Kaifong associations

Kaifong associations (Chinese: 街坊會) or kaifong welfare associations (Chinese: 街坊福利會) are traditional mutual aid organizations which emerged in Hong Kong in 1949. They were set up with the help of Secretariat for Chinese Affairs of the British colonial government. The term Kaifong (街坊) refers to people living in the same neighbourhood, and kaifong associations mainly aimed at serving the residents of specific neighbourhoods.

The main purpose was to provide low cost or free services in areas such as education and health care for the many refugees from China. After 1958 the government tried to use the kaifong associations to communicate with the local population. In 1960, kaifong associations extended their services to areas such as legal support or environmental protection.

After the introduction of the District Offices in 1969, the importance of kaifong associations declined. Nevertheless, many kaifong associations are still active today.

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