XI.     BAPTIST OI KWAN SOCIAL SERVICE

        The Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service situated at Oi Kwan Road,
        Wanchai, - "Oi Kwan" meaning "to love people" in Chinese - was
        a project jointly launched by the Baptist Convention of Hong
        Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.  The construction of the
        Centre began in 1978 and was completed for service in March 1982.
        The goal of the Centre is to provide Christian social service
        with the intention to integrate the principles of Biblical
        Christianity with professional competence.  Located in a densely
        populated area of Hong Kong, the Centre provides the following
        kinds of much needed social service to the local community:
        Two half-way houses for the ex-mentally ill patients, a resource
        centre for family members of the ex-patients, day training
        centre, counselling service, library/reading room, children and
        youth work, elderly service and a coffee house.

        The University played a very significant role in both the planning
        and the management of the Centre in the earlier days.  At present,
        several social work faculty members are actively involved in the
        operation of the services.  To the students of the University,
        the Centre provides them with a site for field placement, to test
        out their innovative ideas and to do research in social work
        practice.

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