"More Knowledge, Less Risk"
Community Education Campaign by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Lady MacLehose Centre (HKSKHLMC) Group and Community Work Unit

In 2017, HKJCDPRI collaborated with HKSKHLMC to launch a half-year “Community Education Campaign on Disaster Resilience and Housing Risks for Sub-divided Flat Residents”. Through community education mobile stations and home visits, the campaign hoped to better the tenants’ knowledge on mental health, home safety and hygiene. In addition, we provided related information and let residents learn about ways to cope with emergencies. A qualitative research on the “Mental Health of Sub-divided Flat Residents” has also been conducted by HKJCDPRI in order to effectively understand disaster risks faced by residents living in sub-divided flats in Kwai Tsing district, especially fire and infectious diseases outbreak. Research findings have also been compiled into booklets and distributed among the community.
 

In 2019, the two organizations co-launched another round of activities to further enhance residents’ awareness and response capacities with regard to risks arising from housing structures in old areas.
 

In addition to regularly exchanging views on disaster preparedness with residents through home visits and mobile education exhibitions, the programme is extended to key members of property management, including owner’s corporation and representative from the management office, so as to strengthen communication among stakeholders and discuss the needs on disaster preparedness. Actions are taken to inspect, replace or install fire prevention equipment; and display information about disaster preparedness at conspicuous locations such that the response capacities of residents in old areas can be reinforced. A community research will be conducted again by interviewing 300 sub-divided flat residents for an in-depth understanding on how the poor living environment impacts residents’ safety. Research findings will be announced at a press conference in October 2019 so as to arouse the society’s attention on the plight of sub-divided flat residents.