Some noteworthy Social Enterprises in 852: Part 1
Social enterprises are businesses that built with specific social and environmental objectives， aim to bring influence on the community rather than profit for its shareholders. As at Apr 2021, there are 659 established social enterprises in Hong Kong. This article comes in 2 parts. Below are the 2 of the 5 HK-based social enterprises that sure to inspire…
Rebook
Parents of young kids, do you have problems looking for English books for your kids that don't cost an arm and a leg? Have you encountered the problem of not knowing what to do with the books your kids have grown out of?
Hong Kong's biggest secondhand children bookstore, Rebook is the answer.
Started in 2019, ReBook is Hong Kong-based, non-profit social enterprise founded and managed by students. The goal is to extend the shelf life of books by providing convenient and eco-friendly platform for books to be reused and enjoyed by other young readers.
Rebook is located in the heart of the city, Central.
When enter the shop, you will love its cozy environment. Carpets, armchairs, table for grown-ups and another for little ones at the sitting area, making it a pleasant reading corner.
Before you start browsing the books, this price list will catch your attention. Books are being priced with little stickers of different colors which made it a fun way for the kids to learn about price.
Now comes the main spirit of the shop, the books. They have a huge collection of books for kids of all ages.
On the shelves, you will find:
Baby books (Birth to aged 4)
Pic books (Aged 3-8)
Chapter books (Aged 6-8)
Chapter books (Aged 9-12)
Young Adults Fiction
Art, Activity, Jokes & Cookbooks
Comic/Graphics Novel
Non-fiction
Study Guides for IB, GCSE, ACT
Enjoy your books at the reading corner and good luck with finding some bargains that your little ones would enjoy. If you still have books in good condition that your kids have grown out of, why don't you bring them to Rebooked to give them a new home?
Address
1/F, 9 Mee Lun Street
Central
MTR station: Sheung Wan (Exit A2)
STORE HOURS
Mon to Sat, 12nn to 6pm
*CLOSED on Sundays
Tel: 63495025
Website: https://www.rebooked-hk.com/ –
Hong Kong Free Tours “HKFT”
If you are thinking about reconnecting with the community in this Post-Pandemic-Disconnected-World but don’t know where to start, well, you may start here.
Partnering with Free Tour Community, HKFT determines to provide a platform to connect tourists with the locals and let tourists see Hong Kong from the local perspectives. The pay-what-you-wish concept makes sure the quality of the tours and tour guides are the best.
In Pic: Michael Tsang as the tour guide of the Disappearing Victoria Walking Tour. Photo Credit: HKFT
When HKFT established in 2017, the tours were popular among international travelers. Tourists who joined HKFT tours could get a glimpse of history and culture of Hong Kong, tour guides would offer tips on how to experience the city, and places to eat and shop. Despite being ranked the world most visited city by international travelers in 2019, Hong Kong’s tourism took a sharp turn by the social movements that brought forth by the Extradition Bill. While the city was experiencing the biggest divide among the communities, coronavirus outbreak in the early 2020 did not help to reunite the society. It was found that the common factors that may have caused this happening – disinformation and misinformation. Netflix’s documentary “The Social Dilemma” explains a lot on how technologies can be exploited and what they actually do to our societies.
After the pandemic hit and brought international travel to a halt, HKFT created ‘Hong Kong 101’ with new and fun topics that inspire locals to rediscover the diverse and multicultural of Hong Kong they already know. New contents emphasis on the what’s happening in HK by taking them to the heart of the community, exploring thorny issues that most talked about among the locals, i.e., housing, poverty, cultural heritages that are disappearing, refugees and LGBT.
Drag Queen in LGBT Tour. Photo Credit: HKFT
Guest speaker, Tina, the drag queen with HKFT happy participants. Photo Credits: HKFT
After the Russian – Ukraine war started, they invited natives from Ukraine and Russia to share with the audience about the experience on the ground on live webinars.
Guest speaker, Anya, at Zoom Live Chat “Ukraine Connected”. Photo Credit: HKFT
HKFT collaborates with different NGOs and social enterprises to provide customized tours. Such Educational Theme Tours, Volunteering & Workcamp, lectures and activities can be arranged on request for small groups and institutions. These activities help the locals stay connected to the society while social distancing and promote understanding and empathy among the communities through face-to-face interactions.
Website: https://hongkongfreetours.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hkfreetours/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hkfreetours/