Pathfinders, HKU call for better linkages to protect migrants’ children

 

Panel speakers Dr Lucy Jordan, Xyza Bacani and Catherine Gurtin

The importance of developing new strategies to ensure all children affected by migration are protected was the focus of a panel discussion yesterday, May 11, to launch Children at the Heart of Migration, a new report published by PathFinders in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

The speakers included Dr. Lucy Jordan, associate professor at HKU’s Department of Social Work and Social Administration; award-winning photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani, who following her mother’s example, became a migrant domestic herself; and PathFinders' CEO Catherine Gurtin.

The talk was held as Hong Kong marked the 50^th  year since migrant domestic workers were allowed into the city.

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Today, there are around 340,000 MDWs in Hong Kong and the government expects the number to rise to 600,000 by 2047 because of the need to care for the city’s rapidly ageing population.

More than 90% of the MDWs are women of childbearing age, and many are mothers who left their own children behind in hopes of providing them with a better future.

The discussion focused on how government and other stakeholders could work together to come up with policies that adequately reflect the potential impact of migration on children - whether born in the country of destination, or left behind.

 

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This becomes more urgent as Hong Kong looks overseas to recruit more women to work as caregivers for the city’s elderly residents.

Gurtin said that over the last 15 years that PathFinders has been in existence, it has seen many MDWs falling prey to love scams, sexual abuse, and unplanned pregnancies while living and working in Hong Kong.

With the population of MDWs set to almost double over the next 20 years, we need to act now to prevent an emerging and potential crisis for migrant children, Gurtin said.

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PathFinders wants to use its voice in raising awareness and advocate for stronger protections for the children left behind, she added.

Dr Jordan also expressed concern for the children of migrant parents. She said research has shown that there is a potential “crisis of care” across Southeast Asia as an increasing number of parents migrate overseas for work, leaving their children behind. 

But she said very little is known about the long-term costs and benefits of migration for these children.

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Through the report she said HKU and PathFinders hope to start a conversation that makes a case for developing effective policies that will help children and family members affected by migration, both in the sending and receiving destinations.

Sharing her personal experiences, Bacani said, "I was a child left-behind by my migrant mother when I was eight. I grew up without her so I know how challenging and painful it was to be away from my own mother. Migration has touched our family’s lives in so many ways.

She added that her story was not unique as it was a story shared by millions of children left behind by a migrant parent.

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The panel called on stakeholders to jointly put in place several measures to help cushion the blow on children of migrant workers.

These include providing comprehensive training to migrant workers in their home countries, which should focus on crisis prevention and migration goals. In addition, migrating mothers should be made to undergo extra training on child guardianship, family togetherness and tips on how to look after their children while abroad.

Once they get to their work sites, migrant mothers should also get support from their fellow MDWs and non-government organizations in terms of access to information on general and reproductive health, as well as child safety and positive parenting.

Community networks should also be strengthened in the destination countries so migrant parents will get help in preventing crisis situations and to engage them in talks on child development.

The panel also advocated conducting further research on how migration could impact child protection and health development in both origin and destination places, in particular, those in the Philippines and Indonesia on one side and Hong Kong on the other.

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Mother's love featured in online photo exhibit

 

A Mother’s Heart A Mother’s Heart, By Tess Belgado

"This was taken 12 years ago during my first vacation in the Philippines. Behind my smile was pain. I pushed myself to hide the pain. I packed their hugs and kisses and took them with me, as they said, 'Mama, you’re leaving us again…' Even though it has been difficult, I have managed to become a mother and a father for their future.

A photo exhibit that can be viewed online has been mounted by PathFinders, a non-government organization that offers help to foreign workers in need, to explore how a mother working overseas expresses her love for the children they left behind.

“The exhibition aims to bring to the public eye the unparalleled strength, resilience and determination of MDW (migrant domestic workers) mothers who live thousands of miles away from their children,” Pathfinders said.

The photo exhibit, entitled "No Child Left Behind: A Mother's Love Knows No Borders", features 50 photographs contributed by mothers who had to leave their children to work abroad, as well as a former domestic helper who is now an award-winning photographer, Xyza Cruz Bacani.

