Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Sino Group Launch Six-Month Meal Donation Programme to Provide Care and Immediate Assistance to the Community

The livelihoods of people, especially the less-resourced in the community have been impacted by COVID-19. In view of the need for immediate assistance, Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Sino Group (the ‘Group’) jointly launched a six-month meal donation programme (the ‘programme’) in collaboration with community partners. It is expected to distribute over 60,000 hot nutritious meal boxes to individuals and families in need in Hong Kong.

The community partners supporting this programme include Pei Ho (Ming Gor) Charity Foundation, The ABM Hong Kong Swatow Baptist Church Community Service Association, People Service Centre, J Life Foundation, and International Church of the Foursquare Gospel Hong Kong District. The service areas cover districts in Kowloon and the New Territories, including San Po Kong, Sham Shui Po, To Kwa Wan, Tuen Mun and Shatin.

Running from April till the end of October, the six-month programme will create job opportunities in transport and logistics, adding to the support from the Group’s volunteer team.

Mr Daryl Ng, Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Deputy Chairman of Sino Group, joined Sino Caring Friends in distributing meal boxes to the beneficiaries. ‘I have known “Ming Gor” and Ms Elli Fu of J Life Foundation since they won awards at our annual Spirit of Hong Kong Awards. I really respect and have been deeply touched by their selfless dedication to helping the less-resourced in their own and practical way – their vision of serving the community is in the same spirit as ours at Sino Group. I am glad to join them this week, with my wife Charis, in serving the community through this very meaningful programme. COVID-19 has affected the local economy and livelihoods of many people in an unprecedented way, and the less-resourced communities need help in basic needs like hot meals more than ever. In this critical period, we need to pull together to care for each other while the situation improves with vaccination roll-out and economic activities picking up,’ shares Mr Ng.

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Donation of RMB 16 million to Support Beijing Normal University and Shaanxi Normal University

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (NTFCF) made a donation of RMB 16 million to support Beijing Normal University and Shaanxi Normal University in nourishing local teacher talents in China’s western regions.

The donation supports both the Beijing Normal University’s Ng Teng Fong Teacher Development Programme and the Shaanxi Normal University’s Ng Teng Fong Training Programme for Secondary and Primary School Principals, aiming at giving teachers the best chance of succeeding by helping them acquire new knowledge in teaching and leadership, learning to innovate and keeping pace with development in education, and boosting the supply of high-quality teachers and principals in China’s under-resourced rural areas.

Mr Zhang Kai, Vice President of the Beijing Normal University and Director of the Beijing Normal University Education Fund, said ‘With our drive and passion, the University will continue to strive for excellence in teaching, and make greater contributions to rural education and sustain the dynamics of rural development in China’s western regions.’

Mr Lu Shengli, Vice Secretary of the Shaanxi Normal University CPC SNNU Committee and Director of the Shaanxi Normal University Education Fund, said ‘The University will design customised learning and teaching processes for local secondary and primary school principals based on an assessment of their strengths and learning needs.’

Mr Alexander Ng, Director of the NTFCF, said that education is essential to the development of the society. In recent years, NTFCF has continued to devote substantial resources to education in China’s western regions including retaining teacher talents. Mr Ng expects the donations can build hope and create a better learning environment for future leaders.

In 2018, NTFCF donated RMB 20 million to China International Culture Exchange Foundation for the establishment of the ‘Ng Teng Fong Education Fund (The Fund)’ with the aim of supporting the training of outstanding rural teachers in under-resourced rural areas. Over the past years, the Fund has successfully organised multiple teacher effectiveness enhancement programmes, in collaboration with different universities in China such as Beijing Normal University, Guizhou Normal University and Shaanxi Normal University, for some 100 outstanding teacher talents in rural areas of several western provinces, including Gansu, Guizhou, Shaanxi and Sichuan.

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and The Fullerton Hotel Singapore Partner with Viva Kids, Singapore to Launch the e-KidsExcel @ Nee Soon Programme

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and The Fullerton Hotel Singapore have recently launched a two year-long developmental programme, e-KidsExcel @ Nee Soon (e-KidsExcel), for some 110 under-resourced Primary 3 and 4 students who are on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Financial Assistance Scheme in Singapore since 23 March 2021.

In partnership with a local educational social enterprise, Viva Kids, the e-KidsExcel aims to providing weekly online academic tutoring lessons in either Science or Mathematics and various out-of-classroom activities, including coding workshops, bi-annual sports leagues as well as Fullerton Academy programmes such as culinary workshops and Fullerton Farm excursions, subject to the latest COVID-19 regulations and measures, for the students.

The launching sessions for the e-KidsExcel were successfully held between 15 and 18 March 2021 at three primary schools in Singapore, namely North View Primary School, Yishun Primary School and Naval Base Primary School. Meanwhile, every attended student was given a Samsung tablet with mobile connectivity and digital learning resources.

In addition, the e-KidsExcel targets on seeing an improvement of 10% in end-of-year exam results for at least 50% of the students and for 75% of their parents to report a positive improvement in their child’s behaviour in various aspects. To ensure a holistic and fun learning experience for students, the programme will be assessed at the end of each academic year.

Witness the Transformation of Two Great World Cities through ‘Photographs from the 1950s: Marjorie Doggett’s Singapore, Lee Fook Chee’s Hong Kong’

Sino Plaza, 1 April – 30 May 2021

Sino Group (the ‘Group’), together with Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (‘NTFCF’), and supported by the Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore in Hong Kong, jointly present the exhibition Photographs from the 1950s: Marjorie Doggett’s Singapore, Lee Fook Chee’s Hong Kong curated by the Photographic Heritage Foundation (‘TPHF’). The public exhibition at Sino Plaza will open on Thursday, 1 April 2021 until Sunday, 30 May 2021.

