This project was first organized with the Warehouse Teenage Club (Warehouse) in January 2011. Warehouse is a registered charitable non-profit making youth centre for youngsters between the ages of 13 and 25. Founded in 1992, Warehouse aims at providing a safe place for the youth to develop healthily and holistically. This project will focus on festival and environmental work. Volunteers can learn the history and meaning behind the Lunar New Year, one of the most important festivals of the Chinese, get involved with the preparation and operation of the flea market booth, and experience the unique culture of this traditional Chinese festival. You will also help beautify the living environment of the teenage club through planting and farm site formation.
Aims:
- Promote and appreciate the culture and tradition of the Lunar New Year. - Beautify the living environment of the teenage club through planting and farm site formation by global and local voluntary power. - Promote the friendship, understanding and solidarity among local young people and cross-national workcampers.
Voluntary work:
Set up, decorate and operate the flea market booth with local young people in the Aberdeen Winter Fiesta before Lunar New Year. Prepare, produce or pack up the products and materials for sale at the flea market. Remove Mikania and weeds within the premises to help protect the plants and keep the area out of mosquitoes. Pick up shed leaves to set up compost with buckets to facilitate organic gardening in the premises and install an irrigation system.
Accommodation:
Volunteers will stay in the dormitory of the Warehouse. Warehouse is housed in what was once the Aberdeen Police Station, which was first established in 19th mid-century, after a full-scale renovation in 1995. To reflect the significant historical value of the building, the Hong Kong Government has classified Warehouse as Grade III historical building. The living environment in Warehouse is simple and basic. Volunteers will sleep in the dormitory rooms with bed, pillow and mattress. Sleeping bag is optional.
Location:
Aberdeen is located at the south shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Population is approximately 60,000. It is famous to tourists for its floating village and the floating seafood restaurants such as the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. Many of the Tanka people, associated with the fishing industry, still live on fishing boats.
Terminal:
Hong Kong International Airport
Remark:
1. Volunteers are responsible for carrying out the daily work by turns, such as cooking and cleaning work. 2. Smoking and alcohol are not allowed within Warehouse, including both indoor and outdoor space.
Local Organizer:
The Warehouse Teenage Club (Warehouse) is a registered charitable non- profit making youth centre for youngster between the ages of 13 and 25. The Warehouse was founded in 1992 by the late Professor Frank White, who observed many Hong Kong's youngsters lacked a purpose in life and space to develop healthy hobbies, and loitered in the streets after school. Some even became addicted to alcohol and abused drugs. Determined to find a safe place for youth to develop healthily and holistically, Professor White and his like-minded associates championed the need for The Warehouse Teenage Club. The Warehouse Teenage Club strives to remain the Second Home for youngsters to develop their creativity and multiple talents through meaningful, innovative, and effectual activities. Warehouse hopes to broaden their horizons, enhance their learning, and cultivate youngsters who not only treasure life, but also respect others, and be confident and reliable to contribute actively to the society.
The project is co-organized by VolTra and The Conservancy Association (CA). CA, founded in 1968, is the non-government environmental organization with the longest history in Hong Kong. A nature conservation management project for Long Valley has been organized since 2005, which aims to conserve Long Valley s landscape and biodiversity through a series of active habitat and species management measures. Long Valley is a historical site of paddy rice production in Hong Kong with hundreds of years of history and its ecological value is closely related to its agriculture. However, many farmlands have been abandoned due to aging farming population, insufficient labour and low financial return. Sustaining the local agriculture has a vital role to conserve local biodiversity and farming tradition. In this connection, CA has initiated to engage the local stakeholders to resume freshwater habitats and sustain wet farmlands, such as reintroducing paddy rice, Chinese arrowheads, water chestnut and lotus cultivation.Aim:1.Sustain eco-paddy rice farming and other types of wet farming in Long Valley to support wildlife and local farmers living2.Participate in harvesting and ecological monitoring work to support the environment and farmers living3.Learn and appreciate the importance of local agriculture and its relationship with ecology Voluntary work:1.Rice and crop harvesting work2.Weed and apple snail removal work3.Wildlife monitoring work
Accomodation & food:
Workcampers are accommodated in the farming hut located in the farmlands of Long Valley. The living environment is very simple and basic but in a peaceful rural living style. Male and female workcampers will share the same living area and there is no partition in the accommodation space. Workcampers are required to sleep on the wooden floor and carry their sleeping bags. Toilet, tap water, electricity, refrigerator, and fans will be provided at the farming hut.
Location & leisure:
Long Valley is located at the northern urban edge of Hong Kong. With a total area of 150 hectares, it is the largest agricultural freshwater wetland in Hong Kong. It is composed of more than 400 linking farmlands with wetland farms, fish ponds, swamps, streams and Fung Shui Wood which provide ideal habitats for local wildlife. More than 200 bird species, including a range of international conservation concern species, have been recorded at this tiny piece of land. The high ecological value of Long Valley is well-recognized in both local and global scales.
Requirements:
1.Workcampers are responsible for carrying out cooking and cleaning duties by turns. Budget for food will be provided and food materials will be shopped by workcampers. Workcampers can collect fresh vegetables and fish from different farms in Long Valley or buy food from local market for cooking. All meals during the workcamp will be low carbon meals . Dark meat will not be served.2.A primitive but clean squat toilet cum bathroom is available at the farming hut. Workcampers are required to scoop and boil hot water for bathing. No cleaning chemicals, including toothpaste, artificial cleaning detergent or soap, are allowed to be used in the camp site in order to prevent pollution. Natural or biodegradable detergent, like tea seed powder and sea salt (natural toothpaste), will be provided.3.July to August is the hottest and wettest period in Hong Kong. The average temperature ranges from 27(C to 32(C and can even reach 35(C in Long Valley during day time. The average humidity is around 80. Typhoon and thunderstorm are sometimes frequent, which may cause heavy rainfall. Workcampers may need to work under hot and rainy weather with due consideration of personal safety. Workcampers are therefore advised to drink enough water to prevent heat stroke during their work, and should keep a close eye on health condition as well as avoid working outdoor under extreme weather without instruction. 4.Mosquitoes are unavoidable in rural area. Mosquito net and coil incense will be provided. Please remember to bring mosquito repellent. Organic or natural one is recommended.5.No Smoking and alcohol are allowed within the farming area of Long Valley, including both indoor and outdoor space.
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
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