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Bacani selected 49 of the photographs from among the entries in PathFinders’ recent "49" image competition, and Bacani added one of her own.

The exhibit can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3WTM64m.It runs until Dec. 31.

"Many of Hong Kong's 340,000 MDWs are mothers from the Philippines and Indonesia who made the very difficult decision to leave children behind in order to work overseas and create brighter futures for them – as well as the children they care for in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, despite their sacrifices, the precious contribution of MDWs has long been undervalued in our society,” said Catherine Gurtin, CEO of PathFinders. “Through our ongoing #WorkingMomsHK campaign, we pay tribute to MDWs as mothers, while also seeking to increase the community's understanding, care and appreciation for them.”

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“There’s so much we can all do to show our care and support for MDWs. If you employ an MDW who has children, please encourage her to have regular, heart-to-heart connections with her children. Support their connection by providing your employee with short breaks to interact with her children. This small gesture will truly make a meaningful difference!" she said.

Bacani added: “All the images we collected are simply striking, each revealing a unique, heart-wrenching separation story of migrant mothers and their children. Behind each smile lies a story of struggle and heartbreak. As a left-behind child myself, I can still feel the unceasing pain and trauma when looking at these images and remembering how I felt growing up without my mother by my side."

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"Hong Kong has a special place in my heart. My mother works there. I worked there. It is my home. Being able to share my own experience to inspire the MDW community in the city means so much to me. For all MDW mothers, connect regularly and meaningfully with your children. They need your love as much as you need theirs,"she said.

Alongside their exhibition, PathFinders’ 14th Anniversary and Children’s Day fundraising appeal No Child Left Behind seeks to raise funds to protect children born to migrant mothers in Hong Kong.

Donations will plug urgent funding gaps for critical services and programmes, to ensure no child is born without an identity, deprived of shelter, education or unable to access healthcare.

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Thanks to a group of private donors, the first HK$269,000 of donations will be matched! Support PathFinders’ No Child Left Behind campaign at www.give.asia/nochildleftbehind.

Since 2008, PathFinders has helped over 9,800 migrant mothers and children. Every year 500 children and their migrant mothers seek their specialist care and protection.

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“The last few years have been difficult for so many in Hong Kong, but especially for MDWs who have faced their own unique challenges and been excluded from pandemic relief measures. For the PathFinders team it's been even harder than usual to help expectant and migrant mothers navigate their crisis and ensure no child is left behind,” the NGO said.

Here is a sampling of the entries:

Waiting for Ibu (Mom) to Come Home

By Alinggar Alfat Akbar (10 years old)

24 July 2015 was the last day I celebrated my birthday with my Ibu (mom) before she went to Hong Kong to work. I have been without my mother for 7 years. I know Ibu wants to be beside me and wish me a happy birthday. Hopefully next year Alinggar can eat birthday cake again with you, Ibu. Alinggar loves you, Ibu.

 

Bridging Hearts

By Evelyn Genisan

These are my treasures! An old school way of expression, and a great amount of effort to show love and gratitude. They are the best gifts I receive from my kids on special occasions. Whenever I depart from home, they also insert a note or an envelope in my bag. I usually find it at the airport or days after my arrival. It always brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart with love.

 

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Art auction raises $33,000 for Bethune House

By Vir B. Lumicao

Seven works by two former domestic helpers who have become internationally acclaimed artists were bought by private collectors in an auction at the Bethune House 30th anniversary charity dinner held on Sept 30 at Li Hall in St John’s Cathedral.

The seven art works were among 32 donated by Xyza Cruz Bacani and Janet Pancho Gupta to help raise funds for Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, a shelter for distressed migrant helpers in Hong Kong.

Bacani, currently based in New York, had five buyers of her street photographs, while Pancho Gupta, a Hong Kong-based painter who added photography to her artistic pursuits recently, sold two works.
According to Bethune’s executive director Edwina Antonio, the silent auction for the seven works raised a total of $33,000 for the shelter.

Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, general manager of Mission for Migrant Workers which operates Bethune House, said the unsold works would be put up again for sale in future auctions to raise funds for the refuge.

“We’re planning to continue the auctions because that’s what the donors want anyway,” Tellez told The SUN shortly after the event.

Additional funds were raised from the $500 per plate dinner buffet featuring a variety of Filipino dishes prepared by residents of the shelter.

Live music was provided by Hong Kong-based Filipino artist and The SUN staff William Elvin Manzano, who contributed his talent pro bono.

Antonio expressed thanks to Bacani, a friend of Bethune House who has been actively supporting the struggle of foreign domestic workers for their rights, and to Pancho Gupta, a former resident who was herself a victim of abusive employers.

Bacani, who is currently in New York, sent her greetings to Bethune House on a video message projected on a screen.

Pancho Gupta, for her part, recalled the days when she was at Bethune and no one knew that she was an artist until she started drawing as part of her activities in the refuge.

2 Pinay DHs short-listed for human rights arts awards

Maureen Villanueva’s painting “Innocent Hands” 

By The SUN

Gemma Abad’s dress
made out of the ubiquitous
straw bag (also known as “striped
bag” among OFWs).

Entries from two Filipina domestic workers have been short-listed for this year’s Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize 2018 competition whose winners will be known at ceremonies to be held on Dec 8 at The Hive Spring in Aberdeen.

Gemma Abad’s dress made out of the ubiquitous straw bag (“striped bag” among OFWs) and Maureen Villanueva’s painting “Innocent Hands” are among the 23 entries that have been short-listed for the awards, according to HKHRAP director Ms Katie Vadja.

Launched by Justice Centre Hong Kong, the award encourages Hong Kong-based artists to explore local and external humanitarian issues. The 23 entries from 24 artists this year have been selected from over a hundred applicants.

Using mediums ranging from film to neon lights to recyclables, the thought-provoking installations explore topics from migration to sustainability.



The winner of the HKHRAP 2018 will receive a cash prize of $35,000 and a trophy by prominent Hong Kong artist Jaffa Lam.

Two runners-up will also receive cash prizes, and a Directors’ Choice Award will be presented at the exhibition opening.



Previous winners in the arts tilt include Filipina former domestic worker-turned professional photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani for a series of pictures of migrant workers.

Camarines Norte native Abad, who has been working in Hong Kong for the past 11 years, shows the fashion value of the familiar bag.



Her untitled artwork is captioned: “A market bag: ordinary, common, simple and durable transformed into a new form, a new purpose.”

Abad told The SUN she was inspired and encouraged by her employer Kate Sparrow, who is also an artist, to pursue her artistic talent. They collaborated in an exhibit called “Not For Sale” in October.



Villanueva, from Sorsogon, has been working in Hong Kong for six years as domestic helper. Previously, she was a musician in Malaysia and the Philippines but came to Hong Kong after taking up a course as caregiver.

She said her artwork, titled “Innocent hands,” is about rape. The artist said she wanted to emphasize the protection of victims.

Villanueva is a member of Guhit Kulay Hong Kong, a group of Filipino artists, and this, she says, is the first big competition she has joined.

The entries also include “Lie Flat”, an installation by local artist Florence Li that was reportedly inspired by a case study on a maid’s room in a high-end residential estate.

Li’s work questions the standard of living in Hong Kong and what is considered to be adequate living space and conditions.

Tickets to the awards ceremony start at $250, and all proceeds will be donated to Justice Centre Hong Kong. For more information, visit their website: http://www.justicecentre.org.hk/artsprize/

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HK-based Pinoy artists join campaign for human rights

Participating artists strike a pose at the main gallery of FEU.

Former HK migrant worker Xyza Cruz-Bacani and resident William Elvin have joined hands to take part in an artists-led campaign for human rights in the Philippines which was unveiled amid tight security at the FEU campus in Manila on Mar. 9.

“Hudyat: Filipino Artists for Human Dignity” is a multi-media exhibit showcasing works depicting the state of human rights in the Philippines, from the martial law era of the ‘70s to the ‘80s, to the recent spate of extra judicial killings associated with the government’s anti drugs campaign.

