Fight to aid pregnant maids

An organization that provides emergency shelter for pregnant domestic workers is running out of funds to provide services amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

PathFinders, set up in 2007, is seeking to raise HK$432,000 through crowdfunding to maintain the operations of Hong Kong's only shelter exclusively for pregnant migrants and their children.

Since 2011, the charitable group has offered emergency accommodation to 322 vulnerable babies and mothers - who are often sacked after they become pregnant and subsequently become homeless.

According to its website, there were 37 mothers and babies in 2018.

Jessica Chow Chui-shan, director of services at PathFinders, said most shelters available for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong aren't able to meet the daily needs of mothers-to-be or those who have to take care of their children.

She cited a case where a mother staying in one of those shelters had to cook her meals at midnight when her baby was asleep, as children were prohibited from entering the kitchen for safety reasons.

But PathFinders' shelter can provide these mothers with an environment free from prejudice since other residents also come from a similar background, Chow said.

The group sets up baby cribs for safe sleeping in the shelter and offers food coupons to the mothers so that they can cook meals according to their needs.

PathFinders also helps these mothers through legal support, maternity classes, employment advice and consultation regarding pregnancy options. 

Chow said many pregnant domestic helpers have little knowledge about how to acquire birth certificates for their newborns, and even if they do, they can't afford to pay the fees to get their children registered for proper citizenship.

"It seems to be a trivial matter for locals to get a birth certificate, but the same thing can be very perplexing to these mothers who are in jeopardy," Chow said. "They cannot even feed themselves. If we can't satisfy their basic needs first, it's impossible for them to deal with these complicated legal issues."

However, donations the group received this year have dropped amid the economic environment battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

It launched a fundraising campaign this month for the shelter that has so far raised more than HK$340,000, 78 percent of its target to fund operations in the coming year.

Chow said the group had to cancel its annual fund-raising gala dinner due to restrictions on social gatherings. It would lose at least 30 percent of total donations a year. Most companies have cut down on donations amid the pandemic.

jasmine.ling@singtaonewscorp.com