Oxfam's Response in hong kong

With the limited supply of masks and disinfectant, and the price of these items soaring in Hong Kong, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 has placed an exponentially greater burden on vulnerable groups as many of them can’t shoulder these expenses. That’s why since the end of January 2020, we at Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK) have been working with our partners and people from low-income households to fight against COVID-19. Thanks to generous people from all walks of life, and through our own procurement efforts, we have received more than 224,000 masks, 76,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, and 9,500 packs of hand sanitizing wipes. These have been distributed to street cleaners, elderly people who live alone, the visually impaired, those with mental illness, low-income families and ethnic minorities. So far, we have reached over 30,000 people.

DISTRIBUTING RELIEF AND PROMOTING THE IMPORTANCE OF HYGIENE

Protecting Frontline Cleaners

With the continued spread of the virus, cleaners have been put on the frontlines to keep public hygiene in check. With a lack of basic protective equipment like masks, they are put at great risk. Since the beginning of February, we have been working with various partner organisations, including Catholic Diocese of HK Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers, the Cleaning Worker Union, and Health In Action to distribute the masks and hand sanitizer. Together, we have distributed 50,000 masks and shared ways to prevent the spread of the epidemic, and have reached close to 5,000 cleaners who work in high-risk conditions. We have also distributed hand sanitizer to some of these cleaners.

 

In order to distribute resources as soon as possible, Oxfam Hong Kong's staff worked swiftly to pack surgical masks.

 

On 7 February, we at Oxfam Hong Kong and our partners Catholic Diocese of HK Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers – New Territories and Health In Action distributed masks and Walch hand sanitizer to 400 street cleaners in Sheung Shui.

 

Since 19 February, Oxfam and its partners have been visiting refuse collection points across Hong Kong to distribute masks that were donated by Li Ka Shing Foundation to street cleaners.

According to the Cleaning Worker Union’s estimates, around 20 per cent of outsourced cleaners from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department are ethnic minorities, and many are Nepalese. Since most information about the epidemic in Hong Kong is either in Chinese or English, it can be difficult for some ethnic minorities to understand. During distributions with our partner organisations, Health In Action and Cleaning Worker Union brought translators along to explain how they can help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in the language they are most comfortable with.

 

Cleaners at the Lan Kwai Fong Refuse Collection Point – many of whom are Nepalese – showed their appreciation after receiving masks.

 

The Nepali translator showed cleaners how to wash their hands properly.

 

Some ethnic minority cleaners neither speak Chinese nor English. So, sharing hygiene information with them in their native language enables them to learn about sanitation more effectively.

Advocacy: Care for our cleaners

While distributing masks and hand sanitiser, we worked with our partners to interview 149 cleaners from across 15 districts to understand cleaners’ working conditions during the epidemic. The results were announced at our joint press conference on 18 February; many interviewees said they were ill equipped. We thus urge the government and outsourced cleaning companies to provide cleaners with the protective equipment they need.

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Offering Low-Income and Vulnerable Groups Relief

Aside from reaching street cleaners, OHK also distributed Walch hand sanitizer and hand sanitizing wipes to over 20 local organisations before Chinese New Year (CNY). After the CNY holidays, we continued to rush relief items like face masks to those in need. For instance, we distributed them to seniors and those living with chronic illness who have little access to these items because of their limited mobility. Together with over 10 organisations that work with various groups in Tung Chung, Kwai Chung, To Kwa Wan, Tuen Mun and other areas, we also distributed face masks and shared hygiene tips together with ethnic minority communities, seniors who live in poverty, low-income households, children and those with disabilities.

 

The visually impaired individuals’ sense of touch is crucial. With the shortage of disinfectant, however, they’re at greater risk of catching the virus when they go out. It’s especially crucial for them that they have hand sanitizer and wipes.

 

 

While prevention and health information seemingly abound, many may have forgotten that seniors might not have the same access to this information, as some lack access to the internet, do not read newspapers or even watch television. That’s why we show them the correct way of putting on a face mask and proper handwashing steps when we see them during distributions.

 

Much of the information about the novel coronavirus in Hong Kong is in Chinese or English. Since not all ethnic minorities understand these languages, our partner Health In Action published leaflets in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and other languages. We distributed masks along with these leaflets in various communities.

Easing the Financial Burden on Poor Families

Distributing Rice to Low-Income Families

To ease the financial burden on low-income families, especially with the price of necessities like masks going up, since late February, we at OHK began distributing twelve tonnes of rice to 3,740 families with partner organisations like 1 Step Association, Alliance for Children Development Rights, Alliance for Protection of Low-income Families, Community Development Alliance (Tin Shui Wai), H.K.S.K.H. Tseung Kwan O Aged Care Complex, Society for Community Organization.

 

After Oxfam Hong Kong staff and volunteers packed rice in smaller packages, they were immediately transported to our partner organisations’ distribution points in various districts, so people from low-income families could benefit from the distribution as soon as possible.

 

We distributed rice and masks to people from low-income families through our partner Tung Chung Community Development Alliance.

 

Ms. Miao is a single mum, who has a 10-year-old daughter and works at a fast food restaurant. Because of the epidemic though, she’s been asked to not work one day every week. We hope this rice will make life a bit easier for her and her daughter now that she's earning less, but spending more because of the soaring price of some necessities.

We at OHK will continue to source masks and other items to ensure the poor are well protected against this epidemic, and ease their burdens. We will also continue to urge the government to do their part to protect the poor during this difficult time.

Street cleaners are often seniors; with long working hours along with their unfamiliarity with shopping online, it’s extremely difficult for them to get their hands on face masks. Oxfam Hong Kong staff gave street cleaners in Siu Sai Wan masks during their lunch break so that they would be better protected from the novel coronavirus.

Oxfam Hong Kong staff distributed masks to cleaners at the Java Road Refuse Collection Point during their break.

Staff from Oxfam Hong Kong and Health In Action explained how to put on and take off a mask properly at the Oil Street Refuse Collection Point.

Health In Action volunteers showed cleaners the seven steps of hand washing.

The sincere appreciation cleaners showed us made us feel just how worried they were without a sufficient supply of protective equipment.

Cleaners at Yiu Tung Estate, Shau Kei Wan, holding the masks they received.

According to the Cleaning Workers’ Union, an estimated 20 per cent of outsourced government cleaners are ethnic minorities, and many of them are Nepalese. Oxfam Hong Kong staff recently distributed masks at the Lan Kwai Fong Refuse Collection point; most of the cleaners there were Nepalese women.

Health In Action, our partner organisation with whom we distributed masks, brought along a Nepali translator to share prevention information with the cleaners, as many of them are most comfortable speaking in Nepali.

We distributed hand sanitiser and antibacterial wet wipes to the visually impaired through the Hong Kong Blind Union to reduce the risks they face when they go out.