Taking Care of Ming Wah is Like Taking Care of a Family
Taking Care of Ming Wah is
Like Taking Care of a Family
Kwok Chi Hung / Technician at Ming Wah
In 1991, Kwok Chi Hung, aged 24, deemed working at Ming Wah no more than a temporary stint. Since then, 31 years have passed, and now he considers Ming Wah not just a place to work; it is also his home.
“I started my employment on 12 August 1991.” Kwok remembers the exact date he started a turning point in his life. Before joining Ming Wah’s team of technicians, Kwok ran an interior design company with his partner. Among their clients were high jewellery merchants, restaurant operators and luxury-flat owners. When his partner left Hong Kong during the city’s mass migration wave, Kwok, not adept at dealing with customers as he mainly focused on the more hands-on operation of the business, felt dispirited and decided to close the company. While he was uncertain about his future, Kwok came across a recruitment ad placed by the Housing Society. He was hired on his first try and assigned to Ming Wah Dai Ha as a technician.
Revered as a jack-of-all-trades amongst residents
Moving from luxury to the more austere simplicity of public estate repairs meant that Kwok had a lot to learn. “Other than water and electrical work, we do almost everything else you can think of.” While this sounds like a massive challenge, Kwok’s face lights up with excitement every time he talks about work. The green and white Jersey barrier along A Kung Ngam Road and monument at Block G need to be recoloured from time to time to keep them looking bright and elegant. When tiles on the skywalk begin to crack, Kwok has to mend them to prevent residents from tripping over them. Even breaking down door locks is part of the technician’s job. “About 20 years ago, a one-year-old kid locked himself in the flat. His mom was taking out the rubbish and left the stove on. I rushed to break open the door as soon as I got word on the beeper. Such emergencies were commonplace then. I even put out a fire with other residents.” When a fire broke out 20 years ago, the firemen were called but it would take quite some time to connect the hose to the hydrant at A Kung Ngam Road. In the interest of time, anxious residents and staff decided to take matters into their own hands. Kwok turned off the gas supply and joined the others in putting out the fire with water. As a result, some residents have come to revere him as a jack-of-all-trades for his ability to deal with any problems thrown at him. “We have to think on the spot and be flexible in our work,” Kwok said.
Putting oneself in others’ shoes: crafting tools to help
Being a service provider as well as a user, Kwok contemplates improvements he can make from a user’s standpoint. Ideas come to him every day when he is pushing his tool cart around as he observes his surroundings with a sharp eye. “People may graze their arms when they walk past laundry drying poles, maybe we can wrap the sharp ends with some sponge?” “It’s hard on parking attendants’ knees when they have to kneel and draw lines on the ground. Maybe we can give them a paint roller so they can do the drawing without kneeling?” Kwok’s most recent piece of creation is a ramp designed for wheelchair users. As the pandemic persisted, a temporary community testing centre was set up on the ground level. As Kwok found out, a step on the way to the centre might make access to the building difficult for wheelchair users. “We’d better do something about this,” Kwok thought to himself, and a solution came to him almost immediately – he could make a ramp. After consulting his supervisor, Kwok made measurements and drew up a blueprint. Then, he looked for wooden planks in the company storehouse and furniture recycling station. After a lot of drilling, amending and anti-slip tape adhering, he tested the ramp’s stability and sturdiness. It was 9 at night when he finished, though he was officially off work at 5:30pm. Smiling, Kwok said, “You gotta have heart.” The pandemic has been hard for everyone and he wishes to support the residents as best as he could.
“Ming Wah is my home, the residents are my neighbours.”
Kwok cares about the estate’s affairs like his own. On one occasion when he was having a day-off, he came back to help distribute the anti-epidemic packages issued by the government. A resident saw him and told him about the water leakage in his home. Kwok’s wife asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be taking a day off?” Work has long been a part of Kwok’s life. He’d plan about what to do at work during his day off as he believes that it’d be too late to plan in the morning; repairs should always be timely.
Kwok has been working in Ming Wah for more than 30 years. He considers the estate his home, its residents his neighbours. This is not what he expected when he walked away from his glamorous job into a modest public housing estate where he had planned to stay for a few years at most. However, when the time came to look for a new job, he found none of the opportunities attractive. In the end, he’d rather stay where things are pragmatic and real, where his creativity could blossom, and where residents would say hello and treat him to a bite after a job well done. He would never accept anyone’s gift while on duty, but the residents’ goodwill alone would suffice to make him happy and keep him going. Kwok sees himself not merely as a seasoned technician, but part of a bigger family with issues he is helping to deal with every day.
Kwok has been a resident of Ming Wah Dai Ha for the fact that he was assigned a unit in the staff dormitory after starting work in the estate.
There is a step on the ground floor of Block B that stops wheelchair users from moving in and out of the building. Using existing resources, Kwok sawed wooden planks off the furniture he had collected from a recycling station. He crafted a ramp and put it into use after meticulously testing its stability and sturdiness.
A team of technicians regularly maintains the monument. After cleaning the surface dust, it will be coated with oil-based enamel and carefully replenished.
When street lights are being repaired by electricians, Kwok will be around to ensure safety, even though water and electrical work is not part of his job responsibility.
Connection to Ming Wah Dai Ha: Cement Sand Mortar Master at Ming Wah Dai Ha since 1991
細説明華
Ming Wah Dai Ha
Documentary Project
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Organiser｜Hong Kong Housing Society
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Copyright © 2024 Hong Kong Housing Society. All Rights Reserved.
細説明華
Ming Wah Dai Ha
Documentary Project
Copyright｜Disclaimer | Contact us
Organiser｜Hong Kong Housing Society
Collaborator｜Dragon Foundation、Lion Head Culture、Hide and Seek Tour
Copyright © 2024 Hong Kong Housing Society. All Rights Reserved.