The 3rd crucial event of the Life Mentorship Programme, Our Life Stories, was held on 25 February successfully despite the challenges arising from the 5th wave of the pandemic. The theme was ‘Interact Share Inspire’.
In January, everyone hoped that the social distancing measures would not affect our face-to-face sharing occasion the following month. To play safe, our discussions were done through Zoom and WhatsApp.
The Chinese New Year was approaching. Most of the mentors were very busy. At the same time, mentees were also tied up with school work and part-time jobs. In spite of our hectic schedules, both mentors and mentees still grasped every opportunity to interact with one another. The sharing had deepened communication and sparked inspiration.
As the number of infection cases kept increasing constantly, we had no choice but to confirm that the event would be held online. Many of us were a little disappointed. To spice up the programme, it was suggested arranging online voting for 14 awards, such as The Most Creative Award, The Most Inspirational Award, The Most Popular Award, etc. after the sharing sessions. Mentors supported the idea.
Before the event began, students-in-charge spent time rehearsing and choosing appropriate songs. The memorable moments finally came. Mentees in pairs presented the stories of the mentors that they had been working with. It was indeed more meaningful than to have the latter showcasing their own experience. 16 stories represented the life history of 16 mentees. Though our backgrounds and challenges were very different, each story was great.
We feel grateful that the Institute of Active Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, had organised such a meaningful Life Mentorship Programme that gave us an opportunity to meet a group of creative youngsters. Everyone of us hopes that the pandemic will end soon so that we can hold our reunion.
