YMCA 2023 January Perspective
26-01-2023
Cover Story
Harnessing the Power of Youth for a Sustainable City
According to the Location Ratings Survey published by ECA International in 2022, Hong Kong is now ranked the 77th most liveable city in the world, a drop of 19 places since the previous survey. It points to an urgent need to reinvent Hong Kong’s development strategy in order for our city to remain a liveable, competitive, dynamic, and sustainable place.
Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (the Association) is doing our part to help create this sustainable change. Our YM Volunteer division is launching a volunteer programme called “YAU Urban Change ‘Transchanging’ Sustainable City” that aims to translate the spirit of innovation and power in young people into action at the local level. Running from February to May 2023, the programme will create sustainable change in Mongkok, Yau Ma Tei and Jordan districts and provide a blueprint for future change in other areas of Hong Kong.
The programme’s instructors will be prominent urban studies scholar Dr Sampson Wong Yu-hin; the Vice Chair of the Hong Kong Architecture Centre, Miss Sarah Mui Sze-hwa; and its Director, Mr Choi Kit-wang. These experienced professionals will give our young volunteers insights into how community transformation can be made environmentally, socially and economically sustainable by observing the city from the perspectives of history, culture and humanities, and by applying a design thinking approach. The volunteers will also be given opportunities to visit the community with the instructors, participate in tailor-made workshops and create a unique plan for community transformation – these experiences will allow them to become real change makers. Stay tuned to see what masterpieces our young people will produce!
What’s New
Be a Global Citizen Campaign – Ambassador Programme Training Camp
The Association’s Be a Global Citizen Campaign recently launched its 2022-2023 Ambassador Programme. Designed for S5 students from the Chinese YMCA College, the programme aims to deepen the students’ understanding of the four main themes of global citizenship – poverty, environment and sustainable development, cultural diversity, and peace – through various workshops, by providing guidance for writing overseas and local exchange proposals, and by offering courses and field trips.
The programme’s first training camp took place at the Association’s Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village on 29 December last year. The participating students shared the fruits of their learning over the past years on two thematic topics: “Poverty” and “Environment and Sustainable Development”. Two campaign committee members, Mr Fan Hoi-kit MH and Dr Chan Kit-yan, judged the students’ presentations and generously shared their thought-provoking views on aspects of global citizenship. In addition to sharing and exchanging ideas, a range of engaging cultural activities were held, including learning Urdu, a henna workshop, ethnic embroidery and Pictionary with the students making quick drawings about words related to “peace”, “love” and “Christmas”, which further piqued students’ interest into the other two themes — “Cultural Diversity” and “Peace”.
Programme Highlights
“Soul Amazing” – A Body-Mind-Spirit Bazaar to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of our New Territories Centre
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of its establishment, the Association’s New Territories Centre organised a “Soul Amazing” event on 11 December, a bazaar highlighting the importance of caring for all aspects of body, mind and spirit. The event welcomed the Kwai Tsing District Officer, Mr Tang Huggin, JP, and the Association’s Deputy General Secretary, Mr Lee Hing-wai, as guests of honour. The pair bore witness to the remarkable developments the centre has made alongside the community over its four decades. The bazaar held various demonstrations and presentations on five themes – “Sports For Wellness”, “Sports For Adventure”, “Sports For Fun”, “Soul Refresh” and “Soul Slow” – each of which gave participants unique perspectives and static and dynamic experiences to help strengthen their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Family BBQ and Cooking Fun Day – Connecting Across Difference
The Association’s Outreach Teams for Ethnic Minorities organised a Family BBQ and Cooking Fun Day in 18 December 2022. Approximately 200 people identifying as ethnic minorities from Pakistan, India, Nepal, and the Philippines gathered at Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village. Coming from the Association’s Tin Ching Centre, Tin Chak Centre, Jordan Centre, Lam Tin Centre, Chai Wan Centre, and the Hong Kong Brilliant Multicultural Centre, the participants showed respect and appreciation for everyone in attendance.
Historically, food plays a pivotal role in every cultural exchange. This event was no different – the Association’s team members and the participants got excited about firing up the barbeques and cooking up a feast of cuisines from different ethnicities. A cooking competition was also held, allowing the participants to showcase their cooking skills and talents. Most importantly, the event emphasised the message of harmony in diversity: that sharing recipes and food with others is a delicious and exhilarating way to weave together culture, tolerance and love.
PAIN Kick Zone
As city dwellers who often work overtime and frequently perform repetitive motions, we are more susceptible to joint pain or sports injuries that can affect our quality of life. The Association’s Health Care Professions Department is launching a regular monthly column and publishing short articles about self-care. Topics covered will include arthritis, joint pain and self-healing. For more detailed health-related information, please visit our website www.ymca.org.hk/hcp or call 2783 3616 for inquiries.
Watch Out for “Runner’s Knee”!
“Runner’s knee”, a common complaint among urban runners and joggers has a more complicated medical name: patellofemoral pain syndrome and iliotibial band syndrome. The usual symptoms include feeling pain when you extend and/or flex your knee, with the pain becoming greater when walking downhill or up and down stairs.
A good way to improve running performance and prevent runner’s knee is to improve your lower limb rotation control. If your tibial rotation is reduced, the cushioning between the femur and tibia will also drop – this increase pressures on your ligaments and kneecap when you run, producing pain and possibly causing injury.
Additionally, poor pelvis rotation also affects your stride as a runner, forcing your lower leg to kick forward to increase your stride length. In turn, this can lead to “overstride” which increases the cumulative strain on your knee joint in the long run – again causing pain and potential injury. So how do we test for runner’s knee?
Test 1: Tibial rotation (Click here to watch video demonstration)
1) Sit on chair with your thigh parallel to the ground.
2) Put your hands on your “tibial tuberosity” – the bony part of the front of your lower leg, just below your kneecap.
3) Check if you are: (a) able to stabilise your thigh and (b) able to rotate your foot and tibia inwards and outwards.
Test 2: Pelvis rotation (Click here to watch video demonstration)
1) Put all your weight on your right leg.
2) Bend your left hip, knee and ankle.
3) Rotate your pelvis to the right.
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