Better Food. Better Health. Better Live: A Nutrition Programme and Community Kitchen for Children living in Subdivided Units

Housing problems have been plaguing Hong Kong. A large number of low-income families are living in tiny, subdivided flats, struggling to provide sufficient play space and nutritious food for their kids, impacting the physical and mental health of both children and parents. To improve the nutritional status of subdivided unit families and create extended space to enhance their quality of life, we supported Caritas in launching the program. By the end of 2023, a total of 142 families, comprising 473 individuals, had participated in the program.

Location：Hong Kong

Partner(s)：

Project Highlights

Provide Food and Nutritional Support for Subdivided Unit Families

In August of this year, the program launched a food supply station service, providing meat, eggs, fresh vegetables, and fruits to subdivided unit families on a weekly basis. By the end of December, 21 activities had been conducted, providing food support to 128 families/428 individuals. Throughout the project, over 9098 kg of food were distributed to the community. Additionally, the program collaborated with the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to provide health checks, dietary analysis, and counselling services to 78 participants, helping them better understand nutritional knowledge, adjust dietary habits, and cultivate healthier lifestyles.

Connect Subdivided Unit Families and Build Mutual Support Communities

The activities conducted at the food support station have become a platform for connecting participating members. In early 2023, the program developed two mutual aid groups: "启晴学堂" allows members to showcase their talents, especially cooking skills, for mutual learning, while "共享新煮意" functions more like a study group, encouraging everyone to share recipes of interest and then try cooking together. From sharing food to sharing life experiences, many members have become friends after the activities, which is one of the main objectives of the program: to encourage mutual assistance and build broader social networks.

Create Extended Living Space to Connect Subdivided Unit Families with the Community

The program opted for schools and restaurants conveniently located near the members' living areas to host activities like sports, cooking classes, lectures, and workshops. These events aimed to enrich the leisure time of both parents and children. Additionally, the program collaborated with secondary schools and universities, encouraging students to volunteer and participate in these activities. This initiative promoted mutual communication and sharing, fostering stronger connections between subdivided housing families and the community.

Project objectives

Project Strategy

Progress

Project and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Projects	UN Sustainable Development Goals	SDG Targets	Overarching Efforts
Better Food. Better Health. Better Live: A Nutrition Programme and Community Kitchen for Children living in Subdivided Units	Zero Hunger	2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.	Support Caritas – Hong Kong to help families and children living subdivided units in Hong Kong by providing fresh, nutritious food.
	Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages	3.4 By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.	To create an extended living space for the subdivided unit families by utilising the after-school space, as well as to enrich the after-school life of grassroots children; to raise caregivers' awareness of food nutrition and to apply nutrition knowledge to help children grow up healthy.