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| Participants and donors pose in front of the coin-filled cans collected to help finance the operations of Bethune House. |
Praises overflowed as Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge marked its 30th year of giving shelter to distressed workers at Chater road in Central on Sept. 11.
One of Bethune’s clients Eni Lestari shared her reflection about the shelter and how it helped her from being distressed to an empowered migrant.
Lestari sought the help of Bethune when she ran away from her first employer back in 2000. Sixteen years later, she is due to represent migrant workers around the world before the United Nation summit of Sept. 19.
“I was born as an empowered migrant in Bethune house. I was born as an activist migrant in Bethune House. In Bethune House, I found anything I need to be more human, to be treated like worker, to be able to stand on my own,” she said during her speech.
Lestari testified that Bethune does not only provide food and shelter to its clients but it also provide them space explore their creativity and potentials.
She encouraged everyone from Hong Kong residents and expatriates to continue supporting Bethune House.
“Without your support, people like us who are very disempowered and powerless have nowhere to go,” she said.
Bethune House ambassador and The SUN editor Daisy Mandap agreed with Lestari saying that Bethune has survived this long because of the kindness of a lot of people not only within the Filipino community but the whole of HK.
She said Bethune does not only give shelter migrant women in distress but it also helps them pursue cases, offers counseling services to those who have problem with their employment and families back home.
She mentioned one incident when she went with Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio to rescue a rape victim in the middle of the night.
“It is very rare for people to go all the way to help migrant in distress, and we have always saluted Bethune House for doing just that, she said.
In response, Antonio thanked individuals and groups that have been supporting the shelter, adding that because of their help, Bethune House has survived even without government funding.
In particular, she cited migrant workers’ groups that have been supporting the five-year-old Coins for Bethune House project, which aims not only to raise funds for the shelter, but also to promote awareness of its services.
“Gusto ko pong ipakita na kahit mga migrant workers in HK ay gumagawa ng paraan para matulungan tayo na maipagpatuloy ang serbisyo ng Bethune,” Antonio said, as she called on stage the representatives of participating organizations, along with the submitted cans filled with coins.
She also said that much as she was happy that Bethune House had reached a milestone, her wish was that there would be no more need for it to exist within the next decade.
“Sana po by that time ay sarado na ang Bethune House. By that time ay wala na tayo dito sa Hong Kong dahil ang ibig hong sabihin ay puwedeng option na lang ang pagtatrabaho dito,” Antonio said.
The celebration was made livelier by different dance performances, and capped by live band music featuring William Elvin and the Circus Tour.
Cans filled with coins will be opened and counted at Fanny Li Hall at St. John’s Cathedral on Sept. 18 from 2 pm onwards.
