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Pinky and Fanny share behind-the-scene stories

Pinky, Fanny and the Australian team at the launch ceremony of The Fred Hollows Foundation in Hong Kong. 

In search of meaning at work

Being the first two staff members to work for The Fred Hollows Foundation Hong Kong, we asked Pinky and Fanny what they are most proud of having achieved over the past five years, and what were their most memorable moments. Both agreed that one of the most satisfying aspects of their work was watching the organization grow from a start-up environment to a stable entity that has been steadily growing due to the loyal support of different stakeholders. According to Fanny:

“Despite there being so many NGOs active in HK, it is gratifying that we have been able to recruit so many supporters. It shows that the work we do in the field is truly important and resonates with the Hong Kong community.”

Professor Fred Hollows, the late Founder of the organization, had once said that the most basic attribute of mankind is to look after one another; and this sentiment is echoed by our two founding staff. Pinky shared that she had wanted to work in the non-profit sector for a long time, and feels deep satisfaction that: “Even though I’m not directly in the front line, I know that every activity I do, every dollar I raise, serves to help someone.” Fanny echoed her sentiments, adding one of her most memorable moments:

“It’s so amazing to see the smiles on people’s faces when I visit the field and witness the ‘patch off’ moment. I remember the time I visited a young boy called “Little Dragon” who had his sight restored by FHF. Everyone was smiling and emotional, my colleague was crying and even I had tears in my eyes – it will always stick in my memory.”
 

Pinky (second to the left) and Fanny (left) at a radio show. 

A friendly work culture

The Foundation cares deeply not just for our patients and beneficiaries, but also focuses on accountability to our donors as well as the wellbeing and development of our staff, embedding our Core Values of Empowerment, Action, Integrity and Collaboration across all aspects of our work. As Pinky says:

“What particularly attracted me to The Foundation, was that during my interview, both of the staff from The Foundation were very friendly and I felt very comfortable with them. I really liked what I perceived to be the culture of the team. Since then, I have been proven correct – the culture here is good, the organization values staff and their development, and this is why also I’ve stayed all these years.”
 

Pinky (left) working with volunteers at an event.

Make the world a better place 

Finally, as we look towards the next five years, Fanny and Pinky would like to thank our supporters:

“Thank you for your donations – although this sounds very official… without your support, we could not have made it these five years! Eye health is often neglected by society, but even though the eye is such a small organ, sight is such an important part of quality of life – we cannot thank our supporters enough for helping us to restore and preserve sight all over the world.”

The Foundation would like to thank and congratulate these two staff members, whom colleagues have described as “funny, talented and warm”, and “artistic, meticulous and helpful” for their five years of wonderful service. We hope, like them, to remember that every act of kindness helps. As Fanny believes: “Everyone has the responsibility to make the world better in his or her own capacity”, and we should all remember to follow Pinky’s encouragement to: “Not waste time, act now and have no regrets when you are gone.” Thank you both!
 

More on our 5th Anniversary 

• Five Years with Ming Chung
• Support from Goodman 
• Story of Dr. Godfrey Lam
• Agnes Tai - bridging business and charity

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