Ms. Claire Lam started her Yew Chung life from Kindergarten and was an IGCSE graduate in 2004. Then, she pursued her bachelor degree in University of British Columbia, with psychology major, in Canada. Now, Claire is an Oxfam Hong Kong Youth Ambassador. She came back to alma mater and held Oxfam Hunger Lunch to share her precious experience with our students on Sep 24, 2009.

Oxfam's first Youth Ambassador Campaign attracted around 165 youth aged 18-35 in Hong Kong, but only the 10 most voted participants were considered. Four were then selected by Oxfam's Ambassador Judges to enter the final interview round together with the single top most voted participant. All five finalists subsequently were interviewed by five judges, very knowledgeable and well established individuals in Hong Kong. Finally, they announced the finalist on August 3rd 2009, who would travel to India as Oxfam Youth Ambassador.

We are so proud that Claire is one of them!


The following is the inerview with Claire:

1.   You’ve personal involvement as an Oxfam Hong Kong's Youth Ambassador, why did you make a choice to work for NGO?

It wasn't really my choice to work for any particular NGO, but it just so happens that I came back this year looking for some volunteer work to do, and my friend urged me to go vote for him in this online "contest" for Oxfam's Youth Ambassador. I saw this program online and felt like it was also something for me, and decided to give it a try. I decided to take a gap year after my undergraduate degree because I realized there were some things that I may not be able to pursue after I begin working full time, for example taking some time off for volunteer work, or taking up new hobbies.


2.  What made you to be successful as the Oxfam Hong Kong's Youth Ambassador?

 I think the judges were most impressed by the fact that I did some of my own research beforehand, including reading up on poverty, India's growth, and NGOs. I think this was how they realized I was serious about wanting to work with Oxfam, and not taking the opportunity as merely a travel experience. Another quality was also perhaps to do the judges feeling how passionate I was in trying to do something for our world, and the value I have for dreams and what pursuing dreams meant.

3.  What was your most unforgettable experience when you traveled with Oxfam to India as their Youth Ambassador?

My most unforgettable experience was when we interviewed some families in Bihar and found that many women like Meena had one dream- to have a toilet in the village. When asked why having a toilet meant so much, the women explained to us that presently, women had to get up in the midnight or wake up before dawn to go out into the fields to get rid of their excretion. They had to go out in groups of 3 or 4 for protection, either from unexpected assaults from men or poisonous snake bites. I had no idea why women could not just go in the daylight, but found out later that because women occupy a low status in India's caste system, their body was not supposed to be exposed to men besides their husband and children. Being someone who uses the washroom quite frequently, I realized that this was not to be taken for granted, and that the quality of a dream can range from necessities to something more farfetched.


4. What did you learn during your time at Yew Chung? Do you think your choice of life owes much to the education in Yew Chung?

 I'm sure my life choices were affected somewhat during my education at Yew Chung, especially since I spent so much of my life in this school. I can say what Yew Chung provided me with most was opportunities. She helped me build a lot of confidence to explore and learn beyond the textbook, and great opportunities include the (Boston) Model United Nations and the Global Young Leaders Conference. The World Classroom Programmes were also most memorable and invaluable. I think it is important for education to prepare students to think with different perspectives and adaptability, which Yew Chung definitely provided me with.

5.  What are your aspirations?

I hope to be able to use my ability and energy to achieve some form of stability in this world. By stability I mean I recognize that this world is often unstable, with wars and inequalities and hunger and poverty and rights abuses etc. I hope that more people will gain conscience and become proactive in solving the world's issues, taking care of their resources and being grateful for their rights in order to realize that much needs to be changed. I also hope to be able to use Psychology to help more people within the society, as more and more people in Hong Kong are under the pressure of mental illnesses with no proper outlet or treatment. Lastly, I hope to be able to have a voice. A voice that will be heard and understood, a voice that will motivate.  


6.  How do you feel about interacting with our students?

It was a great experience to be able to speak to students at my mother school. It was an exciting feeling to be able to picture myself at their age wearing their uniform. I felt like the students were active and willing to participate, eager to learn from our simple games that represented themes about poverty. It was particularly memorable when I listened to the reporter interview some students, and I realized they were already aware of some NGOs and their work. It was really great for them to understand the importance of donations and for their worldly awareness, especially at such a young age! It was a great experience and gave me more confidence to work with other schools in the future. 


7.  What is your advice to our current students?

I think it's really important for youths to prepare themselves for worldly awareness like political and poverty related issues. Youths are a particularly vulnerable group but also a particularly open and creative group. International affairs definitely need creativity in tackling issues, therefore I believe youths are very important in this process. Right now is the best time to be grateful for your education and to do something with it, because they will soon realize that knowledge is power in this world, and with power comes a lot of greatness if used in the correct and productive way. I wish Yew Chung students all the best, and most importantly to keep their minds open and adaptive in our world today!