Over 1 million of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million population live below the poverty line. To survive, some seniors have taken to collecting cardboard and scrap to resell. But is this enough to sustain themselves in one of the world’s most expensive cities? Shui Lai, 95, has been a ‘cardboard granny’ for close to 50 years. Without savings or family support, she works from morning to night, earning up to US$6 a day. But since the coronavirus pandemic struck, her earnings have fallen by half, with slimmer pickings. According to a 2018 report, 25% of Hong Kongers over 65 live in poverty. Law Chi-Kwong, secretary for Labour and Welfare, says that NGOs have been reaching out to ‘cardboard grannies’ but many have declined government assistance, preferring to be independent. However, some note that NGOs have been lobbying for a universal pension scheme for every elderly person (on top of the existing Mandatory Provident Fund), but without success. How long can poor, elderly Hong Kongers like Shu Lai scrape by? ALSO WATCH: South Korea's Elderly Poor: The Cardboard Granny https://youtu.be/R3DrepKrn2s Singapore's Elderly Poor: The Ice-cream Uncle https://youtu.be/8dnuEm6wDKo Vietnam's Elderly Poor: Survival By Lottery https://youtu.be/7XmqYZT8ysQ Myanmar's Elderly Poor: The Granny Masseuse https://youtu.be/Rpvq7y_MMbQ For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER! https://cna.asia/insideryoutubesub Follow CNA INSIDER on: Instagram: https://ift.tt/2C3sZiR Facebook: https://ift.tt/2PPEuNA Website: https://cna.asia/cnainsider
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