First Class Citizens!

Who will look after my baby son when Marlon and I go to our separate workplaces? What shall I cook for dinner when I get home from work? How am I going to find time to clean my house, and go to the grocery store? How can I fit more hours into my day?

All these stresses were taken care of when God blessed me with a full-time domestic worker in our home. Hiring a helper greatly increases a family's flexibility and freedom as she takes care of many tasks, from cooking and cleaning to childcare.

Working families in Hong Kong currently employ more than 340,000 Foreign Domestic Workers often referred to as "helpers". In recent months they have been a hot topic of controversy after a report stated that many are overworked, burdened with debt, and are actually in situations of forced labour. Refer: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1937133/hong-kong-government-issues-draft-code-conduct

The SCMP article is not "news" to us at CA because many women who are victims of injustice come to our Centre for Domestic Migrant Workers (DMW) looking for justice.

A fantastic new initiative recognizes the month of May as "Helper Appreciation Month". This is a great opportunity to take a fresh look at the women we employ, most of whom have left their own families in the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, etc. Take the opportunity to truly thank them for all that they do and bring to our homes.

Thankfully, the government has now released a 100-page draft code of practice to ensure that there are stronger regulations for agencies. Although this document isn't legally binding, I'm confident that it will improve the operation of agencies, thus improving conditions for domestic workers and their employers.

Join me in showing appreciation to these first class citizens by helping CA in our efforts to care for them in Hong Kong. For more information about how you can serve and recent Centre updates, check out the DMW Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CADMW) or follow this link here (http://us13.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7d53a920e4e6df82ce364c133&id=2a97b06455&e).

Blessings,
Siew Mei