CEO Message (Plan News Issue 28)

Dear Supporters,

How time flies—we are now welcoming a new year. Over the past year, we at Plan International Hong Kong have been deeply grateful for your unwavering support. Your generosity has enabled us to bring hope and change to countless children and families, even amidst the challenging circumstances.

In late November, I attended the Asia Pacific Conference of Plan International in Thailand. During the conference, heartbreaking news arrived about the devastating fire in Tai Po, which claimed many lives and left numerous families homeless. Witnessing the helplessness and grief of those who had lost loved ones brought tears to my eyes. Yet amid this tragedy, I was profoundly moved by the rapid and compassionate response from all sectors—the donations from businesses and tireless efforts of volunteers from the community. That very night and the following day, I convened urgent remote meetings with our team to coordinate relief efforts. By working closely with temporary shelters, we quickly identified the most pressing needs. Thanks to the generosity of compassionate corporate partners, we were able to deliver essential supplies, including daily necessities and baby items, to 550 affected residents, offering them vital support during those first difficult days.

As a child-centred organisation, we remain committed to addressing the educational and psychosocial needs of children caught up in such crises. Upon my return to Hong Kong, I visited five primary schools, secondary schools, and kindergartens in Tai Po District, discussing with principals, teachers, and school social workers to gain a clearer understanding of the situation. We learned that many students were grappling with anxiety, sadness, and nightmares, and required immediate care and attention. I am truly thankful to the public for the generous donations, which enabled our team to work tirelessly over the past few weeks to arrange cash assistance for more than 340 affected students, distributed through their schools. In addition, we provided Stress Relief Packs to nearly 2,200 kindergarten children across Tai Po District. When the children received these packs, they gently said “thank you” to us, with their faces lit up with joy. Watching them hold the packs so tightly, I deeply felt that your kindness and support had been transformed into strength—helping these young ones restore hope and resilience.

The children’s faces lit up with joy as they received their Stress Relief Packs and gently said “thank you” to us.

We consulted the school social worker teams to better understand the needs of children in Tai Po District.

Turning to our other local works, we recently launched the inaugural Child Safeguarding Schools Award Programme, partnering with nearly 50 early childhood education institutions to foster safer school environments and ensure children can enjoy happy childhoods. We also published the first city-wide “Situation Analysis Study on Period Poverty in Hong Kong”, which seeks to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by underprivileged girls, including period poverty and period shaming.

In our international work, we have continued to champion children’s rights and equality for girls in more than 80 countries over the past year, supporting vulnerable children and girls to overcome poverty, conflict, and climate-related disasters. In Nepalese communities, our projects have created safer and more comfortable learning environments, empowering girls to overcome barriers to education, escape the risks of human trafficking, and shape brighter futures through knowledge and opportunity. We also responded to emergencies such as the Myanmar earthquake earlier this year, as well as the conflict and famine in Gaza, delivering essential supplies like food and clean water, and setting up temporary learning centres to ensure children could continue their education.

Our annual events – “Run For Girls!”, “Girls Takeover”, “Donate a Pencil for Girls”, and our first Free Legacy Planning Seminar – all concluded successfully. We expressed our heartfelt thanks to our partners, supporters, volunteers, and participants at the Corporate Awards Ceremony, the Donor Gathering, and our first Macau Donor Gathering.

Every achievement throughout 2025 has been made possible because of you. We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026, working side by side to create brighter futures for even more children.