Trapped in Hong Kong

Ling during summer camp at Christian Action.

Mrs. Lau is a professional hairdresser who made a good living in her hometown in China. After she met and married a man from Hong Kong, she continued living in China for several years while he pursued his business interests in Hong Kong. But when their two children were 15 and 9 years old, Mrs Lau felt they should know their father, so she moved to Hong Kong.
 
After living a bachelor’s life, Mr Lau couldn't cope with having his family live with him. Mrs. Lau once again began living the life of a single parent. But life in HK was a far cry from China, where she was financially secure as a hairdresser.

She isn't a lady to sit around feeling sorry for herself so Mrs Lau tried to get a job but nobody wanted a hairdresser without qualifications. Her application to take a hairdressing course at a Hong Kong vocational training centre was rejected because she never graduated from high school. She then found that getting a high school diploma was too expensive and too demanding for a single mother in her forties and working full time. She works 60 hours a week, earning a minimum wage as a hotel housekeeper.
 
Although her son Han, now 15, had been enthusiastic about moving to Hong Kong, he has felt discriminated against at school, and as a result has become anti-social and withdrawn. Mrs. Lau can no longer control him. Ling, her 9-year-old daughter, is bright and engaging. At school she gets high marks for good behavior and her academic performance is above average. She loves girlie things: fashion, hair, dancing and sports. At home though, she is a different child.

After working a tiring 10 hour day, Mrs. Lau goes home to her one-room flat. Neither Ling nor Han help keep it tidy. Both escape to computer games.

Even though Mrs. Lau and her children would prefer to return to China, once they became Hong Kong residents, the Chinese government withdrew their residency rights in the mainland. Now, they desperately need our support. So far this has included counseling and weekly food parcels.  Mrs Lau says, "Thank you for the counseling provided by Christian Action, which has helped me to deal with stress more effectively. I am so grateful that I can go to work knowing that Ling is safe after school and during the holidays, because of the after school childcare services you provide. I can only hope her life turns out better than mine." Please pray for this family, and the thousands of others in Hong Kong in similar situations.