Walk the Refugee Road

To fulfill the requirements for a Girl Scout Bronze Award which would indicate that they want to make a difference in their community, six Girl Scouts and their mothers recently visited Christian Action. The goal was to learn what it's like to be an asylum seeker in Hong Kong. Their walk through the lives of several asylum seekers and our part in their lives was a revelation to the girls.

Please let me know if you too would like to 'Walk this Road'.

First stop was the mosque on Nathan Rd. because roughly 60% of Christian Action beneficiaries are Muslims. Then we all walked past St. Andrews Church, where many asylum seekers worship.  The next place was the police station because no matter how traumatized a protection claimant may be, he has to surrender to the police, or be arrested for overstaying the visa.

Then the group moved on to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, where all asylum seekers must be registered. Then on to the Social Welfare Department, which undertakes to supply food and shelter. Next there’s the Jockey Club Clinic, where many of our asylum seekers who are sick can receive basic, though limited medical attention. 

Two designated grocery vendors in the Yau Ma Tei area were next on the walk. Every 10 days, asylum seekers may choose a limited amount of food items based on a point system. This can be tricky as they often fail to select enough food to last until their next visit.  All rents are paid directly to landlords by relevant authorities, so tenants have no control over payments, yet landlords will not hesitate to verbally abuse their tenants if the rent is late. The girls witnessed one such rude exchange.

The walk ended with a visit to *Mary and her 16 year old daughter. Mary used to be a Girl Scout, so she was very excited to meet the girls and their mothers, all of whom were deeply shaken by the poor condition of Mary’s tiny home. 

All the mothers were unanimous in saying “We live in a bubble and we never see this side of life. Our kids don’t know the struggle others go through.” Hayden, one of the girl scouts wrote: "When I went on the refugee walk it really shocked me when I saw what the refugees had to go through."

Another of the Girl Scouts shared her experience with her father, who works for a major bank. As a result we have just received a generous donation towards the programme from his employer! 

Please tick the comments box below if you would also like to 'Walk this Road'. 

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the subjects.