“This is my first NGO job and I’ve been working at Golden Age Foundation for 2 years. We are working to change the perception of the older generation in Hong Kong by empowering them through social innovation projects and lifelong learning opportunities. Many retirees experience a sense of emptiness and loss as they step into retirement. My mother served as a public servant for decades and retired at age 55 – she went from full, active days to leisurely days with no direction. What new retirees need most to propel them forwards is the encouragement and support to find their next life goals. I really believe that retirees have so much to contribute to society with their life experience and vast networks; as long as we are open to breaking down inter-generational barriers. I’m only 33 years old and am learning to use compassion to connect with people who are much older than myself. Sometimes due to upbringing and culture, people from the older generations find it difficult to open up. Compassion is about being patient and caring, and listening intently to allow the other person to fully express how they feel and what they need.”

「呢份係我第一份喺非牟利機構返嘅工，我喺黃金時代基金會呢度做咗兩年喇。我哋希望改變社會對老年人嘅印象，透過社會創新項目同埋培訓計劃去鼓勵黃金一代繼續發揮所長。好多退休人士一開頭都會覺得有啲空虛同失落。我媽媽喺政府工作幾十年，喺55歲嘅時候需要退休。佢嘅生活由好充實好忙，一下子變得清閒自在。啱啱退休嘅人最需要有新嘅動力去鼓勵同埋支持佢哋去探索下一個人生目標。我深信退休人士擁有嘅人生經驗同埋人脈係好可以幫到個社會，只要我哋願意打破唔同年代嘅人之間嘅隔膜。我今年只係33歲，仍然學緊點樣去關心呢班年紀比我大得多嘅人，點樣同佢哋溝通。有時基於佢哋嘅成長經歷同埋文化，年長一輩唔係咁容易開口講自己嘅嘢。同理心係講緊要有耐性同埋關懷，要有誠意咁聆聽另一個人，等佢可以完全咁表達自己嘅感受同埋需要。」

“My previous career was in commerce, but I quickly realised that there is a lot more to life than just finance and numbers. I wanted to serve the community and do something more meaningful. So I went on to do a Masters in Nonprofit Management and came across this opportunity to help build a smart aging city. Hong Kong tops the world chart in terms of life expectancy and our aging population is a priority issue that needs to be tackled in the coming years. I lived in the UK for 9 years, and saw that the elderly population would often get together with their neighbours to play bingo, go to the pub and watch football. There was a great community vibe there with people creating their own support networks and I think this is something that we need more of in Hong Kong. What I enjoy most about my work is that we get to bridge people from diverse social groups – we have ex-CEOs from multinational corporations working together with people from the grassroots community. Different life perspectives and experiences means new synergies! ” 「我之前喺商界工作，不過好快就意識到人生唔止得金融同埋數字。我想服務社會，做啲更加有意義嘅工作。所以我去讀咗一個非牟利機構管理學嘅碩士，同埋遇到呢個工作機會，可以出一分力去建立一個智齡城市。香港人嘅壽命喺世界排第一，所以我哋嚟緊嘅日子都好迫切要處理人口老化嘅問題。我喺英國住咗九年，嗰度嘅老人家成日都會同鄰居聚埋一齊，玩吓 Bingo，去酒吧同埋睇波。嗰度嘅社區氣氛好好，大家會建立自己嘅朋友圈，我覺得我哋喺香港都需要多啲咁嘅氛圍。喺呢份工入面我最享受嘅就係可以連繫到好多嚟自五湖四海嘅人，喺呢度，跨國企業嘅前行政總裁會同基層嘅人士一齊合作。唔同嘅背景同埋經歷可以帶嚟新嘅動力！」

“Back in school and university days, I worked as a lifeguard for several years. I didn’t like to sit still growing up and had been training as a swimmer since I was a little kid. I used to participate in open water swim races regularly. I also play quite an unusual instrument – the suona, or Chinese trumpet. We each had to learn an instrument in school, and because I was a strong swimmer, my teacher said that I would have good lungs to play the trumpet. So here I am now one of the few people in Hong Kong who can play the suona! I’m happy with the work that I’m doig now as I have the chance to help people achieve their dreams in the second half of their lives. We are at an age where life is no longer linear – we can have multiple jobs, multiple careers, multiple dreams – the possibilities are endless. Sometimes I wonder what I would be like as an elderly person. I want to be someone who keeps up with the times, continues to experience new things and uses his time to help more people!”

「讀中學同埋大學嘅時候，我做過幾年救生員。細個嗰陣我唔鍾意坐定，自細就開始游好多水。以前我會定期參加渡海泳。我亦都識玩一樣幾冷門嘅樂器，就係嗩吶。讀書嗰陣我哋每人都要學一種樂器，因為我游水游得好，老師話我個肺夠大去吹嗩吶，咁我就成為咗香港少數識得吹啲打嘅人啦！我鍾意而家做緊嘅嘢，因為可以幫人喺人生下半場實踐佢哋嘅夢想。我哋呢個時代嘅人生已經唔再局限喺一條直線度，我哋可以有多過一份工作，多重事業，多個夢想，有無限嘅可能性。有時我都會幻想吓自己老咗嗰陣會係一個點樣嘅老人家，我想繼續與時並進，嘗試新事物同埋花時間去幫更多嘅人！」

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