Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
Good morning everyone!
Hong Kong is home to over 340,000 migrant domestic workers. They are the backbone of our households, caring for our children, supporting our elderly, and keeping our homes running smoothly. Yet, many face financial pressures, recruitment debt, and even fraud.
Enrich exists to change that story. I think of Eka, a migrant domestic worker from Indonesia who has lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. When she first arrived, she faced enormous financial pressures and struggled to manage her income. Like many women, she carried the weight of supporting her family back home while navigating life in a new city.
Eka joined Enrich’s financial and empowerment workshops, and she describes the experience as life changing. She learned how to budget, save, and plan for the future. Over time, she built the confidence to take control of her finances and even began to dream of starting her own business.
What inspires me most is her determination. Eka told me that before Enrich, she didn’t know how to manage money. Now she feels confident and knows that she can build a better future for herself and her family.
Her journey reminds us that true empowerment goes beyond statistics—it's rooted in dignity, hope, and rekindling the capacity to dream. Eka’s story reflects the resilience of so many migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, and why Enrich’s mission matters.
Through financial and empowerment education, we help women learn to budget, save, and plan for their futures. We also provide workshops on communication, well being, and entrepreneurship. Since 2007, tens of thousands of women have joined our programmes, and many have told us how these tools gave them hope, confidence, and control over their lives.
People often ask me why I chose to lead Enrich. The answer is simple: because empowerment is transformative. When a woman learns to take charge of her finances, she doesn’t just change her own life; she changes the lives of her children, her family, and her community back home. Education is the most sustainable form of support we can offer, and I am proud to be part of an organisation that invests in women who, in turn, invest in the world.
At Enrich, we were deeply saddened by the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court. Our hearts go out to all those affected, especially the migrant domestic workers who lost their homes and belongings, and the families that lost their sisters, daughters, and mothers. In the days that followed, we witnessed the generosity of the Hong Kong community, but we also saw opportunists trying to exploit the tragedy. That is why we dedicated our Giving Tuesday donations directly to those impacted, with a special focus on migrant domestic workers.
This March, we will celebrate International Women’s Day with one of our biggest events of the year: “Empowering MDWs: Resilience, Wellbeing & Pathways Forward.”
Today, we celebrate the resilience of migrant domestic workers and support those affected by the tragic Tai Po fire. Together with our co host, the Social Innovation Team at the Knowledge Transfer Office of the Chinese University, we will welcome migrant domestic workers and the wider community to InnoPort in Sha Tin. We chose this venue to reach more workers living and working in and around Tai Po.
The event will feature:
- Booths offering practical support, from mental health counselling and women’s health resources to financial consultation, legal aid, and upskilling opportunities.
- Interactive sessions covering financial literacy, fraud prevention, safety awareness, women’s wellbeing, and entrepreneurship.
- Wellness and art activities, such as Piloxing, artwork creation, and breathing exercises, to refresh and inspire participants.
- Booths showcasing migrant domestic worker groups and NGOs with business ideas and skill demonstrations.
This event is about more than services. It is about community, empowerment, solidarity, and pathways forward for migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.
Reflecting on my journey with Enrich, I realize that empowerment starts with listening—listening to voices that are often overlooked and recognising their strength, resilience, and dreams. Hong Kong is a city of opportunity. Let us ensure that opportunity is shared. Let us invest in the women who invest in us every day.
I invite you to join us on International Women’s Day to stand with migrant domestic workers, celebrate their resilience, and help build a future where every woman has the tools to reach her goals.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you can support Enrich HK in some ways. Together, we are making a meaningful difference.
This is Iris CHAN, Service Director from the Hong Kong Cancer Fund. This July, we join the world in observing Sarcoma Awareness Month —a time to shed light on a rare but devastating cancer that affects our children, our youth, and our loved ones right here in Hong Kong. Today, I’m speaking to you not just as an advocate, but as someone who has stood beside sarcoma patients and their families in their most difficult moments.
Sarcomas are cancers that arise from connective tissues like bone and muscle. While they are rare, they can be particularly aggressive, often impacting young lives at critical development stages. In Hong Kong, we see about 50 new cases of bone sarcoma and 100 soft tissue sarcoma cases each year, and striking both children and adults. Because it’s so uncommon, many cases are diagnosed late, when treatment becomes harder. A persistent pain, an unexplained lump—these could be warning signs.
The journey for sarcoma patients is especially tough. Many face misdiagnoses at first, losing precious time. Treatment often requires complex surgeries at our overburdened public hospitals, followed by chemotherapy. The emotional and financial strain on families can be overwhelming.
For young adults, facing a cancer diagnosis can feel like a daunting mountain to climb. Take the story of a young lady, Amy, at just 19, she was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in her stomach and intestine. As she navigated her treatment, which included surgery and chemotherapy, Amy struggled not only physical pain, but also with feelings of isolation and uncertainty about her future. The burden of her diagnosis affected her relationships, education, and mental well-being.
Fortunately, through the Hong Kong Cancer Fund’s YOU CAN project, Amy discovered a supportive community of peers who truly understood her journey. With their encouragement, she overcame the hardships of treatment and began to regain her strength during the survivorship stage.
The YOU CAN project offers tailored support for young adults aged 18 to 39, providing counseling, relationship-building opportunities, personal development, empowerment workshops, and a safe space to share experiences. Amy's story illustrates how vital it is for young adults to connect with others who share similar challenges, helping them realize they are not alone in their journey.
Now, let’s turn our attention to families, particularly children facing the distress of a parent battling cancer. Consider the story of Paul, a 42-year-old father diagnosed with bone sarcoma in his right lower leg with poor prognosis. His 9-year-old son, Tommy, was struggling to cope with his father’s illness. Tommy had become withdrawn, refusing to go to school, and often showed fluctuating emotions, he easily got angry and hurt himself frequently.
Tommy's mother, Eva, felt exhausted and increasingly worried as Tommy refused to visit Paul during his hospitalization. Realizing they needed support, Eva brought Tommy to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund Support Centre in Kwai Chung.
There, we recognized that Tommy needed help to process what was happening in his life. Our Rainbow Club service is specifically designed for children like him. It provides emotional support, creative outlets, and a safe environment for children to express their feelings. Through engaging activities, peer interactions, child-parent programmes, and 12 individual counseling sessions provided by our Art Therapist, Tommy began to understand his emotions and realized he was not alone in this journey.
As he progressed, Tommy expressed a desire to return to school and resume his daily activities. He even shared that he wanted to help his mother and was eager to visit his father in the hospital.
At the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for families affected by cancer. Our free services include professional counseling, cancer support programmes, support groups, and financial assistance. We aim to ensure that anyone touched by cancer, receive the help they need to navigate their unique challenges. Last year alone, we supported over 200 sarcoma patients and their families through our programmes. But with your help, we can do so much more.
As we continue through Sarcoma Awareness Month, I urge you to educate yourself about sarcomas, recognize the signs such as unusual swelling or pain that lasts for weeks; share this message, as many people still don’t recognize sarcoma; and support those in need by simply calling us at 3656 0800 for free services, or visiting us at www.cancer-fund.org to donate or volunteer.
Behind every statistic is someone's child, someone's parent, someone's friend. This Sarcoma Awareness Month, let's show Hong Kong's sarcoma warriors they're not alone.
