The need

Christian Action's Chungking Mansions Service Centre opened at the beginning of 2004 as a response to the needs of the following two groups:

Ethnic minority Hong Kong residents feel privileged in having the right to live and work in Hong Kong but they face a struggle in doing so. Barriers of language and culture restrict their ability to integrate with Hong Kong society and limit the opportunities available to them. Unemployment is a serious problem and even access to basic services can be a challenge.

Asylum seekers face great hardship in Hong Kong because they are not recognised by the Immigration Department and prohibited from earning any income. Asylum seekers arriving in Hong Kong make an application to the UNHCR and are resettled in a third country if their application is approved. The application process can take up to several years and during this time even basic survival is a challenge.

Our service

Having witnessed these needs, Chungking Mansions seemed an ideal location to serve both ethnic minority residents and asylum seekers.

Our help for asylum seekers is focused on their basic needs with services such as free meals, clothes and non-emergency medical care. Our centre is open for drop-in and free internet access seven days per week and it provides a place that asylum seekers can feel valued and feel at home.

In addition to these services, asylum seekers and refugees can take part in a range of activities including language classes, computer classes and health workshops.

Our services to ethnic minority Hong Kong residents focus on the need to equip them for life in Hong Kong.

Language classes, skills classes and information workshops improve our client's access to Hong Kong society. In addition to adults classes, we have classes for pre-school aged children and classes for school aged children that give special emphasis to homework help.

Our health clinic is a response to the difficulty that ethnic minority residents have in accessing health care. Volunteer doctors give consultations and particular attention has been placed on cervical cancer screening. Twice monthly health education workshops are run on relevant health topics.

Cases (Click to open):

'S' from Africa

Malanda

There are many more cases we would share with you but because of sensitivity and for the benefits of our friends, these are the only cases we can safely share with you. Do feel free to call us if you would like to learn more and help.