The exhibitors are led by National Artist BenCab, and also include writer/poet Pete Lacaba, journalist Sheila Coronel, visual artists Julie Lluch, Bogie Tence Ruiz and Antipas Delotavo, and photojournalists Raffy Lerma and Ric Rocamora.

Among those who spoke eloquently about the need to speak out against human rights violations were Lerma and Rappler reporter Patricia Evangelista, who have both had close encounters with EJK victims.

Lerma said seeing the spate of killings made him realize that one could not stand idly by and not speak up against those responsible.

Evangelista said that up to 27 people were killed  in Manila in just one night, and more than 7,000 in the first seven months of President Rodrigo Duterte’s rule.

“Is opposition to the killings opposition to the government? It is not,” she said.

Lluch, whose statement was read by her daughter, said: “One man killed is one man too many...We are not against the war on drugs but the clandestine killings of so many”.

The exhibit runs until Mar. 25. Those intending to visit are requested to register beforehand at pcc@feu.edu.ph or via the FB page, Hudyat Filipino Artists for Human Dignity. —DCLM

What's on where

Philippine Independence Day Celebrations

Philippine Independence Day Ball
June 11, 6:00 pm onwards, Ballroom, Conrad Hotel
Guest Performer: Jed MaddelaOrganizer: Philippine Association of Hong Kong
Beneficiaries: Bayanihan Centre, Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge, Wimler Foundation, Gawad Kalinga and the PAHK scholarship program.
Tickets are on sale at $2,000, $1,600 and $1,300 per person. For tickets and other information, contact Edith, 5213 3588

Kapangyawan Friendship Festival
June 12 (Sunday), 9:00 am onwards,
Chater Road, Central
Organizer: Philippine Consulate General, Philippine Association of Hong Kong and Philippine Alliance
Open to the public

Independence Day Cocktail Reception
June 14 , Granville and Nathan Rooms, Conrad Hong Kong
Host: PCG.
Strictly by invitation only

‘Modern Slavery’
A Photo Exhibition on Human Traffickingby Xyza Cruz Bacani.
May 21 to June 10, KONG Art Space in Villa Serene, 3 Staunton Street, Central
Sponsored by the U.S. Consulate and KONG Art Space.
For inquries, please call 9887 9840.

“The Spirit of Place”
A rare exhibit of the art of French master Claude Monet
May 4 to July 11, Heritage Art Gallery, Shatin
Entrance Fee: $10 for adults, $5 for students, seniors and PWDs every Wednesday. Double or $20 and $10 on all other days, except Tuesday when the museum is closed

Bloodletting Day
June 5, Red Cross Centre, Causeway Bay
Organizer: PGBI AGUILA
Contact: Gener @55908253

ICM Annual Banquet
Oct 24, 6pm onwards, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai.
This is an annual fundraising for the “poorest of the poor” in the Philippines. Table prices with 12 persons each range from $30,000 to $100,000. For more information or any questions, please email banquet@caremin.com or call +852 2548 9038.

Designers boost Bethune

Global fashion brand Kaprice joined forces with jewelry designer Gosia Orlowska, Carla Personal Styling and Pakt on Mar 17 to celebrate International Women’s Day and raise money for Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge.
About a dozen women attended the benefit show organized by Kaprice’s Ana Briones, where clothes, jewelry and other designer items were put up for sale, with part of the proceeds going to Bethune House.
Bethune executive director Edwina Antonio was unable to join the event as she was attending to a sick client, but extended her gratitude to the women who extended help.
Celebrity photographer Xyza Cruz-Bacani, who was a former OFW herself, spoke of how she got to be where she is now, and of her own fundraising efforts for Bethune.
Also among the guests was The SUN editor Daisy CL Mandap, who has been designated Bethune’s Ambassador of Goodwill not just for raising funds for the shelter, but also for raising awareness about its work and its needs.
Briones said the money raised from the charity event will be handed personally to Antonio sometime this month.