zontaclubofvictoria.org - Our Services

For Women

As the motto of the Club is to promote the status of women, services targeted for women have therefore remained as our focal point throughout the years. The following are highlights of several of such projects:

Facing up to future challenges - Harmony House

The target group was 50 women survivors of domestic violence who once stayed in the shelter provided by Harmony House. The project aimed to help the battered women integrate themselves into the society again through rebuilding their confidence and self-esteem. Such therapeutic programmes took the form of workshop on stress management, training on communications skills and networking techniques.

Alternatives to violence project (AV) -HK Family Welfare Society

AVP is a concept and means to reduce the level of violebnce at home by preventing such acts from happening. We believe the best solution to handle violence is to make people understand that they do not need to use violence to deal with anger and conflict. The workshop facilitated the participants to draw on the life experiences of others as learning resources which help to deal constructively with one’s anger and frustration and adversities in our lives.

Radio talk - show and phone-in programme

Our Club started an award-winning radio education programme in 1996 which has kept running on a bi-annual basis since then. Focusing on issues of special concern to modern women, the talk-show and phone-in program had met with over-whelming response not only from audience in Hong Kong but also from Southern China. Professionals within the club and external experts were lined up to share their views with the audience and to provide advice on topics including marriage problem, self-improvement, women’s health, child raising and finance. This project was awarded a Social Service Award from the 2001 Zonta International 11th District Conference.

Partnership with Industrial Relations Institute

On May 1, 2010, President Susan attended a story-telling concert 「勞動節中港女工說唱故事音樂會」organized by the Industrial Relations Institute, one of our Social Services partners. During 2007-2009, the Zonta Club of Victoria collaberated with IRI in subsidizing women from low income families from the Shum Shui Po district「深水埗低收入家庭支援發展計劃」 in a house cleaning project for the elderly in that area. The May Day concert was fun and enjoyable for both performers and audience.

Women on Stage

“Women on Stage” is another project we partnered with Hong Kong Family Welfare Society targeted to enhance the emotional wellbeing for underprivileged women; such as victims of spouse abuse, single mothers, women with family problems, low skills workers, new arrivals and those from the grass root with limited resources. It is a full year project starting in August 2010.

The emotional needs for this group of women are often being neglected. They do not know how and have the channel to recuperate their mental health. They are in need of support for more exposure and recognition to raise their self-esteem and as a result create a more positive family relationship. The project is to facilitate the participants to voice out their suppressed feelings, rebuild their self confidence, internal peace and sense of achievement through training and engaging women targets in performing or being the participants to sharing stories in the “Playback Theatre” and also through various forms of Art Training.

Girls with Dream

In August 2011, the Club has obtained fundings from Li Ka Shing Foundation's Love Ideas Love Hong Kong programme to launch an empowerment project for adolescent girls who are at risk of participating in compensated dating. Called "Girls with Dreams", this projected will be rolled by by Zonta Club of Victoria in partnership with Hong Kong Family Society around October 2011. More details to be provided.