From uncertain teens to change-makers
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When Loren Lung Chi-ho and Lau Chun-ming first encountered the CLAP@JC programme, they were both grappling with uncertainty, emotional turbulence and the fear that they would never find their place in the world.
Lung had just scored four points in his Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams, feeling hopeless and disconnected, while Lau struggled to reconcile her love of theatre with the pressure to pursue a "practical" career.
Today, both are registered social workers, dedicated to helping others find purpose and direction.
“I couldn’t see a future. I didn’t know who I was or what I was meant to be,” Lung, now 29, recalled. Bullied in his younger years and still grieving the loss of his father, he found himself spiralling emotionally.
“I was so lost back then, mentally and emotionally. But then I was introduced to CLAP@JC by a school social worker, and that was the turning point.”
For Lau, now 22, the journey was equally profound. “I used to think having a steady job meant giving up what you love,” she said.
“I felt confused about how to make my interests part of my life in a meaningful way. Meeting Loren and joining CLAP@JC gave me a new perspective. It was like joining a family where your passions are valued.”
CLAP@JC, launched in 2015, is a youth development programme that combines life planning, personal growth and employability tools to help young people make sense of and adapt to a fast-changing world.
Lau said, “Young people shouldn’t just be seen as passive recipients of support. We can be leaders too. We can be co-creators.”
Looking ahead, both Lung and Lau are passionate about building on what they have learned. “If I can walk alongside someone the way others do for me,” Lung said, “then that's success.”
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South China Morning Post
From uncertain teens to change-makers
Once struggling with self-doubt and a lack of direction, two young Hongkongers found clarity and purpose through CLAP@JC, an initiative of The Ho...
