Yan who is now 20, was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was a primary three student, given that she has always had difficulty in reading, writing and understanding texts. Her family did not know what to make of it and scolded her for her poor academic results. This made Yan diffident when talking to people, and she even thought of giving up her studies.

Yan did poorly at the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination and to please her family, she took some courses which she was not interested in at all. By chance, she came upon the Youth D.I.M.E.N.SION Project (Drama, Internship, Mock, Experience, Navigation & Vision) organized by Hong Kong PHAB Association where she got to improve her communications and interpersonal skills by picking up broadcasting techniques, and learning the skills of a master of ceremonies.

Yan was impressed with what the programme has to offer, “I was able to express how I feel, I learn how to take the pressure off myself; the trainers are very professional, they show me how to communicate effectively – it’s a big step forward for me.”

Having suffered from insomnia for over four decades, 73-year-old Ms Lam, who lives on her own, decided to use the service of Insomnia Treatment Project for the Elderly operated by The Hong Kong Society For The Aged, one that is funded by The Community Chest of Hong Kong.

An assessment by the social worker showed that Ms Lam was emotionally disturbed and there were signs of depression. Apparently, there were two issues that bothered her. First, she had too much time on her hand since she retired from a nursing job; second, she was worried that no one’s going to look after her as she gets older, given that her husband and her mother both passed away. “What if I had dementia, or had a stroke?” she asked. She would get very anxious even when she has had a cold or a flu.

The project helps Ms Lam by having the counsellors talk to her and giving her therapy on the pressure points of her ears. Nowadays, Ms Lam feels confident about herself and spends time travelling. The best news is, she has not had any attack of insomnia for the past five months. “ I sleep well and I’m at peace with myself,” said Mrs Lam, smiling – something she has not done for a long time.

It is natural for children to be afraid when they have to visit the hospital for treatment or examination; to help ease their anxiety, Tseung Kwan O Hospital has introduced the hospital play service. 9-year old Kun is one of the beneficiaries.

Kun has been suffering from migraines and therefore needed an MRI examination. The doctor had to give him an intravenous injection in case Kun needs to be sedated during the examination. Kun refused to let the doctor do it because that reminded him of a bad experience. It was then decided that the Hospital Play Specialist (HPS) came in to talk to Kun.

The HPS first showed him a mini MRI machine, explained to him how it works, and played the sound of the machine in operation. He also asked the child to imagine himself being an astronaut, and led him to understand that the spaceship sounded like the MRI machine.

By this time, Kun was much more relaxed and the HPS made a game-board to mimic Kun’s hospital ‘journey’, to assure the child that the HPS’s going to be with him all the way. They also made a paper doll to represent Kun, and a mini MRI machine out of a paper cup, and Kun wrote on it ‘brave’ and ‘I won over the MRI’ to show that he’s not afraid anymore.

Kun’s MRI examination went smoothly, to the delight of his father and members of the medical team; the case also shows how the hospital play service helps make it a better experience for children in the hospital and their families.

Annie used to love drama when she was in school but didn’t manage to pick it up as the years went by. By chance, she came across the Fly Up High Project organized by Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centres – the project is part of the Multi Service Centre for Women funded by The Community Chest of Hong Kong. The project gives women training in stage acting with the opportunities to perform.

“I don’t only act on stage, I work with other ladies writing the script – I think we ladies are great!” she said, adding that the activities make her feel confident about herself. In the creative process, Annie realizes that women are generally being discriminated against. It is hoped that the project will help women acquire greater confidence about themselves, be more independent and be able to make decisions on their own.

With the help of a guide dog, people who are visually impaired would be able to live a happier life of greater independence. By way of training, the puppies are first sent to live with ‘foster’ families for six to eight months during which the puppies are to acquire good guide-dog habits. At the end of it, the puppies go through a further training period of six months after which they would be recommended to applicants looking for a guide dog, such as Leon.

Leon used to love his job and was active in sports. He went blind in his left eye at a young age but he went on with life to bring up his two sons. Four years ago, he lost the use of the other eye and that broke him. Then he came to know The Hong Kong Guide Dogs Association and made an application for a guide dog in early 2014 – he finally got one, Anna, in the summer of 2015. Leon spent three weeks to get to know Anna; after that, Anna is able to take Leon to places he wants to go – avoiding the many obstacles in between - which makes Leon very happy. “Not only does Anna show me my way, she has become part of my life - she takes away my mental and physical stress, now I can live with independence,” said Leon.