“I was a young girl when I arrived in Hong Kong in 2005 to work as a migrant domestic worker. I planned to work here for two years to fund my university education, but I ended up liking HK so much that I decided to stay! It was a shock to arrive in this city - I couldn’t speak Cantonese, wasn’t used to the cold winter weather and it was all very overwhelming. Luckily, I had a really kind employer - they were local Hongkongers and treated me like family. I worked with them for eight years and they supported me to take piano classes, computer classes and continue to learn new skills. I met my husband, an Indonesian pastor, and we got married in 2012. While I was supporting my husband to serve the Indonesian Ministry at our church, my friend told me about PathFinders and invited me to volunteer. I loved their mission from the start - I love kids, and their work to support pregnant migrant domestic workers is so meaningful. So I decided to give it a try!"
「我喺2005年移居香港,當時我仲係個後生女,第一份工就係外籍家傭。我本身打算喺香港做兩年嘢,儲一筆錢讀大學,點知我太鍾意香港,最後都係決定留港生活。其實,最初到埗香港,我遇過唔少挑戰,譬如唔識講廣東話、唔習慣冬天嘅天氣等等,所有嘢都令我好徬徨。不過,我好好彩遇到善良嘅僱主,佢哋係香港人,對我十分關顧,簡直當咗我係屋企人咁。我喺佢哋屋企做咗八年家傭,佢哋資助我學鋼琴、學電腦同其他新技能。之後,我認識咗我先生,佢係一位印尼籍牧師,我哋喺2012年結婚。我喺教會協助我先生處理印尼教友職務,有朋友向我介紹融幼社,並邀請我做義工。我好欣賞融幼社嘅使命,因為我好鍾意細路仔,而融幼社專向懷孕外傭提供支援,我覺得好有意義,所以我決定加入佢哋,成為一份子!」
“I now work for PathFinders as the ambassador programme co-ordinator for the Indonesian community. We do outreach to educate fellow migrant workers about maternity rights, how to prevent unplanned pregnancies and communicate with their employers about early stage pregnancies. I get a lot of energy working with our amazing ambassadors! They choose to dedicate their one day off to empower fellow migrant workers and self-improve. One amazing example of how we work with our ambassadors is captured in the story of one of our clients who had an unwanted pregnancy due to a tragic incident which led to a legal court case. While coping with the immense stress, she was afraid to go home as her husband said that he would never accept the baby as his own. As she was about to return home, I worked with one of our ambassadors who happened to be in Indonesia at the time to visit the family. Through dialogue and communication, their relationship improved and the family now loves and accepts the baby. She still shares photos of her child with me and it brings me so much joy to see that she is now in a happy place."
”When I was ten years old, I left my parents’ home and moved to a different city for school. We were only allowed to return home once a year, and it was so painful to leave my family every time. I dream to one day open education centres for kids in more remote areas so that they don’t have to be separated from their families. With so many migrant domestic workers working abroad, who is looking after their kids back home? This resonates with the PathFinders mission that all children are valuable and deserve fair opportunities. To employers out there, if your domestic worker is pregnant, you can do two things: one is to be a good citizen and don’t do anything illegal like dismissing your pregnant worker, and two, be an angel. This means acting not out of obligation but out of the kindness of your heart. What any pregnant woman needs is non-judgemental support, kindness, and understanding that they are carrying new life!”
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「我而家喺融幼社工作,以大使計劃統籌專員身分,致力為在港印尼社區提供支援。我哋透過外展計劃,向居港印傭普及孕婦權益,教育佢哋點樣避免意外懷孕,亦會與僱主商討家傭懷孕初期嘅安排。同融幼社大使共事嗰陣,我總係覺得自己充滿幹勁!佢哋願意花一日休假嚟幫助家傭同增值自己實在難得。我亦係融幼社危機預防小組專員。我想分享一個真實案例,嚟解釋大使嘅工作:有位當事人意外懷孕,進而引致法律糾紛。嗰位孕婦除咗要面對龐大壓力之外,佢亦好驚返鄉下,因為佢先生明言唔會當個胎兒係自己嘅。正當佢起程返鄉嗰陣,咁啱有位大使身處印尼,而我就安排大使前往探訪嗰家人。透過不斷對話同溝通,佢哋兩夫婦嘅關係有明顯改善,而其他家庭成員亦願意接受並呵護呢個新生命。嗰位女士有時仲會分享佢細路啲相畀我睇㖭!見到佢開心咗咁多,我真係感到好欣慰。」
「諗返起十歲嗰陣,為咗讀書,我迫不得已要離開父母,搬到第二個城市居住。當時,學校只準我哋一年返屋企一次,每次同父母離別,我都覺得好痛苦。我嘅夢想係喺偏遠地區開設教育中心,咁樣學童就無需同屋企人分隔異地。現時有大量家傭都係離鄉工作,試問佢哋嘅仔女有邊個會幫手照顧呢?呢個問題同融幼社嘅立社使命相互呼應:孩子本是無價寶,應賦予公平機遇。我想對外傭僱主發出呼籲,如果你發現家中外傭有身孕,你可以做兩件事:第一,做個守法市民,唔好做出任何違法行為,例如解僱家傭;第二,做個好心人,即係你嘅行為應該出自善心,而唔係義務。我相信,每個孕婦都想獲得無成見嘅關懷同善意,以及旁人對自己懷有新生命嘅理解!」