Hong Kong’s Migrant Domestic Workers being forced onto the streets because of COVID fears

“Since mid-February we have received approximately 100 urgent requests for help from migrant domestic workers (MDW’s). Since the outbreak of this latest strain of COVID-19, some of our services to them have been seriously disrupted. Many are now infected and urgently need places to quarantine. Some have been fired and had to endure staying on the streets for hours. It is a nightmare! We take care of the girls and provide them with medicine, rapid test kits and other daily necessities. Fortunately 4 of them have recovered.”

- Vivi Tusmiati Vistamika, Staff member at our Domestic Worker’s Service Centre

Hong Kong is in the midst of a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. One tragic consequence of this is that some families have been so gripped by fear that they have forced their Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) out of their homes and onto the streets. In many cases MDW’s have been left to fend for themselves and sleep in parks, tents or even sleeping in their employers’ cars!

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Embrace the Bend in the Road of your Career

It’s not the end of the road if you are forced to leave the labour market for a time. Such a break, might just mean a bend in the road of your career.

Several years ago Eling Kwok was happily working as a carer for the elderly. Then her own mother suffered a debilitating stroke. Eling had no other option but to leave her job to care for her. She loved her mother but she was also terrified that the gap in her resume would hurt her future job prospects.

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Great is Your Faithfulness

'I'm thankful for being part of the Christian Action family for so many years. One of the great things about us is that we have so many programmes that are tailored to serve people's particular needs. This includes training for the unemployed, supporting the ethnic minorities and caring for Chinese orphans.'

- TANG Wai-Pong

Christian Action is in the people business. We are a team of people who are privileged with serving other people in their moment of need. Two of those team members, along with other long-time employees, were recently recognized in a ceremony that celebrated their long service.

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Surely There Must Be Something We Can Do?

In early January 2022 Hong Kong experienced its fifth wave of COVID with the variant Omicron. The government imposed strict social distancing measures and the whole city was put on high alert. Unemployment, particularly among low income earners, soared.

I asked myself ‘surely there must be something we could do, to bless our service users over the Lunar New Year?’ Prompted by my friend, Kim Yeh, the idea of a Chinese New Year Blessings Bag came into my mind. It represents love, care and concern from the community to the underprivileged.

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Farewell Woody!

What type of person willingly trades the creature comforts of home, their friends and family for five years of isolation and hardship on the Tibetan Plateau? The answer is a person like Woody, a tremendous frontline staff who has just wrapped up his time serving disabled children in Qinghai Province, China.

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