Due to domestic and family violence and emotional issue, Yui Ming was arranged to stay in Evangel Children’s Home when he was 10 years old. He had to leave his home at a young age. According to the social welfare regulations, he must age out at the age of 18. However, Yui Ming has not yet completed the DSE course yet, so he went home to live with his mother with an attempt of trying. There were still many conflicts. Because he had to take care of both school and part-time jobs, his mother complained that he had been often away from home, and he is useless with little earnings, and should not live at home. He was often ridiculed, and his belongings were being thrown away from home. It was not possible to continue living with her, and he was forced to leave again.
Later, he learned that there was a “Second Chance in Life Sponsorship Program”, and he returned to Evangel Children’s Home after half a year to stay in their youth home. The home provided a transitional residence and a stable place to live. A mentor discussed the road ahead with him, and his heart gradually settled down. Yui Ming said frankly that when he was at home, there were no elders to talk to him about this topic, and he was often the only one, and he was very confused about the future. “I need a lamp to see the way forward” was Yui Ming’s voice at the time.
After graduating from DSE, Yui Ming successfully joined the MTR as a railway maintenance worker. The two-year transition period of the Youth Home was over. The mentor helped find a kind-hearted landlord that he moved into small units in the urban area at lower rents. With a stable job and home, Yui Ming set goals for himself to take courses related to maintenance and hoped to become a maintenance master in 10 years. In his spare time, he would also join volunteer services and participate in voluntary tutorials, hoping to help children with similar experiences through his own experience.
Looking back, Yui Ming was very grateful to the people he met, those who helped him, and led him to grow. He used to be introverted and he was afraid of many things. Nowadays he had learned the skills to be independent and he knew how to take care of himself. He believed that “people must be contributing, and the important thing is to learn.” He learned how to deal with things and how to respect others. He did not feel resentment about his background. He saw his family important. Even if he could not get along for some reason, he would still need to meet up family members, love and care for them because his family could not be replaced.
Yui Ming encourages fellow youth to learn to equip themselves, find the target like a shot into a basket, keep their eyes on the shot, and stick to the target.
TVB Sunday Report – “After Age 18”
http://news.tvb.com/programmes/sundayreport/5c8dd478e6038321761c9163/4/十八歲後
