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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the Mother's Choice Annual Gala Dinner today (May 9):
Mr Marwah (Ranjan Marwah, Chairman of Mother's Choice), Mr Shroff (Rusy Shroff)], Mr Youtz (David Youtz, Chief Executive Officer), ladies and gentleman,
It is my honour to join you this evening in celebrating the achievements of Mother's Choice over the past two decades.
Founded in 1987, Mother's Choice has soon established a fine reputation as a Hong Kong-based charitable organisation which seeks to provide loving care and support to young women facing crisis pregnancies, and to nurture babies and children in need. The figures speak for themselves: Mother's Choice has so far assisted more than 30,000 young mothers in crisis and their families, and looked after more than 2,000 babies in its Child Care Home on Bowen Road. I made an informal visit to the Home last Saturday to get a first-hand glimpse of the good work of Mother's Choice ahead of tonight's gala dinner. And seeing is believing. Mother's Choice is clearly doing an excellent job. Each year, the telephone hotline (2868 2022) of Mother's Choice receives 3,000 calls. Apart from counselling hundreds of women facing crisis pregnancies, Mother's Choice also provides accommodation for up to 50 of these teenagers in its residential hostel on Kennedy Road.
Mother's Choice has been a valuable partner of the Hong Kong Government in the provision of a wide range of services to children. It is subvented by the Social Welfare Department to operate residential child care service for babies with special needs and run foster care and small group home services.
Mother's Choice is one of the few agencies accredited by the Director of Social Welfare to make arrangements for inter-country adoption of children between Hong Kong and the United States. The work of Mother's Choice has been especially valuable for children with special needs, who may not easily find suitable local adoptive homes. Over the years, Mother's Choice has arranged permanent homes overseas for close to 230 Hong Kong children with special needs. This shows how responsive Mother's Choice has always been to different social needs.
On the prevention side, Mother's Choice has also played a vital role in educating the public on issues such as child welfare. Adoption is far better understood and accepted in Hong Kong today, compared to the situation in the 1980s. Both schools and parents are encouraged to educate young people about sex. Young women now know what choices they have, and have a place to turn to, if they find themselves in crisis. Over the years, Mother's Choice has given age-appropriate sex education talks to more than 250,000 students and their parents. It has also mobilised thousands of enthusiastic volunteers to serve children and families in need. Through words and deeds, Mother's Choice has successfully raised the awareness of our community of the needs of children and women in crisis. Its ability to engage the public in the process is truly remarkable.
Last year, Mother's Choice opened a new Counselling Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, thus significantly enhancing its ability to outreach to women in Kowloon and the New Territories. I am delighted to learn that Mother's Choice is also considering a new presence in Tin Shui Wai in the northwest New Territories. The community will certainly benefit from the more accessible services and I wish Mother's Choice great success in this endeavour.
Let me conclude by paying warm tribute to Mother's Choice for the unfailing care it has shown to our community. You have sown the seed of love in our city, and we are proud to be in partnership with you. In short, Mother's Choice has been, is and will remain a haven of hope, a beacon of compassion and icon of love.
ĦĦĦĦLadies and gentlemen, I wish you all an enjoyable evening. Thank you.
Ends/Friday, May 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:30
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