Caritas’ travel agency underway

Non-governmental organization Caritas Macau has submitted an application to the government to open a travel agency catering towards senior citizens who are incapable of participating in travel tours in the city due to mobility issues.
According to the secretary-general Paul Pun, the office of the travel agency is already being rented and paid for by a private individual. Pun added that they are still in need of volunteers once the application has been approved.
So far, three local residents have indicated that they are willing to study a tour guide course while waiting for the approval of the agency to qualify as an official tour guide.
“Knowing the needs of the people who are frail, on wheelchairs or bedridden, they have less [opportunity] to go out as tourists. We want this agency to serve everybody, but our main target is to serve these people,” Pun told the press on the sidelines of a press conference held yesterday on Caritas Bazaar.
For the secretary-general, the travel agency is intended as a social enterprise as it aims to cover the funds of those who are unable to pay for the travel agency through its profits.
“We aim to have the costs covered for those who are not able to pay that amount [so] they can go for a trip, together with their friends,” he added.
Pun is hoping to have the application approved so that the travel agency can be opened by the end of this year or early next year.
Meanwhile, questioned by the Times on whether the organization has seen an increase in the number of food bank registrations among migrant workers, Pun noted that it recorded 200 new cases of migrant workers joining their food distribution program last month.
The official revealed that two private individuals have donated 100,000 and 20,000 patacas respectively to support migrant workers who are currently on no-paid leave or otherwise jobless.
“I think we do not want to emphasize how many people we are helping, but we want to emphasize the need of those migrants. […] We also want to encourage shops to donate food that is set to expire soon and could not be sold,” said Pun.

Caritas Bazaar to see 85 participating booths
The 51st Caritas Macau Charity Bazaar will be held on November 7 and 8, and will see a decrease in booth numbers due to the pandemic.
Themed “Emerging from darkness, embracing love,” the two-day bazaar will feature 85 booths comprising organizations from the government, enterprises and service units of Caritas Macau.
Last year, the bazaar raised nearly 8 million patacas. Although Pun is not expecting to see the same amount this year, he noted that the bazaar aims to be a platform for those who want to help those in society who have been affected by the economic downturn.
Some 50,000 residents attended the bazaar last year. According to Pun, it may still be possible to achieve that turnout this year, as residents are keen to show their support to the community – particularly after the pandemic.