The YMCA of Hong Kong Celebrated its 100th Anniversary of the Laying of the Foundation Stone on Salisbury Road

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 08:00)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

January 21, 2024 marked a momentous milestone for the YMCA of Hong Kong as it celebrated the 100th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone on Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. This commemorative event was marked by a series of significant festivities.

The celebration commenced with a Thanksgiving Worship, where profound gratitude was expressed to God for choosing and appointing visionary leaders over the past century. These leaders laid a solid foundation for the YMCA's mission of service, community development, and youth empowerment. The worship was officiated by The Most Revd Chan Au Ming Andrew, Archbishop and Primate of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, with a benediction delivered by The Rev. Dr. John Snelgrove, the Hon. Chaplain of YMCA of Hong Kong. During the worship, 13 colleagues from various departments, youth group and volunteers of the YMCA of Hong Kong praised the Lord by hymns, adding a musical dimension to the proceedings.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

The day also marked the grand opening ceremony of the Y Muse. The opening ceremony was led by Mr. Patrick Yip, the President of YMCA of Hong Kong, Mr. Peter Ho, the General Secretary of YMCA of Hong Kong, and The Most Revd Chan Au Ming Andrew, Archbishop and Primate of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. The museum showcases five exhibition zones, including an extensive collection of historical photographs. The museum aims to provide the public with a comprehensive understanding of the YMCA movement through visual, auditory, and interactive experiences. Notably, the accompanying video narration was recorded by students from San Wui Commercial Society YMCA of Hong Kong Christian School, fostering a sense of collaboration.

The Centennial Thanksgiving Dinner was filled with memorable moments. Mr. Peter Ho, the General Secretary of the YMCA of Hong Kong, engaged in a dialogue session with the Board of Directors, during which they shared their motivations for joining the YMCA and their aspirations for the future of the YMCA of Hong Kong. Additionally, the establishment of the YMCA of Hong Kong Worship Team was announced during the dinner. This initiative seeks to cultivate a culture of regular worship and praise to God. It further underscores the YMCA's commitment to empowering the next generation and celebrating the spirit of volunteerism, which has always been a cornerstone of the organisation's mission. The launch of the Worship Team highlights the YMCA's dedication to nurturing talent and providing young individuals with opportunities to express themselves through music.

With unity, truth, peace, joy, hope, love, and faith at the core of our centennial celebration, we are steadfast in our commitment to uphold and promote these values. We will share this profound essence with the world, the entire Hong Kong community, and our dedicated staff. It is through these principles that our centennial truly comes to life.

“May we all be one.” (John 17:21)

The YMCA Timor Leste held its General Assembly to Electa a New Board and Staff & Develop the Movement Strategy

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 08:00)

I would like to thank everyone, especially YMCA members and board members, for the trust bestowed on me as a new Board President. This is a privilege momentum and a great opportunity to extend our hands to one another for the support. I hope that this year is a great momentum that requires all members to contribute to strengthening the YMCA for a better plan. We could agree on different aspects or disagree to some extent, that is what we call the difference between us that means it defines the identity of who we are in this era of globalization. Those differences are parts of the bonds that are scattered. For that, we can put those bonds together as we go forward need to extend our hand and put those differences into one place and construct a better solution to respond to each of those difference. At this stage YMCA Timor-Leste has the ability to keep moving forward, anything we act we shall act together, and remember to put people at the center of our interest, so no one is left behind. Congratulations to all of you!

Marcos Pinto President	Alotu Sarmento Vice President	Harun Yohanes Boavida General Secretary	Lourdes Correia Member /Administrative and Finance office

Elizabeth Baptista Member	Lorenca Freitas da Piedade Member/Interim Director	Cesaltina Pinto Soares Member	Jeronimo Hendrique Baptista Member	Antonio BS da Silva Member/School principal

Dear Readers,

Greetings from the General Secretary of YMCA Timor-Leste!

As we enter the Year 2024, in fact, we are in 2024 already. I wish you all good health and good spirits to start kicking off a new and fresh activity for the year. We faced challenges in the social, natural, and economic areas for the last 20 years, and a new budget year is demanding!  I wanted to take this moment to express my gratitude and appreciation for the trust and faith vested in me by the YMCA of Timor-Leste members by appointing me as the General Secretary of the YMCA of Timor-Leste on December 16, 2023, for three years from 2024 to 2026.

