「沒有人想選擇成為難民。原本風平浪靜的生活，卻在一夜之間天翻地覆，這一切都是我們意料之外，也無法掌控的。」滯留在港已十一載的難民Sophie感嘆地說。基於安全考量，我們只稱她為Sophie。然而，這也無損我們從她自強不息的故事，學習如何在逆流而上、力上加力，也激勵別人永不放棄的精神。
Sophie和她僅兩歲大的女兒為了逃避政治迫害，於2012年逃離東非，先抵廣州，後至香港。在公園露宿了兩晚後，她獲悉可以前往基督教勵行會難民服務中心尋求援助。位於尖沙咀重慶大廈的服務中心（以下稱為「服務中心），也正座落於多元文化交融之處，聚集了來自世界各地的客旅商人和各式中西（包括亞洲╱非洲等地）美食。這五光十色、充滿感官體驗的環境，同時也為這些尋求政治庇護者，帶來了如家般的溫暖和親切感。
Sophie
基督教勵行會（前身為香港基督教難民服務處）（以下簡稱「本會」）成立於1985年，正正為了應付當時急速冒起的越南難民潮。從1985到1997期間，本會服務了接近二十萬名越南難民。由於世界各地不斷爆發的衝突甚至戰爭，在2003年本會重開難民服務中心，亦是香港首家及唯一一間可隨時到訪的難民中心。一直以來，服務中心為數百名難民和尋求庇護者提供人道支援，包括醫療和心理支援服務、緊急援助、教育和就業訓練，以及外展等全方位支援服務。服務受眾超過七百名來自數十個國家，他們因為政治或宗教迫害、戰爭或暴亂而逃離家鄉，他們到了這裡漸漸重拾希望、勇氣和尊嚴，而重新得力。
同樣地，服務中心迅速地成為Sophie的救生艇，為她和家人提供生活部份所需。而Sophie於2014年正式被核實為難民身份，更透過服務中心之就業計劃，獲本地一間著名會所聘請為服務員，開啟人生新一頁。然而，使用服務中心多年，Sophie發現受眾以男性難民居多，女性甚少。但以個人經歷╱感受來說，她更能感同身受其他女性難民幾乎與外界隔絕的苦況：缺乏專業技能，只能困在家中照顧孩子。這些婦女可能當天落荒而逃的景象，還是歷歷在目，甚至猶有餘悸，恐懼、悲傷和沮喪總會拂之不去，不敢走出家門，總是為無法參透的明天而終日憂心忡忡。她渴望能幫助這群同病相憐的婦女走出困局，給她們裝備而重燃希望，勇闖未來。
Sophie就是憑著這信念和使命，正式加入本會難民服務中心成為雇員，全力幫助和服務中心受眾。事實上，是她開創服務中心的先河，成為首位難民獲聘為全職僱員。她策劃及順利開展了一項名為L.E.A.D.（Ladies Empowerment Art and Development，即女性賦能藝術與發展）的計劃。藉著項目，匯集了一班高瞻遠矚、才華橫溢、頭腦靈活的婦女受眾，憑著一雙雙巧手，在安全安穩的環境下創作許多精美的手工藝產品，也一起學習創業技巧和知識。這個計劃深得婦女受眾歡迎，還不斷發展下去，至今課程包括烹飪、縫紉、珠寶製作、化妝、烘焙以及體育等，成功促進她們的身心健康。
LEAD計劃的手工藝產品
她分享說：「舉例來說，烹飪課程間接建構一個極佳的學習及文化交流的橋樑，還與來自九個不同國家的婦女攜手合作，分享及呈現她們家鄉獨特文化及地道食譜。」這項活動成了別具一格的「異國風味廚房」，更成了中心外展計劃的重頭戲。在烹飪班精心烹製的美食，不僅可供中心的受眾品嚐，還可以把美食帶回家與家人分享——這也成了該中心食品援助計劃中窩心的一環。
Sophie還負責其他項目，包括外展活動，透過項目深入又透徹地提高社區對難民面對的挑戰及窘局的理解與關注。彼此亦可以分享其獨有的文化、經驗和夢想，這些活動不僅豐富社區的種族多元化，更促進社區包容。透過加強公開演講的培訓，婦女擁有了一個發聲平台，勇敢地分享自己堅韌不拔、對未來充滿希望的故事，觸動無數人心。Sophie經常對婦女受眾說：「我們將攜手並肩，走出黑暗。」鼓勵她們勇敢地站出來，讓自己的故事激勵更多人。
Sophie勵志的真人真事，彰顯了其柔韌又不屈不撓的精神，帶給身處同樣困苦境況的同路中人逆境自強不息的力量。如何轉危為機，化詛咒為祝福，這正正反映在L.E.A.D.計劃中。縱使起初開展時遇上種種的挑戰，至今卻成功為這些婦女築建了一個支援系統，既可學習、交流和自我增值，然後信心滿盈地擁抱豐盛的將來。
Sophie仍然繼續努力尋找各種途徑以支援這些婦女受眾，為她們充權，以同理心憐恤她們。透過L.E.A.D.計劃，讓受眾不僅找到了生活，還結識了新的社群、建立新家園，從中重拾話語權及希望。儘管Sophie及其家人最近已獲准移居北美，但她在難民服務中心的精神繼續延續下去。另一位接替Sophie工作的難民Uzma，她本身既是這計劃的受惠者，獲得社群、機會與技能培訓等支援。這正是L.E.A.D.計劃的真實個案：得益於Sophie的堅持與願景，賦予了其他婦女為自己和家人開創新生活的力量。讓她們擺脫恐懼，擁抱希望，活出豐盛生命。
Sophie對她過往的經歷心懷感激，滯留在港等待他國安置期間，她早已視香港為其第二個故鄉，亦對基督教勵行會難民服務中心深表謝意。這機構不僅為她和眾多難民及尋求庇護者帶來了新生的希望，還努力不懈地為這社群爭取公平公正的對待，只因為他們是配得關愛、體諒及活出更美滿的明天。
（本文屬「與難民同行．難民不爛」系列，由難民事工小組提供。小組由香港的基督教教會和機構組成，一直以來支援在港難民和免遣返聲請者在房屋、教育、心理、生活上的需要，幫助他們融入社會。）
Securing a new life through empowering others
●Christian Action – Centre for Refugees
“No one chooses to be a refugee. One day everything is fine, and the next everything is completely turned upside down. It’s totally out of our control,” says Sophie, a refugee who spent 11 years in Hong Kong. Sophie can only be identified by her first name for safety reasons, yet this is one lady’s story of how despite incredible hardship, she found the strength to empower others to never give up, through her dream for a better tomorrow.
