The Group has been partnering with the South China Morning Post on the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards since 2013. The annual award scheme pays tribute to Hong Kong’s unsung heroes, whose quiet but significant work has made a positive impact on the community and made Hong Kong a better and more harmonious place. The ceremony was graced by the Guest of Honour, The Hon Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, GBM, SBS, PDSM, PMSM, Chief Executive of the HKSAR.
Seven award winners were selected by an independent panel of judges for their remarkable accomplishments in the perseverance, community, culture, innovation, teamwork, youth and sustainability categories. The eighth award, the Lion Rock People’s Choice Award, was determined by public voting.
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‘Since 2013, the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards have been paying tribute to our city’s unsung heroes, who have made Hong Kong a better and more harmonious place. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our co-organiser the South China Morning Post and to our partners and friends for being us with on this wondrous journey. One act of love can inspire many more. The lives touched and inspired will touch and inspire many more. May their spirit inspire us all to build a better Hong Kong.’
— Daryl Ng, Deputy Chairman, Sino Group
The Spirit of Community Award
Sanday Chongo Kabange
Zambian Sanday Chongo Kabange has lived in Hong Kong for more than eight years. Inspired by what he saw as a gap in community services for those less privileged, he works with various NGOs on a wide range of societal causes, in the hope of making Hong Kong a more harmonious place. Kabange considers his smile as his most important communication skill.
The Spirit of Culture Award
Sophia Hotung
Sophia Hotung had suffered from autoimmune disease, which made her bed-ridden and forced her to discontinue her corporate career. An iPad, which was a gift from her mother, was a turning point. She decided to spend the time teaching herself to draw using the iPad. This decision eventually led her to create The Hong Konger collection, her own take on the iconic cover art from the popular magazine The New Yorker.
The Spirit of Innovation Award
Florence Hiu-Ling Chan
Witnessing difficulties encountered by visually impaired people in jam-packed Hong Kong, Dr Florence Chan, CEO of AI Guided, and her team have developed a navigation belt featuring a patented methodology that provides vibration-based guidance to the user. Their invention of navigation assistance can make a huge change to a visually impaired individual’s daily life.
The Spirit of Perseverance Award
Michael Sheung-Yee Chan
Michael Chan developed brain cancer as an infant, and the disease left him with only 20 per cent of the vision in his right eye and hearing problems on the same side. He was bullied by his peers because of his appearance. He was admitted to a degree in government and public administration in Chinese University, and is now studying for a master’s degree in social work. He and his classmates established a non-profit organisation called Companion Hong Kong in 2019 to provide counselling services for students with mental health difficulties.
The Spirit of Youth Award
Ingrid Wai-Hin Chan
Ingrid Chan was driven to enhance the quality of life of dementia patients when both her grandmothers were diagnosed with the condition several years ago. The 17-year-old invented an award-winning application to enable elderly people with dementia to engage in fun, immersive games specifically created to enhance cognitive abilities and physical movements. Her application has earned honours such as the Gold Plus Award at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions.
The Spirit of Teamwork Award
Feeding Hong Kong
Feeding Hong Kong aims to tackle the twin problems of food waste and hunger by redistributing quality meals to provide support for multiple charities and create a win-win situation for everyone involved. Last Mid-Autumn Festival, it collected 65,000 surplus mooncakes and redistributed them to almost 100 charities. Since its founding in 2011, the organisation has supplied foodstuffs for more than 21 million meals.
The Spirit of Sustainability Award (presented by Ocean Park Hong Kong)
Lab0ver
Lab0ver, a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on changing the negative image of food waste recycling, has been named as the winner of the newly introduced sustainability category. Going beyond just promoting the concept, they set up street booths for food waste collection and then convert the fermented food waste into fertiliser for local farms. They strive to support local agricultural development while making good use of food waste to promote a sustainable economy.
Lion Rock People’s Choice Award
Hoi-Wu Lee
In 2014, Hoi-Wu Lee took over her family’s decades-old cha chaan teng business: Ngan Lung Cafe, which opened in 1968 within the Lei Yue Mun Fishing Village. She stressed that maintaining a human touch and serving customers with heart was just as crucial as the quality of the food served in terms of making her cha chaan teng a success. Lee also won the 2017 Milk Tea King Competition with a secret milk tea recipe passed down from her father.
