I am volunteering with an organization called Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW), which advocates for the rights of migrant domestic helpers. In Hong Kong, it is very common to hire a domestic worker to help with housework and childcare, and many of these helpers come from places like Indonesia and the Philippines. A lot of the times, they are put into very vulnerable positions because they are forced to sign contracts in a language they don't understand, recruitment agencies charge them illegal fees and trap them in debt, it is mandatory for them to live with their employers which makes them more vulnerable to abuse, and the conditions of their visa and their need to send money to their families at home makes them very reluctant to speak up about violations of their rights for fear that they will lose their job. Two of the main things that MFMW does is assist workers with filing claims if they are having problems with their employers or recruitment agencies, and refer them to shelters if they need to escape a bad situation. What I have been doing is inputting the cases to the computer system, and this work has given me a glimpse of the many problems and injustices that domestic helpers in Hong Kong face. So far this has been a really meaningful and valuable experience and I am so grateful for the chance to work with all the wonderful people involved. Here's a couple of examples of MFMW's publications:
