Media OutReach
“Cardboard Grannies Art” Exhibition: Transforming Trash into Treasure to Support Hong Kong’s Unsung Heroes
An empowering art and social change initiative supported by The Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Services – Hong Kong and YWAM Tuen Mun, featuring artist Go Hung, to raise awareness and funding for Hong Kong’s hardworking elderly recyclers
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 April 2025 – Despite Hong Kong’s prosperity, nearly one million of the city’s residents live in poverty, and elderly women are among the most vulnerable. Many toil as “Cardboard Grannies,” collecting recyclables for as little as HK$700 a month—without insurance, labor protection, or societal recognition.
Based on NGOs’ statistics, Hong Kong has 4,000 to 7,000 cardboard collectors, and most are elderly women. These “Cardboard Grannies” collectively recycle approximately 138 to 159 metric tons of materials daily.
They are spending more hours and more days each week collecting cardboard, and more elderly individuals are entering the field, as they have few other options, according to NGOs’ survey.
To spotlight their plight and provide tangible support, The Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong (ELCSS – HK) and YWAM Tuen Mun present “Cardboard Grannies Art,” a special one-day exhibition featuring meaningful and symbolic artworks by acclaimed Hong Kong artist Go Hung, who transforms cardboard collected by these women into thought-provoking pieces critiquing inequality and waste.
Details of the Exhibition:
Date: 7 April 2025 (Mon)
Time: 12 PM – 9 PM
Venue: M4 Atrium, The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par St, Tsuen Wan
Featured Artist: Go Hung
How It Works:
This initiative is built on a sustainable three-part model designed to create immediate and lasting change. First, Fair Pay for Labor: Cardboards used in the artworks were collected directly through the cardboard grannies —ensuring that they are compensated well for their tireless work. Next, Art with Purpose: The collected cardboard is handed over to artist Go Hung, whose socially conscious practice breathes new life into discarded materials. Through his creative vision, the grannies’ cardboard is transformed into 25 powerful artworks that challenge perceptions about value, waste, and inequality. Finally, Impact Through Purchase: Every artwork sold at the exhibition will directly benefit the Cardboard Grannies, with the proceeds funding essential support for them, such as food and insurance, to provide them with long-overdue security. By bridging art and activism, this project doesn’t just raise awareness—it creates a tangible and environmentally-friendly cycle of empowerment for the elderly recyclers.
Appendix – About the Artwork
| Name & Description | Price (HKD) |
| “I’m a Collector” “I’m a Collector” was created in response to the hype surrounding “Art Month,” where the spotlight often highlights the exclusivity and glamour of art collecting at fairs. In contrast, this work turns attention to the city’s elderly “cardboard grannies,” who collect cardboard and tin cans to resell, just to make ends meet. Often well past retirement age, these individuals work outdoors year-round, exposed to harsh weather as they push heavy metal carts loaded with their “collections” through back alleys, steep streets, and traffic-heavy roads. The works shine a light on their quiet resilience, documenting a raw, overlooked reality while questioning societal values around labor, dignity, and what it truly means to “collect.” |
HKD30,000 |
| The Coin Series: “1kgdp” “1kgdp” highlights the challenges faced by cardboard grannies during periods of economic instability. Inspired by the drop in street-recycled cardboard prices to HK$0.5 per kilogram in previous years, the design captures the impact of external factors such as China’s ban on importing certain types of waste and disruptions in Hong Kong’s wastepaper export industry. Each 50-cent coin weighs 1 kilogram and features a large-scale design with a diameter of 62 centimetres. Like its predecessor, it is crafted using three types of paper—cardboard, A4 paper, and newspaper. It symbolizes the ongoing struggles of the cardboard grannies and the precarious nature of their livelihoods. |
HKD26,000 |
| The Coin Series: “Spare Charge” “Spare Change” reflects the struggles of Hong Kong’s cardboard grannies, who collect and sell cardboard as a means of survival. The design draws inspiration from the average price of cardboard in earlier years, when it was sold for HK$0.7 per kilogram. To symbolize this, each edition consists of seven 10-cent coins with a total weight of 1 kilogram. Crafted from materials commonly collected and resold by the grannies—cardboard, A4 paper, and newspaper—the coin serves as both a tribute to their daily efforts and a reflection of how seemingly insignificant contributions play a vital role in sustaining livelihoods. |
HKD10,400 |
| “So.call Mobility” “So.call Mobility” (a play on “social mobility”) features 180 cardboard pillows suspended in six layers. The number 180 symbolizes the maximum days homeless individuals can stay in temporary shelters in Hong Kong, after which they face immense challenges finding housing due to high rents. The increasing gaps between the layers represent the widening wealth gap and diminishing social mobility. |
HKD500 each pillow |
| “Shelter” “Shelter” draws inspiration from the intricate nests of weaver birds to explore the concept of home. In nature, nests symbolize safety and stability—the desire for which is a universal instinct shared across species. Yet for humans, particularly in Hong Kong, the idea of home is often overshadowed by challenges such as skyrocketing property prices and economic struggles. The nests in this installation are crafted from plastic straps commonly used by cardboard grannies to secure and bundle cardboard. These humble materials, repurposed into intricate forms, highlight the resilience and resourcefulness of those on society’s margins. The installation features 14 “Shelters,” representing the number of government-recognized temporary shelters available for homeless individuals in Hong Kong. It serves as both a reflection on these physical spaces and a call to confront the city’s growing housing crisis. |
HKD24,000 |
| 《同人》 《同人》 is a wordplay based on the Cantonese phrase 同人唔同命. Created for Art Month, this piece mimics paintings sold at auction houses by recreating them directly onto cardboard. Once the painted layer is torn off, it reveals the message “Sold for HK$0.5/kg” to the audience—a powerful commentary on the local and global wealth gap. |
HKD4,550-HKD6,550 |
Hashtag: #CardboardGranniesArt
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About ELCSS – HK:
Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong (ELCSS-HK) is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Hong Kong, established in 1976. With an innovative, caring, and people-oriented approach, ELCSS-HK provides integrated services to grassroots communities and disadvantaged individuals. Currently, the organization operates more than 60 service units and 50 special projects throughout the territory, serving over two million headcounts annually. ELCSS-HK offers a wide range of services spanning small children, the elderly, families, schools, and the employment sector.