Ms Foo Teow Lee, Consul-General, Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore in Hong Kong remarks: ‘This exhibition is significant for two reasons: First, it allows us to bring a slice of Singapore and Singapore history to our friends in Hong Kong, even as we eagerly await the launch of our Air Travel Bubble, and the resumption of physical travel. I am grateful that art and photography allow us to transcend time and geography. On that note, I think it is a very meaningful experience to see Hong Kong through the eyes of a Singaporean son – Lee Fook Chee. Second, Singapore and Hong Kong have always shared close and warm relations. Hong Kong is home to one of the largest groups of overseas Singaporeans in the world. We have strong economic and people-to-people ties. This exhibition highlights the cultural aspects of our exchanges. Through the photography that defined both cities in the 1950s, we hope to showcase what we both share in our art, cultures and storied histories. My hope is that this exhibition will spark more opportunities for education and cultural exchanges, and bring our two cities even closer together.’

Ms Nikki Ng, Group General Manager of Sino Group and Director of Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation shares: ‘This heritage photo exhibition carries much meaning for Sino Group and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, as our family business started in Singapore in the 1960s, created by our late grandfather and the founder of Sino Group, Mr Ng Teng Fong, before he came to Hong Kong, incorporating our first company in this city, 50 years ago. This exhibition celebrates the shared history and heritage between these two great world cities of Asia, and we are delighted to present an enriching and educational event for the community and the public to enjoy. This collection of beautiful historic photos brings us through the journey of time, where East meets West, where modernity meets tradition, and reminds us of the passion for travel between Hong Kong and Singapore.’

The exhibition presents works by Marjorie Doggett, a pioneer female photographer who captured the cityscapes and buildings of Singapore with photos taken between 1954-1957, and works from Lee Fook Chee, a self-taught photographer who focused on streetscapes and automotive of Hong Kong during the same period. This ‘time capsule’ exhibition aims to showcase the parallel timeline of the 1950s in Hong Kong and Singapore, and the rich shared history between the two cities.

For viewers, Marjorie Doggett’s and Lee Fook Chee’s photographs, taken over half a century ago, present vivid portraits of Singapore and Hong Kong during the defining 1950s, which was a pivotal time of transformation for both cities. At the exhibition, viewers will see photographs in their historical and architectural context, such as images from 1950s Des Voeux Road, Central District and Hennessy Road, to the Cheung Chau Waterfront, rice growing in the western alluvian plain and a Hakka village in the New Territories. These appear alongside photos from 1950’s Singapore, including The Fullerton Building from Clifford Pier’s archways, the Raffles Institution, the characteristic godowns along the Singapore River, and the 19th century buildings at Collyer Quay. Many of the memorable landmarks capture the glory of the times, making their works an invaluable record.

The exhibition has been curated by photographer and photographic historian Mr Edward Stokes, who specialises in presenting Asian photographs taken in the mid-twentieth century with texts that reflect each photographer’s life and times. In 2019, Mr Stokes, NTFCF and the NUS Press Singapore published a book – Marjorie Doggett’s Singapore, featuring many of Doggett’s previously unpublished photographs, and a photographic exhibition was held in collaboration with The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Arts House showcasing Doggett’s masterpieces in the same year.

Mr Edward Stokes, exhibition curator and Founder of The Photographic Heritage Foundation, shares: ‘Following the success of the Singapore exhibition in 2019, it is an honour to bring this expanded exhibition to the people of Hong Kong, showcasing Marjorie Doggett’s works alongside Lee Fook Chee’s, creating a beautiful contrast between two of Asia’s greatest cities, and celebrating the life legacies of the two photographers in a cohesive and impactful storyline’.

The exhibition will also be accompanied by a series of free curatorial and educational tours for visitors and schools, available upon registration, introducing the history, architecture, iconic buildings and urban transformation of the two cities. Following the exhibition at Sino Plaza, a roving exhibition with highlights of the collection will take place between April to June across the city including at The Pottinger Hong Kong in Central, Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai, Royal Pacific Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, Citywalk in Tsuen Wan and Olympian City in West Kowloon. For more details about the exhibition and tours please visit: https://www.sino.com/en/50th-anniversary/.

Lee Fook Chee’s photo – © The Estate of Lee Fook Chee

Marjorie Doggett’s photo – © National Archives of Singapore

Pictured from left to right: Mr Edward Stokes, Ms Nikki Ng, Consul-General of Singapore Ms Foo Teow Lee, Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam, Mr Daryl Ng, Secretary for the Civil Service Mr Patrick Nip, Mr Helmuth Henning

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Continues to Support the Community and the Less-resourced with Donations to 100 Hong Kong Charities

Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation announces that over HKD10 million will be donated to 100 local small- and medium-sized NGOs in appreciation of their committed efforts to support the less-resourced and those in need in the community. 50 NGO representatives have been participated in the ‘Sino Group x Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Presentation Ceremony’ on 1 March 2021.

Mr Daryl Ng, Director of the NTFCF and Deputy Chairman of Sino Group says, ‘We are fully committed to helping people in need, and have been working closely with community partners to understand the needs of the less-resourced. By offering appropriate support, we hope to alleviate pressures on their livelihoods. Through our continuous partnership, we aim to provide care and support to the community during these challenging times.’

Ms Nikki Ng, Director of the NTFCF and Group General Manager of Sino Group shares, ‘We are thankful to our NGO partners, who have been working with a proven track record of supporting the community tirelessly in areas including mental health, physical rehabilitation, children and youth, ethnic minority groups and many other community services. For the eighth year running, the Group has co-organised the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards that recognises Hong Kong’s unsung heroes who quietly do significant work to serve the community.’