Christian Action provides shelter for domestic workers at two temporary safe houses
‘She was striding along the coastal road swinging her legs, a big grin on her face. A pack was on her back and it was obvious why she was so happy. She’d got her freedom back. A domestic helper, likely
Indonesian, who had been released from her contract and was going home. She smiled at the passing jogger, who thought she had clearly been employed by expletives. Despite the length of the road by the sea, they wouldn’t drive her to the bus. He felt happy she had got away”.
The plight of some domestic helpers in Hong Kong is a daily battle for two principal agencies, Christian Action and Mission for Migrant Workers, an offshoot of St John’s Cathedral. Both are admirable charities doing marvellous work founded in Christian values. There are about 400,000 domestic helpers in the city and, MMW says, 96 per cent work more than 11 hours a day, some 16 or more, and more than half do not have their own room, so they cannot get adequate rest. Some are physically abused, even sexually.
MMW says it assists about 5000 migrant workers a year, providing where necessary shelter, food, counselling and paralegal services. It operates hostels, notably Bethune House, care centres where workers can go on Sundays, and it researches issues affecting these women — they’re mostly women — and lobbies the Government and consulates.
Domestic workers protest their working conditions in Hong Kong
Christian Action says domestic helpers do not know their rights, so they suffer in silence. Abusive employers force them to work long hours, live in poor conditions, deduct their pay for trumped up reasons, sometimes refuse to pay wages at all and on top of that many find they are exploited by unscrupulous employment agencies. CA tries “to raise awareness about the plight of migrant workers to enhance society’s understanding of their situation and eradicate prejudice and discrimination.” The charity runs two service centres for workers, an emergency shelter, provides psychological counselling and conducts workshops and training classes.
The story of Siti is told by Christian Action as an example of how helpers can be abused. The Indonesian woman found her employer would throw random objects at her many times a week. The abuse escalated to physical violence. She was forced to sleep on the floor and was confused by her employers’ conflicting instructions. Siti did not know how to find help and feared for her life.
Siti sought help from her employment agency but the staff did not care and her efforts were futile. Then her sister referred her to Christian Action. Thanks to the charity Siti was able to leave the abusive home before she was severely harmed. CA gave her shelter, food and legal aid. Now Siti is back in Indonesia while CA continues to fight her case with the police and Legal Department.
Christian Action photo of helper being cared for in one of their shelters
Rami’s troubles are cited by the Mission for Migrant Workers as a typical case. Rami came to Hong Kong to better her family’s living conditions. She found her employer was paranoid (this was during the pandemic). Rami was confined to the house for two months, even after her contract was terminated. Her employer would not even let her look out the door. Rami slept in a storage room and her possessions were put in a toilet. She asked her boss if she could find outside storage space, which led to her termination. Her employer chased her out of the house with her things. “. . . I was shocked as I was not prepared. I had a lot on my mind. I did not know here to go.”
Rami was referred to MMW, which sent her to its home for distressed women, Bethune House. Here she was treated as family and given good food and care.
If you know of any domestic helpers in abusive, intolerable conditions, help them contact Christian Action or Mission for Migrant Workers.
Mission for Migrant Workers: Tel: 2522 8264 Email: mission@migrants.net
Christian Action: Tel: 2382 3339 Email: info@christian-action.org.hk
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