Ethnic Minorities: Self-reliance by Life Skills Empowerment

The Caring Company Scheme arranged a community visit for corporations to two service units providing employment and life-skills training to ethnic minorities, on June 20, 2008. The aim of the visit was to enhance corporate understanding of the need for social service, and to explore partnership opportunities between the commercial and social welfare sectors. This activity was sponsored by S.F. Express (Hong Kong) Limited.

Currently, there are over 300,000 ethnic minorities residing in Hong Kong. Whilst most are domestic helpers, there are still over 50,000 non-domestic helpers living in the local community. Due to cultural differences and language barriers, ethnic minorities face many difficulties, including in education, employment and everyday life. Many simple things, such as medical consultations, purchasing sundries and even reading road signs can be challenging tasks.

Firstly, the participants visited the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society. With the support of the HSBC Foundation, the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society launched the u0022Loving Bridgeu0022 project to support the integration of ethnic minorities. Their services include Cantonese lessons, tutoring services for children, an adaptation programme, family activities, employment services, etc. The project helps ethnic minorities to broaden their social lives, facilitates integration into the community and enhances inter-family relationships. u0022Loving Bridgeu0022 received the Outstanding Partnership Project Award in 2007/08.

Against the cultural and religious background, the social status of South Asian women is relatively low. Language barriers further hinder interaction with local people and access to useful information. The u0022Love MultiCultureu0022 project, launched by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Lady MacLehose Centre in 2007, aims to enhance the self-esteem of South Asian women by emphasizing their competence and potential. Through employment training and real-life sales practice in their store, the project strengthens South Asian women’s self-confidence.

From this second project, corporate representatives gained insight into the challenges faced by ethnic minorities in everyday life, and also received the opportunity to interact with the South Asian community. The commercial sector is encouraged to explore partnership opportunities in various ethnic minority services, such as in the coordination of tutorial volunteers, providing employment and training opportunities, etc., which would be huge steps in facilitating ethnic minorities’ integration into the Hong Kong society as a whole.

Sponsored by: SF Express

The u0022Loving Bridgeu0022 Project joined hands by HSBC and Hong Kong Family Welfare Society enhances multicultural diversity.

South Asian women were demonstrating the production of Nepalese food.

u0022Love Multi Cultureu0022 project, operated by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Lady MacLehose Center, provides employment training for the Ethnic Minority.

The South Asian women are excellent in handicraft making.

A Social Enterprise located in Kwai Chung Mall selling handmade clothing and accessories by the South Asian women.

Helping people help themselves: a South Asian woman as an English teacher for children in Kwai Chung district.