Eldpathy is a social enterprise aimed at raising awareness on elderly issues. Its executive director and founder Herman Chan Ho-man, a BBA graduate in Marketing and Management in 2012, introduced a physical simulation project to encourage young people to tell themselves what it is like to be old.
Herman together with the other two co-founders of Eldpathy, Samantha Kong Wing-man, a Year Three student majoring in Chemical & Environmental Engineering, and Nivey Tsang Ka-hing, a Year Three student majoring in Finance & Marketing, formed the establishment in 2013. The name Eldpathy puts together the words “elderly” and “empathy”, representing their desire to promote “Empathy for the Elderly”.
Experiential learning
Herman was determined to set up Eldpathy after participating in a visually impaired simulation program organized by a local social enterprise when he was at university. “Simulation is an effective way to learn, and I better understand what it is like to be visually impaired after the program, where I was inspired to start working on simulation projects to let people know more about the need of the elderly," says Herman. “Knowing that many old people collect cardboard boxes in the street to make ends meet, I really want to call on the community to show more care to the deprived elderly.”
Sharing a common view, the three-member team designed an elderly simulation project to fund its philanthropy and support the elderly in need. The project won the Championship and Best Presenter Awards at the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge 2012 and received HK$140,000 to launch Eldpathy.
Participants of Eldpathy’s program will put on a purpose-designed suit with impediments such as braces, elastic bands and a pair of blurry eyeglasses, to mimic the physical declines or limitations associated with aging. Therefore, they can experience the common physical constraints of an elderly.
“The knowledge that I gained from HKUST can now put to use in operating this sustainable community project, including ways to run the business in times of adversity, the importance of networking and teamwork. Apart from that, the University’s Public Affairs Office helped us gain media exposure and share our startup story with a wider community,” Herman adds.
Eldpathy targets at secondary school and university students, providing them with elderly simulation workshops. “We want today’s young generation to experience themselves,” Herman says. “They will show more love and care to the elderly after they experience some of the physical difficulties of an elderly person.”
Asset to society
Looking ahead, Herman wants to engage the elderly by inviting them to share their wisdom and lifelong stories with the young generation. “We will continue our work to inspire more young people to care about the needs of the elderly as they are an invaluable asset to the society.”
Their wealth of proven knowledge from real-life experiences is something that can take our next generation to a better and brighter future. It is a message Herman would like to put across to today’s young people.
