Strive and Rise
Background
The Strive and Rise Programme, initiated by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2022, is a visionary initiative designed to address the pressing issue of intergenerational poverty among secondary school students from underprivileged backgrounds, particularly those residing in subdivided units. This programme is built on three core elements: mentorship, personal development plans, and financial support, aiming to broaden students' horizons, reinforce self-confidence, and instill a positive outlook on life, thereby enabling them to set and achieve personal goals and break the cycle of poverty.
PwC China has been a steadfast supporter of the Strive and Rise Programme since its inception, aligning with our commitment to enable more individuals to have the same opportunities to learn and grow. Our involvement is rooted in our belief that investing in education is crucial for empowering the next generation and building long-term resilience. We actively engage our professionals as mentors, leveraging our human capital to guide and inspire students.
Impact and outcomes
The Strive and Rise programme seeks to expand students’ perspectives and enhance their self-esteem. It promotes a positive mindset and assists students in setting ambitious goals to pursue upward mobility, ultimately breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Our volunteers have been instrumental in the mentorship component, providing life experience sharing, goal setting, and financial planning guidance to foster students’ personal and academic growth. Through business visits and job-shadowing experiences, students gain valuable insights into various career paths, inspiring them as they plan for their futures. Over the past few years, we have successfully paired more than 200 PwC volunteers with student mentees.
In May 2024, PwC welcomed over 200 mentors and mentees to our Hong Kong office, graced by the presence of Mr Eric K. K. Chan, the Chief Secretary for Administration of HKSAR. During these special events, PwC volunteers generously shared their time and expertise as mentors and tour guides. This event marked a significant milestone, highlighting the programme's impact and PwC's ongoing commitment to contribute to the initiative.
“As volunteers in this programme, we act as mentors for secondary school students. Besides sharing our knowledge and life experience with them, we also guide them in finding their dreams as well as understanding more about themselves, for example strengths and interests. We play a role in helping them to plan their career in advance and teach them skills to overcoming obstacles in life to become more resilient in the future. I enjoyed immensely my two-year mentoring journey. Given the chance to shape the future of our next generation, I find that this is a very meaningful programme indeed. I am grateful for our firm’s full support in this programme, enabling us to provide job-shadowing sessions to students under special arrangements. As much as we find joy in contributing to society, this programme also enriches our lives and broadens our horizons, including learning about other fields and industries beyond our specialisation. I would sincerely invite others to join this programme to make a difference in somebody’s life.”
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