Meet the 17-year-old American student helping refugees in Hong Kong learn English
Resourceful teenager recruits some of city’s high-fliers for his programme aimed at helping the less fortunate
Chance Wilson is helping vulnerable refugee families in Hong Kong and around the world, without even leaving his bedroom.
Though he has never visited the city, the 17-year-old American high school student felt inspired to set up an English-language programme for refugees here, after establishing his own non-profit group Wilson Global Initiative (WGI) three years ago.
As well as Hong Kong, WGI has literacy programmes in the United States, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Tanzania, which are run by skilled volunteers mostly recruited by Wilson from the private sector.
“It’s a crazy story really, I started WGI when I was only 14,” he said. “I was passionate about making a difference through education. I had no money or staff. I was just a kid with his dream. Most people are surprised to hear my age. They are then impressed by what I’ve done so far and want to help however possible.”
WGI volunteers partnered with charity Christian Action Hong Kong last autumn to teach English to refugees in Kowloon. Hong Kong does not accept refugees permanently but authorities will sometimes resettle a small number of them in a third country.