Following the success of its first Project Wild Goose, the Regional Crime Prevention Office of New Territories North (RCPO NTN) and the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service have repeated the project with a multi-disciplinary approach.

Several hundred secondary students living in NTN have applied to join the project and 48 junior secondary students with minor misconduct records have been selected mentees under the scheme. Meanwhile, more than 100 police volunteers serving in NTN Region have responded to a police mentor recruitment exercise and 48 of them have been selected.

Each of the selected students has been assigned with a police mentor, who will provide guidance through small group activities and specified major events. Committing a whole year to looking after the mentees is no easy task for the police mentors, but 15 police volunteers who took part in last year's project are continuing to support this year's project and provide every assistance to their fellow mentors.

To equip the mentors with the necessary skills, RCPO NTN arranged over the past two months for the Cheer Lutheran Centre and Jockey Club Fu Shin Lutheran Integrated Service Centre to conduct a three-day training course, which covered team-building, co-operation and understanding young people's habits and needs. During the course, Ms Leung Lai-yee, Assitant Professor of Social Work at the Hong Kong Baptist University, and Mr Wong Kin-lung, Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong University, imparted their expertise to the mentors.

The first major event, "Matching Day Camp", took place at Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centre in Tsuen Wan on November 4, attracting the attendance of 60 mentors, programme helpers and 48 mentees. The day's schedule was very tight, including a speech given by Chief Inspector Lam Ping-yun, RCPO NTN, and encouragement to the mentors and mentees by the Principal of Sik Sik Yuen Ho Dao College of Yuen Long, Mr Siu Chi-sun.

Following a simple but solemn opening ceremony, the mentors and mentees began a series of matching games. Both parties totally committed themselves to and enjoyed this activity, despite a sweltering hot day.

Immediately after the "Matching Day Camp", the mentors and mentees mixed well with each other, and were divided into ten small teams. On the following day, some mentors took their mentees to the peak of Ma On Shan on a field trip for five hours. After the trip, the mentees all said they had developed an interest in hiking and thanked the mentors for sharing their hiking experience and teaching them the skills to deal with emergencies.

The mentees are eagerly looking forward to more upcoming events.

Big smile after completing a mission

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