街坊帶路團隊每天辛勤地為建立更友好的社區連結工作,有時也需要一些「充電」的空間。今年上旬,我們核心團隊成員一起進行一連三天的退修活動,暫時離開平日繁忙的工作,讓身心靈休息之餘,也為未來的機構發展做好準備。這次我們特別邀請了多位星級嘉賓,就三個社區主題,分別與團隊成員交流,非常精彩。
首天是以「可持續旅遊」為主題的農場體驗活動,作為退修的起點,活動設計是由沉澱、反思和個體出發。我們來到自然脈絡教育農場,回歸自然,在烈日之下,先做一些簡單農務工作,活動一下身體,再親身體驗食物得來不易的過程:由劈柴、生火、採摘蔬菜到烹調,全部親力親為,合眾人之力做好一頓美味素食午餐,味道零舍不同!首輪對談環節,我們邀請到香港前環境局局長黃錦星先生,GBS,JP,以及有「野人」之稱的自然脈絡教育農場負責人莫皓光先生,與大家一起交流有關可持續發展的議題,對談充滿啟發性,在此感謝兩位特地抽空分享經驗和心得。
大家在農場玩得樂此不疲,在爬樹屋、行後山等等的活動中,似乎在都市的忙碌節奏以外,找到了另一個從未發掘的自我。在最後環節裏,每人用一個字來總結去年的自己(我選了「活」字),大家再用團隊所選的每一個字,組成一句句子,總結街坊帶路在2022年的歷程。希望各位正在為社區工作的伙伴同工,也要記得適時休息放鬆,才能在這條長跑路上走得更遠。
𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑: 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐈 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐈𝐈)
At the core of our endeavors lies a relentless commitment to enhancing community connections. However, it’s crucial to pause, recharge, and foster team spirit. Earlier this year, our core team embarked on a transformative three-day retreat program. Temporarily stepping away from our daily hustle, we provided our bodies, minds, and souls with much-needed rejuvenation while setting the stage for the company’s future growth. To enrich our experience, we invited respected guests to share and exchange ideas on three pivotal community topics with our team.
The theme of the first day was “Sustainable Tourism”. Our activities, designed for personal reflections as the start of the retreat, took place in the beautiful Natural Network, an education farm surrounded by nature. Under the warm sun, our team engaged in simple farm work as a physical warm-up. Later, we shared a special moment as a team, collaborating to prepare and cook a wholesome vegetarian meal. From chopping wood to kindling the fire, selecting fresh vegetables from the farm, and cooking the meal, the entire culinary experience felt extra meaningful, especially for us urbanites who embraced every step of its creation.
During the day’s enlightening exchange session, we were honored to have Mr. Wong Kam-sing, GBS, JP, the former Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR, and “Yeah Man”Mr. Mok Ho-kwong, the founder of Natural Network, join us for a discussion on sustainability. Their insights and presence were inspiring, and I sincerely thank both guests for taking the time to join us despite their busy schedules.
Beyond the intellectual exchanges, the farm offered us a wealth of joy and adventure. From climbing tree houses to hiking through nature’s embrace, we experienced a different side of ourselves away from the city’s hustle. As the day came to a close, we used one Chinese character each to symbolize our personal experiences in the past year (I chose the word “活,” meaning “to live”). These individual characters were then cleverly combined to form a profound sentence summarizing Kaifong Tour’s 2022 journey. The exercise brought us closer and prepared us to look forward to the growth of the coming year.
This meaningful first day surely reminded us of the importance of finding peace in nature and rejuvenating our spirits. I hope by sharing this experience, you, my fellow social entrepreneurs, community workers and community enthusiasts will also prioritize self-care on this enduring journey. Let’s remember to nurture our bodies and minds as we continue to make a positive impact on the world around us.