Hong Kong Stories

Dear Workmen (37x2)

Fecha de emisión: Sept 25, 2018

Maintenance workers often give the impression of being rude, stubborn, sweaty and dusty with a spanner always in their pocket, when in fact they can be quite cordial and meticulous. In the House of To Kwa Wan Stories (“ToHome” for short), a group of maintenance workers volunteer to provide free service for their underprivileged neighbours in their leisure time. Whether it is an old lady living alone whose water heater malfunctions, or a Pakistani refugee who has a leaking pipe at home, these workers do not hesitate to show up at their doors and fix their problems, during which they chat casually with their neighbours about anything from everyday life to social and livelihood issues, thereby reducing the gap between people. In addition to offering maintenance services, these workers also visit their neighbours door-to-door, set up street booths regularly, and organise various activities in festive occasions. Examples are a haunted house at Halloween and a countdown bazaar on the New Year’s Eve. Through these events, they are truly sharing happiness with others and enhancing cohesion in the community. Unfortunately, ToHome is about to be demolished and relocated. We do not know if the connection among these volunteers and their neighbours can be maintained and continued. Yet, as long as the volunteers are still around, the human touch will remain despite changes in the environment.