Wrapping dumplings, warming hearts
Volunteers, young and old, gave out thousands of hand-made rice dumplings to elderly homes and centres across Hong Kong, bringing smiles everywhere they visited, writes Sebastien Raybaud
[First published on 25 June, 2017] In celebration of this year’s Dragon Boat festival, more than 50 student and staff volunteers from West Island and South Island Schools made and gave out around 2,000 rice dumplings last month.
For three days in May, volunteers went to three elderly homes, distributing the treats in Ma Tau Wai Estate, Wong Tai Sin and Shau Kei Wan.
Volunteers wanted to show respect for the elderly. “We believe Tuen Ng [Dragon Boat festival] is all about family, culture and tradition,” says ESF senior human resources executive, Stanley Ho.
“The aim was to find a way to gather volunteers to contribute to society while having fun.”
Perfecting the bamboo wrap
The volunteers wrapped raw dumplings in the Kowloon Junior School hall, before dividing them up in the afternoon. They were all vegetarian, and made with rice and beans, and no meat or eggs to cater to the widest possible tastes.