About YWAM Tuen Mun:
YWAM Tuen Mun is a charity dedicated to providing holistic care to the marginalized and neglected in Hong Kong. Their diverse team operates a food bank that supplies food assistance to a large network of charities in the city while also going to the ground to serve the elderly-at-risk, cardboard collectors, and street sleepers. Through interactive programs, the organization promotes social integration, fostering connections and support among vulnerable members of society. Additionally, YWAM Tuen Mun engages local community members through poverty awareness programs and volunteering opportunities, fostering understanding and compassion for those in need and empowering them to serve.
About Go Hung:
Go Hung is a Hong Kong-based artist known for his innovative use of cardboard and other materials collected from the streets. With a background in Digital Arts (BA, MA) from the University of West London and Camberwell College of Arts, he creates thought-provoking sculptures and installations that often return to the streets for public viewing. His works critique consumerist waste while addressing pressing social issues in Hong Kong and beyond. Described as “Hong Kong’s most versatile conceptual artist” and “Hong Kong Warhol,” Go Hung’s art has been exhibited globally, including in Brazil, China, Denmark, Iceland, and the UK.
Media OutReach
Asia Coach Group Partners with Veteran Business Consultant Rick Tam to Launch “Business Breakthrough” Programme for Hong Kong SMEs
Challenging Business Environment Demands New Solutions
Hong Kong’s SMEs are facing unprecedented operational pressures. According to a survey by CPA Australia, 37% of small businesses in Hong Kong struggle to obtain external financing. Data from Airwallex further reveals that 96% of SMEs have experienced cash flow difficulties in the past year. With property asset values declining, banks’ insistence on property collateral for loans has left many enterprises in financial distress.
Responding to Market Needs with Systematic Business Upgrade Solutions
“Hong Kong has never lacked capital—what’s missing is the mechanism to connect businesses with it,” Rick Tam noted. The programme addresses common pain points faced by local SMEs, including declining profits, low business valuations, tight cash flow, and recruitment challenges. Built upon the four-pillar framework of “Commerce, Strategy, Breakthrough, and Structure,” the curriculum covers stabilising cash flow and enhancing financial flexibility, repositioning businesses and improving client quality, reshaping product value and expanding profit margins, as well as systematising operations and attracting investors. The programme commits to helping participants improve cash flow, increase business value, and strengthen their business models within 90 days.
Four Practical Tools for Immediate Application
Participants will acquire four core tools: the “Cash Flow Vortex System” for rapid assessment of financial status and establishing safety buffers; the “A.T.C. Client Leverage Ladder” for repositioning and enhancing client value; the “High-Value Breakthrough Method” for creating products with greater value and trust; and the “Marketing Triangle Matrix” for integrating human resources, client bases, and operational systems to plan business expansion. The programme adopts a six-step progressive model—from restructuring business models, improving profit margins, attracting capital injection, building high-performance teams, and systematising operations, to ultimately helping business owners reclaim their time and freedom.
Instructor Credentials
Programme instructor Rick Tam is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong’s Business School and currently serves as CEO of two family offices and chief consultant to several others. He holds the CFPCM Certified Financial Planner designation. Tam has founded more than nine brands spanning wealth management, securities, and food and beverage sectors, and has guided over 1,000 participants through business expansion.
As Hong Kong’s economy seeks transformation, channelling capital precisely into the real economy through the “Business Breakthrough” approach offers more than a lifeline for SMEs—it injects vital momentum into Hong Kong’s long-term economic development.
