Schools forced to shut, social life suspended, job opportunities curtailed: The economic turmoil wreaked by the pandemic has made life more challenging than ever for young people struggling to find a path into the working world.

The impact is felt particularly keenly by disadvantaged youngsters whose prospects are further diminished by difficult family backgrounds, a lack of education resources, and an emotional rollercoaster in their home lives from early childhood.

A sympathetic ear and the support of mentors can make the world of difference, however, and that is why CLP Power decided in 2018 to sponsor the CLP Energy for Brighter Tomorrows Award programme organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), in order to instil hope to the younger generation.

The award celebrates the positive attitudes and achievements of young people in challenging circumstances who stay resilient in the face of adversity and maintain an unwavering determination to pursue their life dreams.

The inspirational programme is part of CLP Power’s ongoing mission to encourage sustainability at all levels of Hong Kong society, with youth engagement and development a key focus.

Every year, around 200 young people are nominated by more than 100 schools in Hong Kong in a rigorous selection process that sees 20 students awarded with certificates and cash prizes of HK$5,000 each.

More importantly, however, award-winning students are teamed up with mentors who offer them a constant helping hand and listening ear, passing on their experience and support to the youngsters whenever it is needed.

Here are the moving stories from two award-winning students and their mentors.

Bake to the future

Born in Hong Kong, Grace Wong’s life was plunged into turmoil at the age of eight when her parents separated and she was sent to live with her stepmother in Shenzhen, where she dropped out of school.

Four years later, she returned to Hong Kong and re-enrolled in a primary school where she caught up with her studies and rose above her difficulties through a keen love for baking.

As she grew older, she fine-tuned her skills with a summer job in a restaurant. Wong is now a full-time student majoring in service management and runs her own online bakery.

A hair-raising adolescence

Lok Leung grew up in a single-parent family and fell under the influence of street gangs when he dropped out of secondary school.

After a troubled period, he got an apprenticeship in a hairdressing salon and was put back on track by his employer who encouraged him to keep studying and set clear goals for his future.

At the age of 17, he returned to school as a junior secondary student to continue his interrupted education, and is now the owner of two barber shops.

Leung was teamed up with mentor Joe Lo, a CLP Senior Strategic Planner, under the award programme in 2018.

“It was the first recognition of that kind I had ever had in my life,” he says of his award. “I found hope in myself, and learned how to overcome difficulties with his help.”