Community Investment and Inclusion Fund launches television documentary-drama “Affairs of the Heart” to promote social capital

The Labour and Welfare Bureau’s Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) will launch a television documentary-drama series entitled “Affairs of the Heart”. Inspired by real cases of CIIF-funded projects and touching stories in the community, the first episode of the series will be broadcast on September 21.

To promote the programme, a mooncake making activity was held today (September 10) to celebrate the coming Mid-Autumn Festival, an occasion filled with love and care. Participating guests included the Labour and Welfare Bureau’s Deputy Secretary, Miss Leonia Tai; RTHK’s Assistant Director (TV & Corporate Businesses), Miss Chan Man-kuen; the Vice-chairman of the CIIF Committee, Professor Joe Leung; the Chairman of the Promotion and Development Sub-Committee of the CIIF Committee, Mr Andrew Kam; carers participating in a CIIF-funded project; and the main cast of the programme. They made healthy low-sugar mooncakes together and then shared among carers and their families to show mutual help and care.

Speaking at the occasion, Professor Leung said, “Generally speaking, social capital is manifested in mutual help and trust among individuals. In a community with strong social capital, people unite, especially during difficult times, to overcome challenges and are willing to help and care for each other. This spirit of mutual support within the neighbourhood is an important element of social capital.”

Mr Kam said, “ ‘Affairs of the Heart’ is inspired by various real cases of CIIF-funded projects. We hope to spread the concept of social capital to every household through the mass media, emphasising the importance of mutual help and trust in building a caring community. For example, the mutual help spirit among carers is featured in the programme’s first episode, highlighting the long-term trust among carers and their mutual support network”

“Make A Difference: Building a Sustainable Cross-sectoral Carers’ Support Network” (“Make A Difference”) project is one of the CIIF-funded projects and mainly supports female carers whose family members are chronically ill, old and frail, or have disabilities. It allows carers with similar backgrounds to help each other and ease their loneliness in looking after their family members. Since July 2012, the project has recruited more than 420 volunteers and attracted over 2100 participants.

At the mooncake making activity today, Sandy and Chung, both aged over 60, shared with participants their changes after joining the “Make A Difference” project. Both of their mothers are aged over 90 and suffer from dementia. Having said goodbye to their past stressful days, Sandy and Chung have not only built up a mutual support network with carers, but have also proactively taken up volunteer roles to help carers who are experiencing similar difficult times. “Sometimes when we (carers) pat each other’s shoulder, we know the support and encouragement it means,” Sandy said. Chung said she very much hoped to offer support to carers and it was the love and care among carers that motivated her to eagerly arrange mutual support activities.

Jointly produced by RTHK and the Labour and Welfare Bureau’s CIIF, “Affairs of the Heart” features caring stories in the community to promote social capital through its 30-minute episodes. Inspired by real cases of CIIF-funded projects and caring stories in the community, the programme conveys core messages of social capital such as mutual trust and help, social cohesion and inclusion. The real cases include carers taking care of their chronically-ill family members, rehabilitated offenders, a new arrival youngster and his good friend and mentor, house captains who are willing to help their neighbours in public housing estates, “story-telling aunts” who are popular among children, and a group of middle-aged men with a strong spirit of brotherhood.

The eight-episode documentary-drama series will be broadcast every Wednesday at 6pm and 8:30pm on TVB Jade and RTHK TV 31 respectively from September 21 to November 9. The RTHK website tv.rthk.hk and the mobile app “RTHK Screen” will offer live broadcast and programme replay will be available afterwards. The CIIF will also launch online quiz puzzles and the audience will stand a chance to win a gift set. For details, please visit www.facebook.com/ciif.hk.

Group photo of all guests attending the mooncake making activity.

Professor Joe Leung, Vice-chairman, Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) Committee (right); and Mr Andrew Kam, Chairman, Promotion and Development Sub-Committee, CIIF Committee (left), hope to spread the concept of social capital to every household through the television documentary-drama series “Affairs of the Heart”.

Two carers, Sandy (left) and Chung (right）, share their changes after joining a CIIF-funded project.

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