A Year of Awakening in Hong Kong Homeschool Leadership
- Dr. Lai
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
“When the heart is wide, every place becomes a Peach Garden”（心寬處處是桃園）. This ancient Chinese phrase has guided me through the past year. It reminded me that peace comes from a heart that chooses clarity and courage, even when the world reveals its shadows.
A Simple Intention
My journey in Hong Kong’s homeschool movement began with a simple intention: to support families pushed to the margins of the education system. I donated money to help establish the Hong Kong Homeschool Association and built the foundational infrastructure—including the website and the formal registration—to give families a place to learn, connect, and grow.
I believed kindness would be met with kindness. I believed service would inspire service.
The Shock: When Kindness Is Treated as an Opportunity for Profit
But reality was far more complicated.
Some volunteers did not see this work as service. They saw it as a chance to take money for themselves. They lied to obtain funds. And when their lies were uncovered, they spread rumors to justify their actions—claiming that “volunteers taking money is normal in Hong Kong,” even though this was never the agreement, never the spirit, and never the purpose of the work.
Then others followed.
Once one person succeeded in taking money, more volunteers began asking for payment simply for participating in community support. Some even questioned my generosity, despite knowing that every dollar came from my own personal donation—and that these funds were meant for educationally marginalized students, not for themselves.
These experiences left me asking:
- How can volunteerism be twisted into personal profit so easily?
- How can highly educated people convince themselves that greed is acceptable?
- How can a platform created for marginalized families be turned into a tool for self‑interest?
- How can anyone question my generosity knowing the support came entirely from my own donation?
- And how could they ignore that these funds were meant for marginalized students, not for personal benefit?
Stepping Away, Then Returning
Seeing the system misused broke my heart, and I stepped away. But sincere educators and families reached out with gratitude and encouragement. Their messages reminded me who I was truly working for.
So I returned—not for the greedy few, but for the families who needed support and the children who deserved a different path.
Protecting What Matters
Returning meant rebuilding with boundaries. I spent months closing loopholes, restructuring systems, and preventing misuse of the platform. My goal was to restore the original mission: people helping people.
A Message to Hong Kong’s Homeschool Community
May we build a community where kindness is protected, service is genuine, and homeschool students feel joyful in their learning and confident in their academic growth.
Written By Dr Lai hsa.hk
