Hong Kong Charity Gives Women from Ethnic Minorities Economic Opportunities
Photo from: Xiaomei Chen
Edited By Michelle Ho
Recently, a charity named the Zubin Foundation launched a project to teach women how to sew. 35 women from the ages of 25 to 60 participated in the project.
The project has given women from ethnic minorities an opportunity to earn an income by selling their creations. The Zubin Foundation estimated that in Hong Kong, one in five women live in poverty, while one in four of them have an ethnic minority background.
One of the participants is Anila, who is a housewife of Pakistani descent and was born in Hong Kong. Before, she relied on her husband’s money which was used for household expenses. However, she can now rely on her own money, which she uses to buy dinner. Her husband is a driver who earns around HK$20,000 per month. The couple lives in public housing with their three sons.
“When I see someone buying my bag, I cannot help but smile. When I received my first HK$120 then I realised I would get paid. I was so excited,” Anila said. For her 19th wedding anniversary, she bought a halal roasted duck with her hard-earned money, to commemorate this event.
Another participant, Arshad, 62, who is also a housewife and is native Kashmir expressed: “Why should women just stay home, do household chores and take care of the kids? We need to get out and learn and work. I feel strongly about that.” She moved to Hong Kong in 2008 and lives in government housing with her husband, son, daughter-in-law and three young grandchildren. Her husband earns HK$13,000 per month as a security guard. Her son was a food delivery driver but is now under the government’s Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme due to an accident. This project has allowed her to meet new people and pay her medical expenses for her diabetes. She also used her money to buy treats such as fruit.
Shalini Mahtani, the founder and CEO of the Zubin Foundation, shared that during the Covid pandemic, many women realised a decrease in their family's income so they wanted to contribute by earning money. Besides wanting to help out, they also felt isolated so they wanted to learn new skills and work. Zubin Foundation bought eight sewing machines and hired a woman to give sewing lessons. They sewed bags made from fabric that was donated by residents. The bags were sold at a two-day Women’s Empowerment Christmas Bazaar held in Tai Kwun (Central). The bazaar was funded by Barclays bank. The prices of the bags ranged from HK$60 to HK$100.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han, spoke to the South China Morning Post regarding the project: “It’s more than just giving them money or a subsidy. It’s more like teaching them how to make a living. They’re talented, and they’re doing some great handicraft. People love it. So I look forward to more of that kind of initiative going forward.”
Bibliography
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3201111/hong-kong-charitys-sewing-project-helps-women-ethnic-minorities-contribute-their-families-income