Sophie and her two-year-old daughter fled East Africa to escape political persecution in 2012 and arrived first in Guangzhou before making their way to Hong Kong. After a rough two nights of sleeping in a public playground, she was advised to approach an NGO, Christian Action Centre for Refugees, based in Chungking Mansions. Located in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, Chungking Mansions is a hub for many ethnic groups, traders from all over Asia and Africa, ethnic food outlets and much more. This colourful, sensory environment provides a taste of home and familiar faces, for many asylum- seekers.
First established in 1985, as a direct response to Vietnamese refugees arriving in Hong Kong, Christian Action Centre for Refugees served nearly 200,000 Vietnamese refugees from 1985 to 1997. Unfortunately, due to strife and wars around the world, we needed to re-start the Centre for Refugees in 2003. Hong Kong’s first and only drop-in Centre, has since then supported many hundreds more asylum-seekers and refugees; by providing humanitarian assistance, medical and psychosocial support, emergency response, education, employability, training and outreach services. Over 700 beneficiaries, hailing from dozens of countries, escaping political or religious persecution, war and violence have been able to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Centre and have been given a sense of empowerment and confidence, to live with hope and dignity for their future.
Christian Action Centre for Refugees quickly became Sophie’s lifeline and helped to support the future for her and her family. She obtained official refugee status in 2014 and as part of the Centre’s Employability initiative was able to work officially as a server in a prominent Club House in Hong Kong. However, having spent years at the Centre for Refugees in Chungking Mansions, Sophie noticed that the Centre was often full of male refugees, but not so often with women. From her own experiences, Sophie knew first-hand the common plight for female refugees; regularly left at home to look after the children, holding few or no professional skills and having rare opportunities to socialize. For many ladies, after fleeing terrifying circumstances, this leaves them feeling scared, sad, sometimes depressed, hesitant to even step outside the door and fearing what the future may hold. Sophie was on a mission and wanted to create life-changing opportunities for her fellow female refugees and asylum-seekers.
It was this mission which inspired Sophie to join Christian Action Centre for Refugees, in an official employee capacity, to help others who are going through similar situations. In fact, Sophie was the first approved refugee to join Centre for Refugees as a full-time staff member. Sophie spearheaded a new programme called L.E.A.D. – Ladies’ Empowerment, Art and Development. As a result of Sophie’s vision, this programme brought together a group of talented and entrepreneurial women asylum- seekers and refugees to create beautiful arts and handicrafts together, learning valuable entrepreneurship and educational skills in a safe space. Very popular among the female refugees and asylum-seekers, this programme has grown from strength to strength and now includes classes for Cookery, Sewing, Jewellery-Making, Make-up, Baking & Sports for therapy and wellness.
“For example, our cooking class provides a wonderful platform for learning, and for cultural exchange with locals. Here, ladies from nine different countries come together to share and showcase recipes from their respective cultures,” says Sophie. This is called “Kitchen Away from Home” and is also a prominent part of the Centre’s outreach activities. The food produced during cooking classes is cooked-up in big batches and can be shared with other clients who are at the Centre, or can be picked-up for their families at home - as part of the Centre’s food assistance programme.
Another aspect of the programme managed by Sophie includes outreach activities, that help the local community understand the challenges faced by refugees. This helps promote racial diversity and inclusion among the community through sharing their culture, experiences and dreams. With public-speaking training, this gives the women a platform to share with others their inspirational stories of strength, resilience and hope for the future. “We shall walk together out of the darkness” is what Sophie often says to the women to encourage them to speak out, by sharing her own journey.
Sophie’s story is a genuine inspiration and one which demonstrates her strength of character and the ability to turn from a tragic situation, to develop an opportunity and create life-changing chances for other women, who find themselves in a similar position. The L.E.A.D. programme gives a chance to learn, socialize, build community, grow skills, confidence and hope for the future, despite challenging circumstances.
Sophie continued to find ways to support and empower women in the refugee community, always showing a deep compassion for women who struggle with common issues. Helping them to find an outlet through the L.E.A.D. programme, as well as a new community and family, a new voice and a new optimism for the future. Sophie was recently granted resettlement to North America with her family, but her legend at Centre for Refugees lives on. Her role as manager of the L.E.A.D. programme has been fulfilled by another recognized refugee, Uzma, who also benefited from the community, opportunity and skills that the L.E.A.D. programme offered her. A true example of how this programme, through Sophie’s persistence and vision, has empowered other ladies to build a new life for themselves and their families, safe from fear and with hope for the future.
Sophie is grateful for her journey and saw Hong Kong as her second home while awaiting resettlement. Sophie is also grateful to Christian Action Centre for Refugees for offering a lifeline to her and her fellow asylum-seekers and refugees, for supporting a just and equal future for this community which deserves care, recognition, safety and a brighter tomorrow.
Sophie
