Caden Li 12A (Working with Children) 

For the CAS Challenge Week in Year 12, I decided to partake in a project that works with children in Sham Shui Po. The main objectives of this self-planned local CAS project are to explore the needs of children in low-income families and to aid these children in various aspects. This ensures the healthy development and growth of children especially in recent years where it is proven that a lot of societal pressure is put on Hong Kong kids where they encounter unhealthy habits that can harm their development. The education system in Hong Kong is inherently flawed in the sense that it pressures kids to study rigid formulas and induces a mindset where working hard in academics is the only way to succeed. Through this CAS experience, we wanted to try and alter this mindset and also provide as much help as we can for those who are less fortunate to receive help from better quality schooling. 

Specifically, we spent a day surveying the community and used questionnaires to understand the needs of children as well as their parents. We brought up discussions about what qualifies as a “happy” childhood, as well as the essentials that should contribute to a child’s healthy growth. This was important for our CAS project as we really wanted to understand the different perspectives coming from parents, teachers and children, which helps us plan for future events and games while drafting proposals to achieve the objectives set for this CAS project.