Tencent has announced that it is bringing the company’s annual charity campaign “99 Giving Day” to Hong Kong once again this year, partnering with three reputable charity organizations including Orbis, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGH) and the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK). The organizations will set up programmes for donations on the WeChat Pay HK charity platform, with donations to be matched by the Tencent Charity Foundation (“Tencent Foundation”). 

Founded in 2015, Tencent's 99 Giving Day is now the most popular and renowned public charity campaigns in China, bringing together enterprises, charities and donors to address a diverse range of challenges that affect the local and global community. This year marks Tencent’s 7th annual “99 Giving Day”, an opportunity that the company initiated for different parties in the global Internet-based ecosystem to come together and plant the seedlings of goodwill.

Support to local charity organizations in Hong Kong serving underprivileged communities

In Hong Kong, the annual charity campaign officially kicked off today with an offline volunteer event. Mr Christopher Hui, JP, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and Mr Forest Lin, Corporate Vice President of Tencent and President of Tencent Financial Technology, joined Tencent employees in the preparation and distribution of hot meals at Food Angel, a Hong Kong-based non-profit food rescue and assistance organization. 

Following strict safety protocols, our volunteers repurposed rescued food items in Food Angel’s central kitchen in Sham Shui Po, and prepared a total of 2,183 nutritious hot meals and food packs, which were distributed to people in the needy community in Hong Kong.

The offline volunteer event was a natural extension of an online "Stamps for Food” initiative, which was jointly launched by WeChat Pay HK and Tencent Charity in July this year, as part of Tencent’s efforts to support local charity organizations in serving underprivileged communities.

From July 1 to December 31, users of WeChat Pay HK can donate a charity stamp after completing their first purchase of the day via the platform. WeChat Pay HK will convert all charity stamps donated by users into a corresponding amount of monetary donations each month, and Tencent Foundation will donate the equivalent funds to Food Angel. Every 10 charity stamps will go toward the preparation of a hot meal costing HK$12, and a total of one million charity stamps is expected to be donated by WeChat Pay HK users. 

"Hong Kongers are well known for our enthusiasm in charity, and I'm pleased to take part in the renowned 99 Charity Day via an offline volunteer event. It's the future trend to raise charitable funds through the Internet and social media, while the thriving digital payment in Hong Kong will further contribute to the healthy development of internet and technology empowered public welfare in Hong Kong, “ said Mr Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury. 

"We believe that technology will not only make people’s lives more convenient, but will also bring dignity, power and courage to people and connect our communities together. Good use of technology can inspire the goodness nature of human being, connect the community, and have a positive impact on people's real life. This is one of the best ways for us to realize Tencent's vision and mission of 'Tech for Good'. Last year, 99 Giving Day was launched for the first time in Hong Kong to assist local charity organizations to raise donations through contactless payments during the pandemic. I have no doubt that Hong Kong citizens will continue to actively support and participate this year, “said Mr Forest Lin, Corporate Vice President of Tencent and President of Tencent Financial Technology. 

Mr Christopher Hui and Mr Forest Lin joined Tencent volunteers in the preparation and distribution of hot meals at Food Angel, helping people in need.

Partnering with Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Orbis to address local and global issues

This year, Tencent is joining hands with Orbis, TWGH and UNICEF HK to raise funds through five programmes that target at different groups of community.

The recent Tokyo Olympics has drawn more public attention to Hong Kong athletes. To help underprivileged students unleash their potential in sport and arts, Tencent and TWGH will call for donations that subsidize TWGHs students for participation in competitions, trainings and purchasing equipment. 

Partnering with Orbis, the campaign this year will support the self-assessment of common eye problems, deliver eye health talks and distribute education kits. There are also blindfold workshops organized by Orbis to encourage local communities to cherish their sight by experiencing firsthand a small taste of the difficulties blind people face every day. Proceeds from 99 Giving Day this year will travel further and fund the setup of eye centers in remote areas of Bangladesh, where the visually impaired population is estimated at 750,000. 

Extending a helping hand across borders

Love and public welfare knows no boundaries. In view of the COVID-19 situation, Tencent is also collaborating with UNICEF HK to fund the COVAX Facility, which aims to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. The donation will enable the safe storage and delivery of vaccines to the most remote places in the world, as well as the availability of personal protective equipment and professional training for front-line healthcare personnel. 

Additionally, UNICEF HK is also calling for donations to improve nutrition of children in need in more than ninety developing markets. Donations will be used to provide micronutrient powder and therapeutic milk to keep children healthy or to save a malnourished child's life.

From now to September 9, members of the public can choose their preferred programme and donate via WeChat Pay HK. Tencent Foundation will match the first HK$1 million in donations.