Hong Kong – Partners’ Board set up under Strive and Rise Programme holds first meeting (with photos)

     The Government today (October 24) announced the setting up of a Partners’ Board under the Strive and Rise Programme. The membership of the Board comprises the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, representatives of relevant government departments, and strategic partners that provide the Programme with key support (see the list at the Annex). The Board held its first meeting today to receive a briefing by government representatives on the matching of mentees with mentors and the arrangements of activities under the first phase of the Programme. Members were pleased to learn of the good progress made, and offered views on the arrangements for the activities to be organised. 

     At the meeting, Mr Chan said that all the strategic partners invited to join the Partners’ Board are the enterprises or organisations providing the Programme with key support in terms of sponsorship or nomination of mentors, and that their involvement would enable the Government to tap constructive views to best take forward the Programme. 

     He said, “Since the announcement of the Strive and Rise Programme in late August, various sectors of society have responded to the Government’s appeal by offering staunch support in terms of sponsorship, nomination of mentors and planning of group activities for mentees. Schools, and the district organisations engaged by the Government, have also taken part in recruiting junior secondary school mentees. Their collective efforts have contributed to the smooth launch of the first phase of the Programme.” He added that it was encouraging to learn of the close tripartite collaboration between the Government, the business sector and the community from the preparatory stage to the implementation stage under the Programme. On behalf of the Government, he expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the enterprises, organisations and individuals involved.

     At the meeting, the Partners’ Board received a briefing by government representatives on the results of matching between the recruited mentors and mentees under the first phase of the Programme. Members were pleased to learn that the first phase has admitted 2 800 eligible mentees, 40 per cent more than the recruitment target of 2 000 mentees, and that each of the mentees admitted would be assigned a mentor. Furthermore, the Programme has received the overwhelming support of about 120 enterprises and organisations. Not only have sufficient eligible mentors been recruited, sponsorship of some $140 million has also been raised. Some 800 group activity sessions, including those by government departments, have also been made available for enrollment by mentees. 

     Mr Chan said, “Under the first phase of the Programme, the enrollment of mentees and nomination of mentors have seen favourable feedback, with the numbers of eligible mentors and mentees both exceeding 2 000. Junior secondary school students from underprivileged families are the target of the Programme, and it is our mission to support as many of them as possible. Upon our thorough consideration, and discussion with our implementation agents, we have decided to admit to this phase of the Programme all the 2 800 eligible junior secondary school mentees from underprivileged families. They include junior secondary school students living in inadequate housing such as subdivided units and those from grassroots families. We aim to give the collaboration between the Government, the business sector and the community full play in order to support all of the mentees in a targeted manner.” 

     At the meeting, members of the Partners’ Board said that they believe the various stages of the Programme, including orientation activities starting late October in phases, would proceed in an orderly manner upon the continued collaboration between the Government, the business sector and the community. Strategic partners said that they would continue to render their support for the steady implementation of the Programme. 

     The Strive and Rise Programme is led by an inter-departmental task force chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Through the tripartite collaboration between the Government, the business sector and the community, the Programme aims to help Secondary One to Secondary Three students from underprivileged families to broaden their horizons, reinforce their self-confidence, develop a positive outlook on life, set goals for their future and strive for upward mobility. It comprises three elements, namely mentorship, personal development plans and financial support. The first phase of the Programme lasts for one year.