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| PathFinders rescued this woman and her newborn who were sheltering in an open rooftop |
Non-government organization PathFinders Limited has taken
the unprecedented step of asking for donations online in a bid to prevent the
closure of its shelter for pregnant domestic workers.
In an email sent out on Jun 1, Children’s Day, PathFinders
chief executive Catherine Gurtin asked supporters to help keep its shelter in
operation.
“Today we celebrate children with the launch
of our first ever digital fundraising campaign to Save our Shelter and ensure we can protect every child
that needs help during this time of crisis,” the CEO said in her email.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
This is the first time PathFinders has appealed for
donations since it was founded in 2008. Before this, the group had been the envy of other
NGOs due to its strong support from corporates and private individuals.
But Hong Kong ’s massive
anti-government protests in the second half of last year and the coronavirus
crisis that hit the city since the start of 2020 have changed all that.
Gurtin said like many charities in Hong
Kong , PathFinders’ fundraising has been hit hard by the
socio-political unrest and the Covid-19 crisis.
“Huge uncertainty as to whether we can hold our annual fundraising
dinner, which was set to raise $3 million, means we’ve already made
significant budget cuts this year. However, without additional funding, we
face closing our emergency shelter and scaling back key services
at our community centre,” Gurtin said.
The response from the public has been positive so far. As of
this writing, with 51 days left in the campaign, PathFinders has already raised
$186,025 from just 127 backers, or 43% of its target amoung
PathFinders’ shelter is the only one of its kind in Hong Kong . Since 2011, it has sheltered 332 babies
and mothers who had nowhere else to go.
“Before coming to us, they may have been living on a beach,
in a park, on a friend’s sofa or even at a brothel. Our shelter is
particularly critical for mothers considering adoption or those who’ve been
physically or sexually abused and require extra care,” Gurtin said.
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| Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love. |
“We’ve had an 80% increase in hotline calls since
January and our case managers are at full capacity juggling 173 cases
involving 213 babies and children. Feedback from our beneficiaries shows
increased challenges accessing basic supplies and food,” she said.
Kuma Chow, who leads the fundraising drive, said PathFinders
used to have two shelters, but funding constraints had led the NGO to shut one of
them. The remaining shelter houses four to five families and has reached full
capacity, she said.
Operating the shelter costs about $72,000 a month, Chow
said. This includes rent, utilities, supplies and food allowances, and the cost
of the shelter manager, who provides specialist care, counseling and guidance
to resolve residents’ crisis and empower them to plan a bright future for their
child.
“As a non-subvented NGO, we have no government funding, so
are reliant on charitable foundations and the private sector. We’ve seen a drop
in donations from individuals, community groups and corporates,” Chow said.
For the last five years, PathFinders had covered its shelter
expenses with generous funding from a corporate donor. But, like many fund
providers, the donor’s policy on corporate social responsibility prevents it
from supporting the charity beyond five years.
“We are yet to secure a new sponsor, and without our
fundraising dinner this year, we do not have enough funds to cover the
expenses. If we cannot raise enough donations from our crowdfunding campaign,
we will be forced to close [our shelter],” Chow said.
“If this happens, we’ll try to refer homeless women and
their babies to other shelters, but we’ve heard many are already full and not
accepting new admissions,” she said.
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| The NGO has looked after homeless mothers and their babies since 2008 |
She fears that with nowhere to go and in a desperate state,
the women risk being taken advantage of, getting into involuntary relationships
and taking up illegal work like drug trafficking or dish washing.
“Such dangerous environments and social groups are unsafe
for children, and if they were to get arrested or go to jail, the children
would suffer even more,” Chow said.
To donate and help save PathFinders’ shelter, tap this link:
https://www.sparkraise.com/campaigns/view/ec953e7a-08c6-40b8-9d84-49b2e2e1bb6a?utm_source=general&utm_medium=social_media_sr&utm_campaign=campaign_fundraiser_pathfinders_save_our_shelter
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