We have heard and responded to so many heartbreaking stories and pleas for help over the past few months. Among the worst has been the cruel treatment of covid-positive foreign domestic helpers by a minority of unscrupulous ’employers’. Many have had their contracts terminated and been forced into homelessness just because they tested positive for Covid. The punitive and discriminatory treatment of migrants in Hong Kong has long made for uncomfortable reading. Last month the SCMP published a heartbreaking story about a British expat mother who was prevented from being able to stay with her baby who had tested positive for covid in hospital. The story was shared millions of times on social media and made headlines in the international media. World leaders were quick to condemn the treatment of mother and baby and the US issued this dire warning, putting HK on the same travel advisory list as Ukraine. (Really?)
As traumatic as this experience undoubtedly was for mother and baby, at least the baby was admitted to hospital straight away for treatment. Meanwhile, at another hospital, during the same time period, an Indonesian mother was made to wait outside in a hospital carpark with her covid-positive baby for three nights before her sick baby was finally admitted for treatment. This was during one of the coldest, rainiest Februaries on record, when the temperature plummeted to 6 degrees. The story was also published in the HKFP but didn’t receive anything like the same level of attention or the condemnation of world leaders.
Mother and baby are now fully recovered and being sheltered and cared for by Bethune House, one of the fantastic organizations we are proud to support with deliveries of our home baking (and since food shortages kicked in, any food we can get our hands on). Through them, we were also able to reach out to the mother and pass on care packages for her and her baby. It wasn’t much, but we were so happy to receive a lovely photo and updates of mother and baby’s progress.
Luckily, Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge and parent NGO, the Mission for Migrant Workers, are always ready to shelter and protect vulnerable migrant women, but they urgently need support! Please donate if you possibly can, either directly to the charities or through HKK. We will collect your donation from your home and deliver it to Bethune on our Thursday afternoon delivery runs. đź’ś
Home Kong Kitchen 