Letters | Season to remember rich Hong Kong’s invisible and forgotten people in need
- The unrest in Hong Kong has hit no one harder than those already living in poverty. Since the protests began, NGOs have struggled to serve those in need
- It’s time for everyone to do their part for the community this holiday season and beyond
Don’t get me wrong. Everyone in Hong Kong has been affected by the political unrest, even the city’s richest families. But no one’s daily life and ability to make ends meet have been more impacted than those of the forgotten: those in Hong Kong who were already living on the margins of society before the protests began.
More than 20 per cent of our city’s nearly 7.5 million residents live in poverty, including one in three elderly people and one in five children.
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The needs of the disadvantaged were pressing in the first place and will only grow in these uncertain times. And yet, their needs remain as invisible now as they were prior to the unrest.
It doesn’t help that the NGOs who serve this community are struggling. I can’t speak for the entire non-profit community, but I can tell you that the more than 100 NGOs my organisation serves have been hit hard financially and programmatically in these challenging times.
My organisation runs up to 200 volunteer programmes each month. Since the unrest began, we’ve had to either cancel or operate 30 per cent of our programmes with no volunteers.
This means we have been forced to scale back programmes and serve fewer beneficiaries, as the ability to deliver services to those in need drastically diminishes without the help of volunteers.
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In these difficult times, should it not be the responsibility of each of us – civil society, business and government – to support those who are most in need, and not the richest of the rich?
From the elderly and the working poor, to low-income children and the disabled, the needs of the forgotten are continuing to grow in these uncertain times.
I hope each of us will do our part this holiday season – and beyond – to help those most in need. Whether it’s volunteering, donating to a local charity, or simply showing kindness to others, each of us can make a positive difference in someone’s life.
And it is in times like these that the forgotten in our city need us the most.
Shaun Bernier, founder and board chair, HandsOn Hong Kong
