The Gift of Education

As soon as he was born, we wanted to make sure our son, Danial, had access to the best education possible. Most parents are like that: we give priority to our children's health, welfare and education because they are our whole world, our everything. Mariam*, a single mother from the Middle East who is seeking refuge in Hong Kong, is no different, yet the avenues open to her to ensure the best start in life for her child are limited and often fraught with complications.

I've said it before but I want to reiterate that being a refugee is not a choice. Refugees are in Hong Kong because they have well-founded fears of persecution in their home country. This can be due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and/or political opinion. They cannot return home without risk of extreme violations of their human rights, including torture or even death. Resettlement to a third country may take years in some cases, yet their lives - and the lives of their children - can't simply be put on hold.

In 2007 the Hong Kong Government granted the children of refugees, asylum seekers, and torture claimants the right to attend local schools contingent on approval by Immigration and the Education Bureau. These children also receive partial assistance from the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) to cover the costs of textbooks and transportation. As parents cannot work, they have no way of paying for any of the other costs associated with sending their children to school. Occasionally children arrive in Hong Kong without their parents, so enrolling and remaining in school can be cost prohibitive.

Christian Action's education sponsorship program for refugee children helps to cover costs not covered by the SFAA: uniforms, admin fees, gym clothes, and/or extra transport support so Mom or Dad can take their youngest ones to school themselves. This year we're supporting 91 children. We have some sponsors but we still need sponsors to get us through this school year. By becoming a sponsor, you'll receive information about your sponsored child, as well as bi-annual updates on their progress in school. You'll be able to connect- and children like Mariam's son will be able to learn. What a privilege to know that you will be helping to change the whole future of a child because he or she is receiving an education!

I look forward to letting you know about the child you may soon sponsor!

*Not her real name.