We invited Ms Nancy SIT, a renowned actress and a single parent also known as “Mama Nancy”, and Ms Jessie YU, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Single Parents Association, to be our guest mentors at the final session of the Career Challenge 2008-2009. They talked about the challenges of being a single parent and the value of self-reliance and self-esteem. They also encouraged the students to respect people with family status, in particular, persons who are single parents. While some may consider the children as a burden to single parents, both Mama Nancy and Jessie feel that children are the source of strength and support to single parents. They said they had the courage and confidence to face the future because of their children.

When Mama Nancy asked, “Who, among you, has ever said ‘I love you’ to your parents?”, only about one-third students raised their hands. Mamma Nancy and Jessie encouraged the students to express their love to parents as that is what the parents value most. Jessie told the students that no matter what her daughter did for her, whether giving her a note or a pair of slippers when she went home, it would remain a sweet memory forever.

Referring to the venue of the sharing session, which was wheelchair accessible, Jessie said, a little accommodation to the access can help the people in need overcome the obstacles and enjoy equal opportunities of participation. “Unfortunately, many people in the society do not make accommodation for the persons from single parent families,” she said. She wished that the public would stop discriminating against the single parent families so that these families could grow in a healthy environment.

A student, whose mother passed away two years ago, said he was still mourning the loss. He asked how he could overcome the grief and handle the memory of his mother. Mama Nancy and Jessie encouraged him to take good care of himself and live cheerfully saying that is what every mother wants. Before her departure, Mama Nancy gave that student a warm hug of encouragement.

In the Q&A period, Chan Yan Yu, Julia, who is also a student reporter of the Education Page of the Ming Pao, raised the last question. Please click here if you wish to read her report on Mingpao.com about our event.