Centre for the Spirit of Youth Award, which recognizes young people who have shown courage or commitment to the community, or inspired the spirit of preservation or innovation.
Lau said she hoped to help narrow the divide between mainstream students and those with special needs.
She said she believed her team was on the right path to making a difference to the lives of children with special needs.
“[I hope our work] will act as kind of a catalyst for someone’s life being improved,” she said.
As the Covid-19 pandemic upends lives across the city, the teenager and her team have delivered educational and health care packages to individuals as well as families with special needs, with the support of NGOs and suppliers.
The work has earned her a nomination for this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, co-organized by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group to celebrate the accomplishments of remarkable people who may otherwise not come to the public’s attention.
Eddie Lee
Published: 9:30am, 28 Jul 2020
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The 8th Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2020
