A photo collection aims to raise funds for children who live in poverty, writes Lilian Goh

MANY TEENAGERS in Hong Kong are concerned about brand name clothing and designer jeans, but have they ever thought about children who cannot afford clothes?

Chan Wan-ling, 13, and her 12-year-old brother Wan-chun cannot remember when was the last time their parents bought them clothes.

Their parents suffer from illnesses which deprive them of the ability to work.

The family of four lives on the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) provided by the Social Welfare Department, which is not enough to buy new clothes for the children.

"We get free second-hand clothes from the charities, clothes donated by others. Even at Chinese New Year, we don't have new clothes to wear," said Wan-ling.

"Actually, we cannot even afford school uniforms," she said. "Every year towards the end of the school term, I ask senior formers if they have old uniforms that they can give to me."

When she was young Wan-ling said she sometimes felt sad about her plight.

She could not help being jealous when she saw other children shopping happily.

But she never looked down on herself. "I am just poor, there is nothing wrong with that," she said.

"I have food to eat and clothes to wear. I consider myself lucky.

"When I grow up, I want to contribute to society and help others because many people are helping me now."

Wan-ling is only one of the children living poverty in Hong Kong. There are an estimated 350,000 of them.

The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) has published Our Treasure, a collection of more than 100 photos that capture touching moments in the lives of 29 children who live in poverty. Some of them live in a crowded tiny cubicle; others collect cardboard boxes in the street to make money.

Last week, SoCO held a photography exhibition at the Cultural Centre and invited the Health, Welfare and Food Secretary Dr York Chow Yat-ngok to officiate at the opening ceremony.

The underprivileged children who attended the ceremony seized the opportunity to express their feelings and their expectations of the government to Dr Chow.

Wan-ling urged the government to increase the amount of CSSA they get and asked if underprivileged children could get discounts when buying clothes.

Although Dr Chow did not make any commitment, he promised to discuss the idea with textile and fashion businesses.

Another girl told Dr Chow that her parents could not afford to pay for extra-curricular activities for her.

She could not learn to swim with her classmates in the summer because the lessons cost too much.