February 2013
“Life changes life. We hope that we can contribute to ease the sufferings of those in need.” These sentiments were shared by Daniel Ho (Yr 2, Science) and Kia Cheung (Yr 2, Education) with 300 students and fund supporters when they spoke about how they made use of the “First-in-the-Family Education Fund” at the scheme’s 5th Anniversary Presentation Ceremony and Experience Sharing.
Daniel and Kia, together with other three HKU students took a bigger step and initiated a service trip to Kenya. Their goal was simple yet clear: to help combat the spread of malaria. They went through six months of planning and preparation and, at the end, installed 200 mosquito nets at an orphanage and a hospital, and helped to build a sustainable water filter at refugee camp in Kenya.
“On top of the FIFE Fund, we also set up a booth on campus to raise funds for the mosquito nets,” added Kia. “We are grateful to our Chemistry professors for their help. They gave us valuable advice on our water filter and even allowed us to test the trial filter in the HKU laboratories.”
The FIFE Fund was launched in 2008 with the aim of creating equal learning opportunities for first-generation university students from grass-roots families. It supports students to take part in a wide range of outside classroom learning activities. Since its inception, 1,500 students have benefited, thanks to the generous support of over 550 alumni and members of the community.
More about FIFE Fund