Celebrating our city’s unsung heroes: two winners of the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards share their inspirational journeys
- Sanday Chongo Kabange, who won the Spirit of Community Award, shares how curiosity and a wish to help others drove him down the volunteering path
- The Spirit of Culture Award winner, Sophia Hotung, turned to digital art when her autoimmune disease put the brakes on her corporate career
The Spirit of Hong Kong Awards recognise the city’s unsung heroes. Photo: Edmond SoThe 11th Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, which recognise the city’s unsung heroes, concluded with a gala on December 1, 2023. Two of this year’s winners, Zambian volunteer Sanday Chongo Kabange and artist Sophia Hotung, shared their inspiring journeys and perspectives with us.
Kabange, winner of the Spirit of Community Award, has dedicated the past eight years to volunteering and working on various societal causes.
“Each opportunity to volunteer has provided me with a good memory,” Kabange said.
He shared that his curiosity and desire to support others have been his biggest motivations for doing volunteer work. Kabange emphasised the importance of finding meaning in volunteering and suggested starting small and gradually building up involvement.
“You need passion to do these things,” Kabange stressed.
Volunteer work fulfils his need to give back to the community and empowers him with skills and knowledge, he said. It also helps him find purpose in the community.
“Find something you like, start small, and build up from there,” Kabange said, using these words to encourage youngsters who want to start volunteering. He suggests readers find volunteer work that aligns with their passion, ambitions and interests. He also mentions that one should slowly build up their volunteering time and not overdo it.
The Spirit of Culture Award winner, Sophia Hotung, while sharing her insights with us, said she pivoted to digital art in 2021 when her autoimmune disease made it impossible for her to continue her corporate career.
She is the artist behind “The Hongkonger” collection, which has been exhibited at various art expos. Hotung’s work supports advocacy and education initiatives for people with chronic disability issues, women’s rights, and the representation of Hong Kong in art and literature.
Hotung believes traditional art can be complex to get into, and it often causes stress because of the need for time and money. Thus, she has embraced digital art.
Hong Kong is the inspiration for her artwork.
“I would just walk around,” the artist explained, adding that she might not have a particular destination but would just take photos along the way.
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The colours, patterns and locations are the foundation of her artwork. Apart from the photos, she focuses more on the people’s stories she wants to tell.
Hotung’s motivation is her enthusiasm for her job. “Being able to look forward to something in a day, whether you do it after or at work, is motivation on a day-to-day level,” she noted.
She makes art a fun part of her day, even when she is not working.
On the other hand, when she gets flashes of her bad times, she finds it difficult to get any motivation going for her. However, when she stopped putting pressure on herself, she started to feel motivated again in an organic manner.
“It’s hard because you feel like you have to be useful, but I think sometimes, to be useful, you just have to stand still and be a potato,” said Hotung.
When she started her business, the one challenge Hotung faced was that she was devoting herself too much to other people. When she tried to satisfy everyone involved, it was exhausting for her. She believes the most powerful solution is to accept the
fact that sometimes, not everyone will agree with you.
Hotung counts everyday kindness as a contribution to the community. “Talent, treasure, and time are a useful framework of contributing,” she added.
Both winners’ heartfelt contributions are meaningful and inspiring to the youth of Hong Kong, and there is a hope that youngsters can learn from Kabange’s and Hotung’s experiences.
Established in 2013, the awards shine a light on the city’s unsung heroes and celebrate their achievements. Nominees are ordinary people who make a difference by supporting the broader community.
The awards have recognised more than 200 contributors and told their stories over the past decade.
Junior reporters Agnes Wong Hei-yi and Joe Li Ching-nam