Beating waste and putting food on plates for needy
Philanthropist learned the importance of compassion as a boy, and made this lesson a reality by helping the hungry of Hong Kong
Investor Kevin Yeung Ka-wei is waging a full-on assault in the fight against hunger in the city.
Hongkongers throw away a huge amount of food - while people go hungry - and it creates a huge amount of unnecessary waste. But Yeung saw this as an opportunity to make a dent in the poverty and hunger across the territory through philanthropy.
In 2009, with partners Gabrielle Kirstein and Christina Dean, he co-founded Feeding Hong Kong to feed people in need with surplus food.
Feeding Hong Kong now serves as the city's largest food distribution network servicing 47 smaller local food charities. This innovative charity operates more like a well-run logistics enterprise than a traditional food bank. It works with retailers, distributors and manufacturers to source, collect and redistribute surplus food on a large scale to provide for the charities it services.
Hong Kong is one of the world's glittering financial capitals, but as the cost of living rises so does the pressure on the city's underprivileged. "I started digging deeper with my partners and we realised there really was a huge problem," Yeung said. According to the Institute of Education, about half a million people live in severe poverty - defined as earning HK$3,585 a month or less - and this decides what is on their dinner plate. This number does not take into account the children of families who fall into this category.
Yeung, 39, who made his money as a high-flying banker and industrialist, believes his skills and experience enable him to contribute to society through philanthropy.