The Director of Social Welfare, Mr Gordon Leung, and the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities, Dr Kevin Lau, today (December 22) visited the 55th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo (HKBPE) at Victoria Park to show support for the social enterprises and rehabilitation service units at the venue and learn about their participation.
Mr Leung expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong for extending its invitation to the Social Welfare Department (SWD) once again for the HKBPE, saying that the event has provided social enterprises and rehabilitation service units funded by the SWD with an invaluable opportunity to participate in an expo. Through selling products made by the disabled, these social enterprises and rehabilitation service units will enjoy double advantages. They can not only generate more revenue, but also showcase the work capabilities and potential of disabled persons.
With Christmas and New Year holidays round the corner, Mr Leung appealed to members of the public to visit the HKBPE and show their support for these social enterprises and rehabilitation service units during the festive season. They can also extend their encouragement and warm regards to the disabled employees at the venue.
The HKBPE being held at Victoria Park started on December 11 and will last until January 3 next year. Thirteen social enterprises and rehabilitation service units funded by the SWD, including some small enterprises funded by the "Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprise" Project (the 3E Project), will take turns to sell or promote their diversified products and services ranging from handicrafts, ornaments, cookies and facemasks to red packet envelopes at booths No. 4A07 to 4A10.
In addition, to promote the 3E Project, the Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) of the SWD will distribute the recently published 3E Project Social Enterprises 2021 pamphlet to members of the public at booth No. 4A09 from 11am to 6pm this Saturday (December 25) and Sunday (December 26). Souvenirs will also be given out.
The SWD launched the 3E Project in 2001. With the provision of seed money to non-governmental organisations to support the creation of small enterprises/businesses, the Project aims to enhance the employment opportunities of people with disabilities through a market-driven approach. The ceiling of the grant is capped at $3 million per business. At least half of the employees in the relevant small enterprises will be persons with disabilities, thereby directly creating more employment opportunities for the disabled.
Information of the booths of the 13 social enterprises and rehabilitation service units at the HKBPE, with details of their products and services, is set out in the Annex. More details of the social enterprises funded by the 3E Project can be found in the 3E Project Social Enterprises 2021 pamphlet, which is available at www.mcor.swd.gov.hk/en/news.php?id=211216.
Follow this news feed: East Asia