(5) Chong Kong Halfway House

With the sponsorship of The Social Welfare Bureau, Chong Kong halfway house was founded and opened on 9 March 2001. The Social Welfare Bureau also provided facilities, equipment and other needs. The Christian New Life Fellowship in Macao is in charge of the halfway house’s management and operation. Its vocation has always been to help ex-addicts to reintegrate and to rebuild their families. Services provided include: lodgment, psycho- therapy, skills training and profession referrals.

Looking back the work in 2004, there was a development of providing diversified services shown in chart 1, the main points of works were the following:

(1). Motivate trainees to find a job, enable their ability

The majority of graduated trainees had already found a job when leaving the Halfway House. Comparing the employment situation between last year and years before, apart from beneficial of overall economic improvement, the Halfway House also increase its resources such as mobilizing trainees to enroll profession training course held by the Labor Affairs Bureau, which is a stepping stone for them to familiarize the working environment. Furthermore, the Halfway House would contact commercial organizations for providing work trials and transfers for trainees.

(2). Upgrade trainee’s personal quality.

Visited “Pak Dai Lei Elderly Center”

In order to adjust trainee’s value concept, the “Quality Management Workshop” was realized last year with objective of teaching them how to deal with people and the ability to face adversity. The workshop allowed trainees to know themselves and face problems with positive attitudes, by avoiding weakness, brutal reaction and relapse when failure occurs. Besides, they will learn to care the community and have the spirit of serving others, by means of visiting Betania Elderly Center, and voluntary building cleaning, these help to build a positive image for ex-addicts, as well as a good way to eradicate the prejudice on them.

(3). Follow up discharged trainees

Educate trainees the spirit of sacrifice and serving the society

After the departure of trainees, due to the difficulties of building up a new social life at the beginning, it is easy to commit the same mistakes without the care of others. Therefore, the Center paid a great attention on the follow-up. Since May to December, the Center provided 123 persons/frequences non residential services, through telephone emotion support, personal counseling, gathering and sharing. On these occasions to give advise on the pressure and problems of their work and life.

Sporting Day

Most of the discharged trainees will back to the Halfway House and join the regular activities, some were kept on 6 months or over one year, which is a great encouragement for our staff. However, the main problem for them was dismissed by their employers after their past was discovered, that struck their confidence on work. Therefore, the acceptance of the society is crucial for them to start a new life. The Center will carry on the work of last year in 2005, in addition, strengthen voluntary work within communities to positive ex-addicts’ image. Meanwhile, the Center will develop the work in prison and provide assistance to ex-addicts who left the prison. Furthermore, the Center will co-organize professional training course with the Labor Affairs Bureau, which allows acquiring professional skills and increasing the chance of being hired. As a word, the services of the coming year will comply the social development, based on the needs of trainees, to provide diversified adequate quality service to those needed.