Buddies Program
Each year, we provide approximately 8,000 young people with an opportunity to develop their self-confidence and sense of team spirit through our innovative sea activities. One-third of the participants are children and young people with physical or mental disabilities.
What is the Buddies Program?
Since 1996, the Buddies Program has complemented our sea adventure training with a service for both young people with special needs and the rest of the Hong Kong community. The program's aim is to promote social integration of people with and without disabilities. The Buddies Program pairs groups of volunteers with participants that have disabilities. Each volunteer participates in the training on equal footing with one or two buddies who have special needs.
Over the past several years, Adventure-Ship has formed close connections with the special schools, rehabilitation service units and volunteers of different walks of life in promoting the integration of people with disabilities and the mutual understanding among other members of the community.
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Objectives
| > | To provide an opportunity for positive interaction between volunteers and young people with special needs |
| > | To increase volunteers' awareness of people with special needs in Hong Kong |
| > | To give participants with disabilities individual attention and friendship |
Buddy Qualifications
| > | An enthusiastic and caring attitude |
| > | A commitment to interacting with people who have special needs |
| > | Swimming skills preferred, but not required |
| > | Patient communication skills |
| > | A willingness to be a partner, not simply a helper, of your buddy |
| > | A commitment to the entirety of the buddies program, from the pre-trip briefing through the post-trip debriefing |
