Team Young Post reflects on their favourite articles of 2022, highlighting community, inclusiveness in Hong Kong and coming together during the pandemic

Weeks after they stopped testing positive for Covid-19, some Hong Kong students still experienced symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, insomnia and mood swings. What’s being done at school to help these students? This article takes a look at long Covid’s devastating effect on children.

There are so many kind and wonderful people in this neighbourhood who just want to protect their homes. Building a community is hard, and we truly hope they will not be evicted to make way for shinier buildings.

This story about a simple act of kindness – picking up cigarette ends – is so interesting because of the students’ efforts to turn it into a sporting event. Perhaps one day we’ll really see it turned into a real competition!

The Luk brothers’ artisanship and dedication to the craft of making copperware deserves all the respect in the world, not to mention that the fish belly congee made in these pots sounds so tempting, we’re drooling on our keyboards.

As one of the last two remaining interim housing flats in Hong Kong, Shek Lei interim housing is home to vulnerable groups in society. But the government has decided to demolish the building due to safety concerns and has asked all residents to move out by the end of this year. The story tells the struggles of the affected households and reflects on the deep-rooted housing issues in the city.

This interesting story follows a young football fan who paid HK$25,000 to go to India to support the Hong Kong football team in their qualifying campaign for next year’s Asian Cup. The young Hongkonger’s passion for his team was very impressive, especially when he cheered so hard, he gave himself a sore throat.

This is a heartwarming story about a volunteer group, Duck the Food Saver, that collects surplus bread from bakeries and distributes it to people in need in Yuen Long. It underlines the alarming issues of food waste and poverty in Hong Kong, and warms us with the love and care of the kaifong and volunteers. The group sets a good example of how to handle food waste in the community, by sharing surplus food with those in need.

Earlier this year, the city’s broadcaster TVB sparked outrage when it released an episode of a TV show featuring an actress who darkened her skin and adopted a stereotypical accent to play a Filipino domestic helper. The article features opinions from various non-Chinese members of the community and shares their views on the controversy, as well as their personal experiences as ethnic minorities. It collects different voices, from actors to students, to present information about the city’s prejudice against ethnic minorities.

This piece offers a look at the highly stigmatised and male-dominated line of work. The writer talks to a 28-year-old female embalmer in Singapore, giving a voice to those who are dedicated to providing grieving families with comfort and closure.

The fifth wave of coronavirus was tough on everyone, especially the city’s cleaners. Not only did they have to work more, but there was also a chance of handling waste from residents who have tested positive for Covid-19, increasing their risks of catching the virus.

We could all learn from Waste Disposal Academy, a community education project launched by Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre last year, which educates students about responsible rubbish disposal and raises awareness about how hard the city’s cleaners work.

As of September, Hong Kong had 956 foster households and 874 foster children in placement. As of October 2022, 306 youth were awaiting foster care service.

The city has recently seen more foster families quit because of old age, and the emigration wave has only worsened the situation. This article sheds light on this devastating issue in Hong Kong.

The pandemic has felt very isolating, so this project about the meals people made at home during Covid lockdowns was a fun way of fostering connections with other people in the city, helping us realise that we’re all in this together.

Living in a society where achieving academic excellence is deemed the priority, there is never enough talk about taking a break when you need to. This article centres on 19-year-old Hong Kong poet Louisa Choi, who took a gap year to unravel unresolved childhood trauma. She opens up about her mental health issues and how writing on Instagram has helped her connect with others around the world.

With the city’s buzzing Cantopop scene, we talked to a music industry veteran, wordsmith Siu Hak, who has written lyrics for many prominent Hong Kong artists, including Keung To from Mirror. He shares how a new wave of Cantopop artists has resurrected the genre from being ‘a dying scene’ that lacked creativity.