Freedom
makes a world of difference
Simon
Chau Sui-cheong gives his children plenty of room to grow
Lau
Kit-wai
South China Morning Post
October
23, 2007
Green activist Simon Chau Sui-cheong says his children are the reason why he still hasn't lost hope with the world.
"I thought I would burn out one day if not for the next generation," says Dr Chau, a father of two and chairman of the Green Living Education Foundation.
He has been promoting green and environmental issues in Hong Kong for decades.
"I've felt this way for a long time, especially 20 to 30 years ago when I was the only fighter ... and everybody thought I was crazy. I thought I was going to burn out or give up."
But that feeling eventually subsided when his daughter, Ho-fan, was born 27 years ago. His son was born four years later. "The world is so bad, but as a parent you have no choice but to fight on," Dr Chau says. ...
Ho-fan has enjoyed the freedom and confidence she has had since she was a child. After she graduated from Li Po Chun United World College, she spent almost a year teaching in a rural area on the mainland.
Then she studied at Swarthmore College, a liberal arts college in the US where she learned almost everything from philosophy to dancing.
During those days she also went to Poland to train with a professional dance troupe for a year.
Now she is a freelance teacher and stage performer, inspiring people while being inspired by the world.
"I learned from my dad that you have to be a good person and have to be a good role model to change the world," says Ho-fan.
...
"In the past I always thought about changing the world, but now I think that's too much to do. I think if you can sort out your own life, those around you will eventually be touched and changed," she says.