SDG 01: No Poverty

SDG 01:
NO POVERTY

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

T&L Activities
Research

Working closely with community partners

The course “Service-Learning in Sustainable Development”, led by Dr Aries Wong of the Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance, gave students a thorough understanding of socioeconomic and environmental challenges by working closely with community partners to provide direct services. They gained first-hand experience of poverty, socio-economic and environmental issues. The activities also addressed different SDGs, of which poverty is one of the main focuses. Students presented ideas to community partners and carried them out in their communities.

HKBU Community Service Week

The Leadership Qualities Centre of the Office of Student Affairs organised a Community Service Week to nurture a caring spirit among students and promote a fairer and more inclusive society. Approximately 80 students created and organised activities for over 250 service recipients from six charitable organisations, including children from low-income families, underprivileged women and residents of subdivided flats. The students first received training led by professional social workers to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the service recipients. They then designed and carried out various activities to offer the service recipients meaningful experiences that expanded their horizons.

Experience of Chinese recent retirees on the effects of retirement on healthy ageing in Shenzhen and Hong Kong

Faculty of Social Sciences
Author: Daniel W. L. LAI

While many of us look forward to a comfortable retirement, having adequate retirement savings has become a thing of the past. A surge in retirees struggling with financial difficulties has redefined healthy ageing. By exploring the perspectives on healthy ageing and the impact of retirement on retirees in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the significance of maintaining financial independence and having sufficient social welfare provisions are emphasised. In Hong Kong, early retirees were yet to be eligible for senior citizen benefits. In Shenzhen, migrated retirees who receive pensions from their hometowns could barely support their lives in the city. In response to financial stress, retirees expressed a strong desire for re-employment and interest in community engagement, while age discrimination emerged as a barrier to their re-employment. The study hopes to raise awareness among policymakers and service providers of the importance of addressing the financial needs of retirees.

When means-testing meets work-testing: A multi-level institutional analysis of claiming in-work benefits in Hong Kong

Department of Journalism
Author: ZHANG Yin

This article addresses the lack of understanding regarding the experiences of individuals living in poverty and their interactions with the welfare system. Specifically, it focuses on the process of claiming in-work benefits (IWBs) for low-income families. The study presents a framework that analyses the experiences of these families at multiple levels of the welfare delivery system. Using the example of the Low-income Working Family Allowance (LIFA) in Hong Kong, which has a particular approach to IWBs, the research reveals the challenges faced by LIFA claimants, such as repetitive reassessments and difficulties in providing the required proofs for the means-testing and work-testing procedures. These experiences are influenced by broader societal factors in Hong Kong, such as long working hours and strict targeting of low-wage earners. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining the complexity of IWBs and their impact on individuals’ experiences within the welfare system.