Breaking the cycle: Mother’s Choice boss on caring for Hong Kong’s pregnant teens and vulnerable children
Mother-of-four Alia Eyres says she sees a bright future for young mothers in Hong Kong, but more must be done to educate and inform
Mother’s Choice has been a safe haven for some of the most vulnerable people in Hong Kong for over 30 years, providing much-needed support for pregnant teenagers in crisis as well as children without families.
Mother-of-four Alia Eyres has been CEO of the grass roots local charity for over five years now, having taken up the job after spending several years as a high-flying corporate lawyer. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Eyres grew up with six younger siblings in a multiracial, multicultural household.
“Not only growing up in a large family, but also having my own kids, has given me a lot of empathy for the pregnant teenage girls who come to us as clients, as well as for the babies and children who are waiting for families,” she says.
Eyres has a long history with the charity: her parents, Ranjan and Phyllis Marwah, co-founded Mother’s Choice in 1987 with their best friends, Gary and Helen Stephens, and were inspired to act by a series of newspaper articles on the issue. The charity’s head offices and pregnant teens’ hostel are still housed in the same colonial building, tucked away in the heart of the Mid-Levels.
Mother’s Choice: caring for Hong Kong’s pregnant teenagers and their babies since 1987
“That really shaped who I am as a person, because I can really see how small acts by the community can have a huge impact,” says Eyres.