"I’M SO GRATEFUL,” as it is a colossal responsibility. But, I am sure that with the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the support from everyone, I should be able to take the YMCA of Timor-Leste to a better future. The YMCA of Timor-Leste has always been a beacon of hope, fostering holistic development and nurturing individuals of all ages, and we foster progress toward common interests that we will not leave anyone behind. From promoting equal opportunities to inspiring and empowering countless lives in these challenging times, the YMCA's commitment to serving the community has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Your unwavering dedication to supporting those in need, whether through development initiatives such as educational, social outreach, or environmental sustainability, has made a significant difference in the lives of many. As we move forward, we must acknowledge the tremendous resilience and adaptability displayed. Together, we can build a stronger, healthier, and more compassionate society. I wish you all the time filled with hope, joy, and new opportunities from the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ with us, and thank you.

Best regards

Harun Yohanes Boavida

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PARTICIPANTS

Opening remarks from the funder of the YMCA of Timor-Leste, Reverend Francisco de Vasconcelos, STh. “It’s time for the YMCA of Timor-Leste to be independent and grow. The YMCA of Timor-Leste stand for 20 years back, since 2004."  However, there are challenges for the YMCA in progressing its activities towards the common interest. Twenty years have passed, and now, to move forward, every member and contributor to strengthening the institutional capacity is highly recommended; it has been slow in the past activity implementations affected the organization's mandate. We also acknowledge that the YMCA of Timor-Leste does not have equivalent financial capacity. Nevertheless, we have human resource capacity. Absorbing internal capacity starts with board members contributing a membership fee. As we know, most of the YMCA of Timor-Leste members are students and unemployed. However, we have time to act and utilize the resources to gain future income and support the organisation's sustainability.

GENERAL SECRETARY HANDOVER CEREMONY

Administrative desk to support and assist General Assembly meeting – the station where the master ceremony was used for handling meetings.

Handover ceremony from the outgoing general secretary to the elected general secretary, with witnesses from the elected president and the vice president. The elected board member for the period 2024–2026, hence the handover ceremony, went smoothly and expressed gratitude to the prior General Secretary, Mr. Antonio BS da Silva, who was going through several processes to ensure the existence of the YMCA in Timor-Leste. And it was a successful achievement to establish several activities on the ground.

PROGRAM UPDATES

A. Japan Language Course

The Japan Ambassador for Timor-Leste Mr. Kimura Tetsuya participated in the graduation of the Japanese language course held in 2023. A total of 27 students received the certificates as Japanese native speakers, which was successful. The Japan ambassador handed over the certificate as one of the cooperatives between the Japan Embassy and the YMCA of Timor-Leste.

These Japanese language course programs aim to support the government of Timor-Leste through the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) to provide qualified people to compete as sessional workers who will be deploying to Japan.

With results in 2023, two Japanese language course students successfully met the professional criteria and were deployed to Japan. In 2024, SEFOPE requested to submit a list of students who completed their Japanese language course. The YMCA submitted a list of six students who are identified as capable of competing in the national examination that SEFOPE will conduct.

The YMCA of Timor-Leste is committed to maintaining the Japanese language course in 2024, which is the current enrollment status. However, we need support and assistance to refurbish the training room to meet national standards as a training centre. In addition, we are also required to hire a Japanese trainer to continue supporting this program for future plans. The actual trainer is a volunteer, which gives us a limitation on the registration process of the training centre.

B. YMCA Preschool department

The YMCA of Timor-Leste graduated 41 students from the preschool department for the 2023 school year. We hope that the 2024–2026 YMCA of Timor-Leste will also extend to primary schools, as we had limitations on room space and building capacity.

PHOTOBOOTHS

Smile of the YMCA of Timor-Leste youth and board members committed to maintaining YMCA activities in Timor-Leste. Encourage youths to participate in the YMCA of Timor-Leste events and activities. Utilize every opportunity for the business continuity of the organization.

NCY of Japan Joins Earthquake Relief and Refreshment Efforts for Victims

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 08:00)

On January 1, 2024, at around 16:10, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake has caused severe damage, especially in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture. 

We are fortunate that the Toyama YMCA and Kanazawa YMCA, which were nearest to the epicentre of the earthquake, suffered no personal damage. In addition, the Toyama YMCA restarted its nursery school, alternative school, and services on January 5.

From January 7 to 9, the National Council of YMCAs of Japan visited Nanao City and Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture to see the situation and visit churches in the affected areas.  At the evacuation centers set up in each city, food distribution is being carried out, but the number of meals is insufficient and relief supplies such as water and sanitary items are also not sufficient.  During a visit to the Ishikawa Prefectural Government as part of the visit, the YMCA also cooperated as an advisor for the operation of a "1.5 evacuation center" at the Ishikawa Sports Center in Kanazawa City, at the request of the Ministry of Cabinet Office in Japan.  We continue to send staff from local YMCAs in Japan in a relay format, providing advice on operations based on our experience in running evacuation centers after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Kumamoto earthquake.

The "1.5 evacuation centres" are a temporary places for the elderly, people with special needs, pregnant women, and very young children to stay until they can be moved to a "secondary evacuation centre", such as a nearby hotelBy January 16, 702 people had been accepted into this shelter. Among them, 451 people were moved to secondary evacuation centers, and 251 people are currently using the 1.5 evacuation center.  The 1.5 evacuation center is made up of about 80 tents with cardboard beds and blankets inside, as well as a nursing room, children's space, and space for those who are not feeling well, to provide for their care.  This operation will continue until February at the request of the Cabinet Office in Japan.

The Tokyo YMCA has also started providing operational support for evacuation centers in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture.  From January 24, Tokyo YMCA will work together with city staff of Wajima to take charge of various tasks at the evacuation center.  Three staff members are currently on Wajima city.  Wajima City is the worst affected city in the Noto Peninsula, with 3,500 people still living in evacuation centers, and about 100 evacuation centers are still operating as of January 23.  The evacuation centers are basically operated by city employees, but 90% of the city staff members are also victims of the big earthquake.

The Tokyo YMCA's activity is to support the city employees who are running the evacuation centers while being affected by the earthquake disaster themselves. 

In addition to providing support for shelter operations, we are preparing to start a refreshment program for children affected by the disaster, a space and health exercises for seniors, mainly at the Toyama YMCA after February.  We hope that our activities will contribute to bringing smiles to the faces of those affected by the disaster.

Based on the experience and knowledge of disaster relief activities we have been conducting, the Japan YMCA will develop support activities such as evacuation center operation support, disaster volunteer operation support, and disaster victim refreshment, with the highest priority given to the mental and physical safety of those affected and those who support them.

By Ms. Utako Sugino, Executive Secretary, NCY of Japan

“From Earth Hour to Earth Day”- Climate Action Campaign 2024

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 08:00)

Join us in taking action for the planet!

We are all set to commence this year's #EarthHour2EarthDay 29-day climate action challenge to create a positive impact on our planet. This is part of the Climate Defenders project. The campaign will run from March 23rd to April 22nd, 2024; we will embark on a journey to promote sustainability, reduce our carbon footprint, and safeguard the environment.

Our primary goal is to raise awareness about global warming and how we can commit to and contribute to averting this climate crisis through our small personal acts of mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

As part of this campaign, we invite and encourage you to participate individually or with your friends and/or community in sharing best practices to help us achieve our objective. To significantly impact the community, you can share your creative videos/posts about our daily challenge on your social media by tagging us.

Themes of our challenges:

1. Vegetarian-Vegan-Monday

2. No-plastic-Tuesday

3. Low carbon-Wednesday

4. Low water-Thursday

5. Zero waste-Friday

6. Recycle & Upcycle-Saturday

7. Buy local-Sunday

Stay tuned for more information and the daily challenges. Join us !!

To make this campaign more meaningful, use these campaign hashtags;

#EarthHour2EarthDay   #YMCA_ClimateDefenders #Change4Climate

Your efficient contribution is expected from the beginning to the end.

Together, we can make a meaningful difference and contribute to a healthier planet for future generations.