Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: social entrepreneur takes the lead in mentoring young generation, at just 22 years old

Hongkonger Evony Tsang Hau-yi is only 22 years old and has already become a driving force behind the promotion of social entrepreneurship.

As part of the Fullness Social Enterprises Society (FSES), she currently oversees more than 70 social enterprises and manages hundreds of activities and school engagement initiatives.

“In 2016, I joined the ‘Young Social ChangeMaker Camp’ during my post-exam period as a secondary school student. The camp provided invaluable learning opportunities and a platform for collaboration, allowing me to explore innovative solutions to address societal challenges,” she said.

“Being part of this meaningful activity has been a transformative experience.”

Tsang is now in charge of the Young Social ChangeMaker Camp, which aims to introduce students of all ages to the values of care and creative thinking through the concept of social entrepreneurship.

The camp is run by the Social Entrepreneurship School Education (SEnSE) Programme, which is co-organised by the FSES and Chinese University’s cultural and religious studies department.

The event inspired Tsang to become more immersed and take on other roles such as membership of executive and organising committees, before going on to become a young entrepreneur and core member of the larger programme.

Tsang is a Spirit of Youth finalist in the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, an annual event co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group that honours the achievements of remarkable individuals whose endeavours might otherwise go unnoticed.

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Dr Tse Sze-hei, Tsang’s direct supervisor and the programme’s founder, said the 22-year-old had mentored more than 20 teams of young social entrepreneurs and helped them secure a total of over HK$3 million (US$383,000) in funding.

He said Tsang had also helped to empower participants to pursue their dreams and address social needs by offering them her guidance, knowledge and experience.

“Throughout the years, Tsang has evolved from a student in the audience to a dynamic participant, an influential member of our organising committee, a driven young entrepreneur, and a valuable asset to our team,” Tse added.

The project coordinator at Chinese University said Tsang had actively shared the concept of innovative education and social innovation through a variety of channels, including engaging with universities, secondary schools and on social media platform

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Looking back, Tsang said she was “grateful for the opportunity to join the workforce and swiftly become a valued team member at this impactful NGO”, despite not being admitted to a university degree programme at age 19.

“This early career start has given me a head start compared to many of my peers, and I take pride in the accomplishments I have achieved thus far,” she said, adding that she had recently attained a bachelor’s degree by studying part-time.

The 22-year-old said she also hoped to bring Hong Kong’s political, business, social, civic and academic circles closer together.

She was recently elected to the Kowloon City District Youth Development and Civic Education Committee, a role that she hoped would allow her to engage with various sectors and support young people.