慈善機構工作者
CHARITY WORKER
Lik (“力” - strength)
Tai Kok Tsui (大角嘴)
10:00 - 15:00
“I’ve been working with ImpactHK for 11 months. I’m responsible for buying supplies and groceries for the organisation every day, which we then sort and package for distribution to the homeless. We often prepare bananas, boiled eggs, Yakult...and sometimes I help to cook too. I used to be homeless myself. I spent ten years on and off sleeping in the Happy Valley pedestrian tunnel. When I was little, I grew up in Wanchai. I didn’t like to go to school and started to hang out with some bad friends. We would play, steal, get into fights. I then spent about ten years in and out of jail. Back then I used to do odd jobs and shifts work here and there - I worked as a cleaner, a dishwasher, worked in restaurants...I just took it a day at a time. There are times when I would only eat one meal every four days. With or without money, you still have to keep living!”
「我喺 ImpactHK 度做咗11個月。我負責幫手買日用品同食物，然後將啲嘢食分類同分派俾啲露宿者。我哋通常會準備啲香蕉，雞蛋同益力多。有時候我會幫吓手煮嘢食。我自己以前都試過做露宿者, 有近十年瞓喺跑馬地行人隧道底。我細個嗰陣喺灣仔大。嗰時唔鍾意讀書，又群咗啲壞人。成日只係識玩同飲飲食食，同人打交。我跟住坐監出出入入都有十年。嗰時我會打啲散工 - 做過清潔，洗碗、打過洒樓工...一日一日噉過。有時我會四日先有一餐飯食。有錢冇錢，都係要過㗎啦！」
“I have a habit of waking up at 5am every day. Back in prison, we would be let out of our cells at 6:30am then spend the day working until 4pm. Dinner was served at 5pm and we would be taken back to our cells by 7pm sharp. It’s a bit of a cycle - you come out of jail, struggle to find work, end up homeless again, get into fights, and get back into jail. What I love about this charity is that they genuinely care and follow through to try and break this vicious cycle. Here at Impact, we help people from all ages. I know from experience that what homeless people need is not just some money and a free meal - they need to feel connection and hope.”
“Back in my homeless days, I spent a lot of time in public parks. They’ve now put the dividers on the park benches so people can’t lie flat. I would also hang out in the library and go to the public sports stadiums to shower. It was a very lonely time, especially in the winter and during the holiday seasons. I have my own home now; a rented room in Sham Shui Po. I’ve lost touch with my old “friends” - some of them have passed away, some of them are still on heroin. My own family is not around anymore - the people here at Impact are my family. I am 61 years old and my life is a lot more meaningful now than it used to be. I’ve changed a lot. I love and have a great connection with dogs and kids, and they seem to like me too. I got on an airplane for the first time to travel abroad recently. Was I nervous? Not at all, it’s just like going on a ferris wheel!”
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「我習慣咗每朝 5點就起身。坐監嗰時，我哋日日 6:30 喺監房度放出嚟，然後做嘢做到下午4點。5點食晚飯跟住7點就要返監房。就係咁 - 出咗監，搵唔到嘢做，又要露宿，同人打交，跟住又入返去坐監。我覺得呢個慈善機構最好嘅地方係佢哋真係好關心啲露宿者同埋會幫佢哋打破呢個惡性循環。我哋 Impact 幫好多唔同年紀嘅人。我自己嘅經歷令我知道露宿者需要嘅唔係小小錢同一餐飯 - 係要感覺到有人際聯繫同一份希望。」
「我露宿嗰時，有好多時間去公園坐。佢哋依家整哂啲手柄喺啲凳度等啲人唔可以平瞓。我有時又會去圖書館坐吓同去啲運動場度沖涼。嗰陣時好寂寞，由其是冬天同過時過節嗰陣。我依家有自己屋企，喺深水埗租咗間房。我同以前啲所謂朋友冇再聯絡囉 - 佢哋有啲已經過咗身，有啲可能仲食緊海洛英。我自己屋企人唔喺度囉 - 我覺得 Impact 嘅人係我屋企人。我今年 61 歲 - 依家過嘅生活比以前有意義好多。我個人變咗好多。我好鍾意狗同小朋友 - 佢哋都好似幾鍾意同我玩。前嗰排我第一次坐飛機出國。有冇驚？冇喎，好似坐摩天輪噉之嘛！」
