Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong charity to train ethnic minority teens as coaches

A charity founded in 1979 to support Vietnamese war refugee children in Hong Kong will launch a programme this year to train teenagers from ethnic minority groups as sports coaches for mainstream youngsters.

Treats’ “EM-SPARK” project will train 30 ethnic minority youngsters aged 15 to 18 to coach 3,504 mainstream primary school students and community members in kin-ball, a team game where players work together to keep a giant ball in the air, and taspony, a tennis-like sport played with a larger softball and bare hands.

Through one to two training workshops held each month, the trainees will learn to design teaching plans and teach these sports in primary schools, including children with special educational needs (SEN). They will also have the opportunity to network with different sports associations and companies.

The project aims to give selected youth more opportunities to engage with the mainstream community and bridge the divide between different groups in the city.

“We want to enhance understanding … use creative and innovative programmes to bring together mainstream people and ethnic minority youth to change mindsets,” Mabel Lo Mei-po, executive director of Treats, said.

“We hope they can appreciate diversity, instead of being reluctant to engage with people who are different from them.”