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About Me

Hello everyone, I am Valerie Shek, a Grade 8 student at The Independent Schools Foundation Academy. I love debate, horse riding and netball. I am also deeply passionate about raising awareness of the underprivileged community and fostering inclusion for neurodivergent children. As such, I recently took the initiative to start my own passion project, Simplyempower_HK along with some like-minded friends. Our mission is to spread kindness through supporting underprivileged families in our community. We hope to strive to create a more equitable and compassionate world through volunteering and community outreach. It's been an incredible journey so far, filled with learning, growth, and the opportunity to make a positive impact.

Being a graduate of the UNITAR cohort has expanded my understanding of the SDGs and equipped me with the knowledge and skills to advocate for them more effectively. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to make a difference and contribute to causes that are meaningful to me. I believe that through our collective efforts, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable world for everyone.

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Project Description

Ground To Glow is a project aimed to create awareness and educate the younger generation about sustainable repurposing practices. Through upcycling used coffee grounds and repurposing into bars of soaps, we hope to inspire and empower our younger generation to create and adopt sustainable lifestyles. Further, we hope to instill the idea of self-sufficiency through our workshops, allowing students to understand and learn the methods of upcycling coffee grounds.

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Achievements Since UNITAR:

Since UNITAR, I was selected to join the Junior Chief Executives of Hong Kong (香港小特首) hosted by the Boys and Girls Club Association of Hong Kong. Through this program, I hope to better understand the challenges and difficulties of the global and local issues in relation to children’s rights.