Celebrating 20 Years of the Centre for Refugees

A mesmerizing and unforgettable celebration was held on November 3, 2023, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Centre for Refugees and all the wonderful people associated with it.

The 20th Anniversary Charity Gala for Centre for Refugees was held at The American Club Hong Kong. It included moving testimonies from 3 refugees: Uzma, Mandjo and Sophie, who opened their hearts about their life’s journey.

Another speaker was Jeffrey Andrews (Jeff), who has been with the Centre for Refugees (CFR) for 14 years. He spoke poignantly of the trauma, grief and pain he had witnessed among some of the asylum seekers and refugees that CFR has served, and their journey to recovery. Jeff also spoke of the joy he saw in refugees as it gradually dawned on them that at CFR they were finally in a place that was safe and that they could call home and get help for the future.

I also talked about my first services in 1986–1997, serving Vietnamese refugee boat people in Hong Kong. The painful journeys might not be the same, but they too also fled their own countries for safety, wishing to be reunited with their families in western countries.

The evening was also filled with laughter, singing and dancing courtesy of Vivek Mahbubani, the award-winning stand-up comedian, as our MC; The Afroseas, the renowned Hong Kong rappers from Africa; Hong Kong versatile vocalist, Dimple Cruz also came on stage, and her singing led us to clapping and shouting for more!

The action-packed extravaganza had a goal of raising HK$1 million for CFR’s 2024 programs. On the night, we raised approximately $750K, but thanks to a generous donor, who pledged to donate the balance, our goal was met! I am so glad that refugees will continue to receive help and support from CFR and I am especially thankful to everyone who gave so generously. If you would like to give please visit https://www.cfr.org.hk/support-us

And finally, a big shout out to everyone mentioned above and all of CFR’s wonderful volunteers and staff members who worked so hard to make the dinner so successful.

I would like to bless everyone with this prayer: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23–24 NIV

Siew Mei