It’s Astonishing How Much We Do for Women

I love listening to feedback from first time visitors to Christian Action. They’ll say things like: ‘I had no idea that so many of your programmes are tailored specifically to women and children!’- and they are right!

The International Women’s Day was yesterday, and it made me reflect on how much we’ve done to recognize women’s achievements and serve and advocate for them.

I recalled that as a newly-appointed Executive Director in 1992 we ran a refugee camp specifically for pregnant Vietnamese Refugees. And shortly thereafter we started our Domestic Migrant Workers programme for women workers in 1993 from all across Asia who were in Hong Kong and had suffered abuse. It was around the same time that we also began co-managing Children’s Homes on the Tibetan Plateau, which housed many abandoned girls in that place.

Our heritage of serving women in need can be seen right up to the current time. In February for example, I reported that our On Tai Centre Staff & Volunteers won the Community Investment Inclusion Fund's (CIIF) Social Capital Builder Logo Award. Women make up the majority of that programme! In January and last October I wrote about how our programmes are helping Ms. Leung and Ms. Szeto, both of whom are single mothers and live in subdivided units. Lastly, in November I also wrote that in recognition of our work with Refugees and Exploited Women, Mission 21 renewed its support for our work!

Serving women is integral to everything Christian Action does. I am particularly proud when programmes happen organically, from the ground up, as described by Ms. Chee in the following excerpt from her-

"My daughter joined the CA After-School Child Care service in 2016. At the centre, I inquired with a CA staff member about the possibility of organizing activities to learn new skills. With the support of CA and all our group members, we successfully formed the Mutual Help Women’s Group.

I used to have a bad temper and constantly argued with my mother. Finally, I began sharing my relationship issues with the ladies and asked how to get along with others, especially my mother. The ladies were happy to share their experience with me and gave me tips about resolving this problem and keeping my relationship on track. My fellow group members find that I have now learned how to improve my interactions with others. I also learned many handicraft skills from them and when I show my products to friends, they compliment my good work, making me feel useful and accepted. I always look forward to our weekly gathering.”

Thank you for partnering with me in serving Hong Kong and those in need!

Siew Mei