Writer: Prudence Lam

Under CarbonCare InnoLab’s SolarCare Programme, a solar PV system consisting of 30 solar panels with a capacity of 13.05 kWp was installed for the Lamma Training Centre of Barnabas Charitable Service Association Limited. The system's first-year electricity generation was approximately 13,020 kWh. Since the system's launch in 2022, Barnabas has received monthly Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rebates and has been utilising the funds to improve their planting area and organising a series of activities, enriching the rehabilitation journey for their trainees.

Over the past year, a wide range of activities were organised by the Training Centre, including different interest classes, for example, organic farming, cooking, sewing, table tennis, basketball, home repairing, and mountaineering; and other experiences such as Flag Day, recycled fashion show, outdoor trips, and even a 18-day outward bound activity! With over 100 attendances across these activities, the trainees have not only learned essential skills for daily lives, but also established a positive mindset to embrace challenges, and leave the drug-addictive days behind.

The participants were grateful for these opportunities. Chi-chi (紫紫) visited an organic farm in Kam Tin, and was eye-opened by the variety of fresh harvests like roses, lettuces, dragon fruits she saw, “I realised the world is so big. There are a lot of places we can go, not only places with drugs. We picked some vegetables and cilantro back to the dorm for our friends. Then, we went to the strawberry farm, and guess what? The strawberries are that expensive! $120 per half a kilo!” 

Ki-ki (琪琪) and Kiu-bo (喬寶) who joined the 18-day outward bound have even more to share! They challenged themselves to difficult journeys like sailing, mountaineering, and kayaking. When they finished the trip, they realised they are capable of overcoming challenges, and felt really empowered by their own perseverance and courage! “Seeing my teammates never give up and work hard on their roles despite the rough waters, I really learned a lot about perseverance from them,” Ki-ki said. On the other hand, Kiu-bo said she “had experienced it all” during the five-day mountaineering trip, but she was incredibly grateful and gained confidence for her future path. 

The participants also practised giving back to the society, for example, Yan-yan (欣欣) participated in  Flag Day of the Hans Anderson Club. It was her first time selling flags and she found it awkward when she started. But then she managed to actively ask passengers and finished flag selling task with great satisfaction. She found it happy to be able to help others and hoped for the next round of volunteering. 

Besides the participants, the tutors of classes also gained. Miss Red, a retiree, taught the sewing class at Barnabas. She was happy to pick up her childhood hobby and contribute to society with it at retirement. 

Barnabas Charitable Service Association Limited was founded in 1981 with the aim to provide residential drug treatment and rehabilitation services, including Gospel care, bible study, counselling, education and extracurricular activities, for female drug abusers at different ages. Participants will first stay in the Lamma Training Centre for 9 months, then are transferred to Ma On Shan Half-way House for continuous treatment and be prepared to integrate to the community. The solar panels installed on two rooftops of the Lamma Training Centre were first implemented in June 2022. 

Click here to learn more about their solar pv systems

Information and photo source: Barnabas Charitable Service Association Limited: Lamma Training Centre