From Hong Kong to India with Love

A crazy thing happened when Vivi Wangka, our Migrant Domestic Workers staff member, traveled to India for the 15th Christian Conference Asia (CCA) General Assembly in India.

When Vivi arrived at Kochi Airport and was collecting her luggage she was surprised to bump into Uma, whom she first met in our Migrant Domestic Workers shelter in Hong Kong in April 2022! Uma lived in the shelter for 200 days while the courts resolved her employment dispute, until she departed in December 2022.

“What are you doing here?”, Vivi asked Uma in surprise. “I wanted to welcome you, as you had welcomed me in the shelter where I had nice and unforgettable memories,” said Uma. The reunion brought the two ladies, ever closer as they shared what God has done in their lives.

This year, the theme of CCA’s parallel ‘Churcha'/discussion sessions was "Welcoming the Stranger, Displaced and a Victim of Trafficking in Person (TIP)”. As an invited presenter Vivi referenced Uma's warm welcome, explaining Uma's story of being a stranger and a trafficked survivor at the CA shelter and her desire to give back. Vivi went on to discuss the vulnerability of female migrant workers, from South and Southeast Asia as victims of TIP for forced labour.

In closing, Vivi appealed to her attendees to speak-up for the voiceless, to give shelter, to provide well-being services like counseling and life-skills training, to offer food and to take care of those who are ill, imprisoned, or going through difficult times.

Join Christian Action to fight injustice, shield vulnerable victims from abuse and stop forced labour. Your prayers and financial support to MDW mean transformation in the lives of ladies suffering in silence.

Two thousand years ago Jesus spoke similar words: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." (Matthew 25:35 – 36 NIV).

Siew Mei

A surprise welcome from Uma