Hashtag: #RickTam #AsiaCoach
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
Zuellig Pharma Strengthens Consumer Healthcare Portfolio with the Acquisition of Zam-Buk® and Vapex® Brands from Bayer
Zam-Buk® is an ointment used for the temporary relief of pain and itch, including discomfort from insect bites. First launched in 1902, Zam-Buk® has retained strong brand equity over the decades and is widely perceived as a trusted household brand. Vapex® is a nasal inhaler used to help relieve nasal congestion. Launched in 1917, Vapex® has built meaningful brand recognition, particularly in Thailand.
The acquisition of the brands supports Zuellig Pharma’s strategic priority to strengthen and scale its consumer healthcare portfolio across Asia. It also marks the company’s second consumer healthcare acquisition, following Propan in the Philippines, reinforcing its focus on building a strong commercial platform for trusted, everyday healthcare products in the region.
Hashtag: #ZuelligPharma #ConsumerHealthcare #ConsumerHealth #Healthcare #Pharmaceuticals #Zambuk #Vapex #Bayer
https://www.zuelligpharma.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/zuellig-pharma
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Zuellig Pharma
Zuellig Pharma is a leading healthcare solutions company in Asia, and our purpose is to make healthcare more accessible to the communities we serve. We provide world-class distribution, commercialization, and clinical trial support services, underpinned by a strong culture of innovation to support the growing healthcare needs in this region. The company was founded a hundred years ago and has grown to become a multibillion-dollar business covering 18 markets with over 12,000 employees. Our people serve more than 200,000 medical facilities and work with over 450 clients, including the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world.
Media OutReach
International Entertainment Corporation to Hold EGM on 26 February 2026 for Proposed Convertible Notes Issuance
DigiPlus Interactive Corp., named as one of the Fortune Southeast Asia 500, together with its subsidiaries, is an innovative digital entertainment group in the Philippines and is a leader in the casinos and gaming industry. On 17 November 2025, the Company entered into the Subscription Agreement with the Subscriber, pursuant to which the Company conditionally agreed to issue and the Subscriber conditionally agreed to subscribe for the Notes in two tranches with a maturity of five years and an interest rate of 3% per annum.
Upon full conversion of the Notes at the initial Conversion Price, a total of 1,600,000,000 Shares will be issued by the Company, representing approximately 53.89% of the issued share capital of the Company as enlarged by the issue and allotment of the Conversion Shares. As such, the Subscriber will be obliged to make a mandatory general offer pursuant to Rule 26.1 of the Takeovers Code, unless the Whitewash Waiver is granted and approved.
The initial Conversion Price of HK$1.00 per Conversion Share represents a discount of approximately 3.85% to the closing price of HK$1.04 per Share as quoted on the Stock Exchange on the Latest Practicable Date (6 February 2026).
The board of Directors (the “Board“) believes that the Subscription would be beneficial to improving and strengthening the Group’s liquidity and financial position on a longer-term basis. In the event that the Subscriber converts part or the full amount of the Notes into the Conversion Shares, it will also broaden the shareholder and capital base of the Company. The Group intends to apply part of the net proceeds raised from the issuance of the Notes of approximately HK$489.22 million for the early repayment of the Promissory Notes and interest accrued thereon (the “PN Repayment“), and approximately HK$392.39 million to early repay the Secured Bank Borrowing to achieve immediate interest savings.
The remaining net proceeds will primarily be used for funding the Investment Commitment and attractive investment/business opportunity(ies); and as general working capital of the Group. The Investment Commitment is currently expected to include capital investments for acquisition of land for the expansion of the Group’s integrated resort in Manila City in the Philippines (the ”Hotel”) and the construction of additional hotel rooms, for provision of other amenities of the integrated resort, and for ongoing upgrades, refurbishments and renovations to the facilities and infrastructures of both the Hotel and the Group’s existing casino (the “Casino“).
The Independent Board Committee, which comprises all the independent non-executive Directors, is of the opinion that (i) the terms of the Subscription Agreement are on normal commercial terms, and the terms of the Subscription, the Whitewash Waiver and the Special Deal (the PN Repayment to the PN Holder) are fair and reasonable so far as the Independent Shareholders are concerned; and (ii) the Subscription, the Whitewash Waiver and the Special Deal are in the interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole and as far as the Independent Shareholders are concerned. It, therefore, recommends the Independent Shareholders to vote in favour of the relevant resolution(s) to be proposed at the EGM.
Hashtag: #InternationalEntertainmentCorporation
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About International Entertainment Corporation (HKEX: 1009)
International Entertainment Corporation is an investment holding company. The Company and its subsidiaries are principally involved in hotel operations, operating the gaming business under provisional licence and leasing of gaming venues at the hotel complex of the Group in Metro Manila in the Republic of the Philippines to a tenant for authorized gaming operation and live poker events in Macau.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn