Joining hands with NGOs – Green Rivor’s new project to encourage rehabilitants contribute to animal welfare groups.

Green Rivor has recently joined hands with local Hong Kong NGO, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, by selling artwork made by the rehabilitants. In addition to supporting the work of New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, part of the sales profit will be donated to Hong Kong Rabbit Society and World Animal Rights (Charity) Association Ltd (also known as Yuen Long Cow’s Home.) 

Since its founding in June 2009, Green Rivor, a social enterprise, has highlighted the importance of contributing to Nature and animals while doing business. Green Rivor believes all lives are equal, thus 10-50% of our sales profits are donated to animal welfare groups. Acknowledging Nature has been providing to all creatures unconditionally, Green Rivor previously held an eco-friendly jewellery exhibition, “The Fairy Garden”, showcasing the “Eternal Leaf” and “The Fairy Garden” eco-friendly product lines that demonstrated the possibility of working with, not destroying nature even for the most commercial and luxurious products, jewellery.

By believing all lives are equal and everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute to the world with one’s unique ability, we believe rehabilitants also deserve a chance to make their contribution, as they too possess very unique abilities. Traditionally, society believes rehabilitants only receive help, but we see that they have the ability to help. Hence, Green Rivor has created a new project to allow rehabilitants to help both animal welfare groups and themselves.

These products from New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association will be available on Green Rivor’s affiliated company Pause Jewellery’s websites (www.pause-jewellery.com, Green Rivor section) for sales. Products include handmade Chinese New Year fortune couplet; handmade tic-tac-toe games; clay art products; and traditional Chinese floral pattern bags. All products are made by rehabilitants from the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association Shek Kip Mei centre.

Sales profits from their products also will be donated to the Hong Kong Rabbit Society and World Animal Rights (Charity) Association Ltd (Yuen Long Cow’s Home). By buying Green Rivor’s products, people are able to help both the rehabilitants and abandoned animals this festive season.

Additional Information

Products available at Green Rivor’s online store:  www.pause-jewellery.com , Green Rivor section

or click here: http://www.pause-jewellery.com/asp/customFolder/pauseJewellery/pdts.asp?catid=12685

More about the involved parties:

• New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association:  www.nlpra.org.hk/
• Hong Kong Rabbit Society www.hkrabbit.org.hk
• World Animal Rights (Charity) Association Ltd (Yuen Long Cow’s Home) www.cowshomehk.org

Products made by rehabitants. Profit will be shared with Hong Kong Rabbit Society and Yuen Long Stray Cow's Home.

Desperate situation faced by Cow’s Home (The stray cow’s sanctuary in Yuen Long, Hong Kong)

This is not an advertising, but a wish letter.

8 Jan 2010

No matter you know me in person, or you are a fan of Pause Jewellery / Green Rivor, you will notice that a big part of my life and my company sales and events are related to animal charity. One of the animal charities I always appreciate is World Animal Rights (Charity) Association Ltd, also known as “Cow’s Home”.

Located in Yuen Long (Hong Kong) and founded 10 years ago by Miss Au Yeung Sin-yue (also known as Miss Yeung Yeung to the public), this sanctuary is now taking care of approx 100 stray cows abandoned by former villagers. Yeung Yeung saved them from being put down by AFCD (govt department dealing with stray animals).

Due to the rapid urban development, many farmers have moved to the city and left their cows behind. These are the cows which spent their lives helping us grow our food, however, their hard work and contribution were forgotten by many. Not only were they abandoned, they were despised by people who see them causing disturbance (though the wild belongs to them, and we are theones who pushing into their habitats further and further). These cows were led to be euthanized by AFCD, for the convenience of….people.

Cows cannot arouse sympathy as easy as cats and dogs do because we hardly have contact with them, and hence they are greatly ignored. Yeung Yeung is one of those who sees the sacred side of all lives and was willing to give up her status and luxurious life to run a sanctuary for these abandoned cows. Since it was founded, the sanctuary has received a lot of appreciation and saved many of  stray cows before they were sent to death. But, the picture is far from rosy.

Over all these years, the sanctuary has been under threats by the local triads and villagers. At first they stole the cows forcefully to serve their own business, such as showing them to the visitors for photo shooting as if they owned the cows. Later, in order to develop their property business, the triads want to get rid of Yeung Yeung and evict the sanctuary to get the land back. Cows were attacked and killed brutally and even Yeung Yeung herself has been physically attacked. Fortunately, with the support of the landlord, Yeung Yeung is still able to keep the sanctuary all these years. Until recently, the landlord passed away. All the threats and pressure push the sanctuary to an edge. Yeung Yeung is forced to move the sanctuary out by February. If not, it is not hard to imagine what would the triads do to the sanctuary, and to the cows.

The sanctuary has to move out by February, which means only three weeks left. The situation is desperate. All they need now is to find a new land to settle the sanctuary. Yeung Yeung has been applying to the government for a new land for many years, but those granted land are fatal for cattling – either cemented lands or very steep hill.

While there are only 3 weeks left, I wish for a miracle and I believe hope is usually brought by unexpected guests. If you have any suggestions, news, network, landlord or people you can refer to Yeung Yeung to help her to find a new land, please do not hesitate to contact Yeung Yeung or me directly. Remember the Six Degrees theory? Even though you may not be able to help directly, but one of the people around you will be able to change the whole situation for her. Spread this news out, as far as you can.

Cow’s home website: http://www.cowshomehk.org/

The website is in Chinese. Should you need any info in English, please contact me via greenrivor@pause-jewellery.com

Looking forward to miracle.

Best regards,

Rivor Lau

The Stray Cow's Home.

Unexpected to many people, there are love and care exist between cows.

Green Rivor charitable postcards to Hong Kong Rabbit Society

Bunny Postcard Set. HKD60

After a successful eco-friendly jewellery exhibition at OMM in September to promote the idea of working with Nature while raising money for animal welfare groups, Green Rivor has launched five bunny themed postcards this month to raise funds for the Hong Kong Rabbit Society (HKRS. www.hkrabbit.org ). 

The five postcards are designed by three voluntary artists from HKRS. Most of the stars of the postcard are rabbits which were once abandoned and now adopted by these three artists through HKRS. Each postcard carries a different message, such as “Love Rabbits”, “By your side, always.”, as well as a festive “Merry Christmas” postcard. 

Price of a postcard is HKD12 each at HKRS and HKD15 each at Kubrick, Pause Jewellery and Green Rivor’s website.

 Sales locations:

1. Hong Kong Rabbit Society, 1/F, 427A Reclamation Street, Mongkok, Kowloon. $12 each
2. Kubrick bookstore at Broadway Cinematheque, Shop H2, Prosperous Garden, 3 Public Square St., Yaumatei. $15 each
3. Pause Jewellery’s official website, Green Rivor section: www.pause-jewellery.com $15 each (postal fee included)
4. Green Rivor’s official website: www.greenrivor.wordpress.com $15 each (postal fee included)

Love Animals. Love Nature.