LettersOn International Day of Charity, Hong Kong NGOs say a big thank you

Charities across the city were confronted with a surge in demand for their services as the effects of the pandemic took hold. The trust of funders and beneficiaries, and solidarity within the sector, have helped non-profits navigate the challenging period

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An elderly woman collects cardboard on the streets in Sham Shui Po in December 2020. The poor have been disproportionately affected by the economic fall-out of Covid-19. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 7:45am, 5 Sep 2021

Covid-19 is not an equaliser; the poor have been affected the most. In Hong Kong, we have been plagued with Covid-19 since January 2020 following on from months of protests.

Charities across Hong Kong have stepped in to help. They are the invisible hand that intervenes when markets fail.

As charity leaders, we were confronted with a surge in demand for our services because people found themselves in a more disadvantaged position. It might start with the loss of a job, but quickly we were dealing with family hunger, lack of internet access and education, mental health problems and the need for shelter or health and legal aid.

This increase in service users meant we needed more funds. Yet, some charities had trouble covering existing costs when funders froze their budgets in response to volatile markets and business uncertainties.

As a group of 10 women who lead non-profit organisations, we came together with a shared mission to find ways of continuing our programmes for the most disadvantaged. We are stronger together as a group with one voice for social good.

We reached out to more than 170 charities and captured their common challenges and struggles. After convening numerous virtual meetings with funders and round tables with non-profit organisations, we heard the same key principles on how to collectively serve the community: