Hong Kong actress Michelle Wai Sze-nga recently visited the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong Cheerland Kindergarten in Tseung Kwan O, where she read to 19 children an illustrated book on consular protection and outbound travel safety published in June by the Immigration Department.
During the event, the children eagerly listened to the tale, raised their hands to answer questions, and memorized the slo-gan “1868, remember it before you go.”
Wai expressed her appreciation for the event, which highlighted the importance of the 1868 hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit. “I didn’t just learn something new, but I can also share this message with others,” she said.
In addition to storytelling, Wai, along with ImmD assistant director (Personal Documentation) Yeung So-ying, distrib-uted the storybook as well as plush toys of Ah Bong, the AHU mascot, to the children.
Wai recalled an instance when a family member required medical attention abroad and noted that she was previously unaware of the 1868 hotline. “It was through this event that I discovered how useful this hotline is.”
She had previously collaborated with the ImmD in 2023 to promote identity card renewal, and expressed being honored to once again take part in this initiative, which she described as “a fun experience.”
The illustrated book, featuring Ah Bong, uses engaging narratives to intro-duce children to topics such as travel insur-ance, travel alert systems, understanding local customs, and the 1868 assistance hotline.
The ImmD has aimed to instill a sense of consular protection and national iden-tity among primary and kindergarten stu-dents through the illustrated book, with a view that children nowadays have more opportunities to explore the world, shared chief immigration officer (International Co-operation) Tse Chun-fung.
The storybook had been distributed to over 1,500 schools and kindergartens for the beginning of the new school year. An electronic version is also available for download from the Education Bureau and ImmD websites, and the book will soon be accessible for borrowing in public libraries.
