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ETHNIC MINORITY FAMILIES IN BUILDING COMMUNITY, BUILDING TUNG CHUNG PROJECT
from Ethnic Minorities in Tung Chung: Little is Known about the Needs of the Ethnic Minority Families in
Ethnic Minority Families Engaged in the Project 110
Pakistani Families: 68%
Family Structure
Family size, and the household size varies, the largest being 9 and the smallest being 2 The average household size is 5.2 people per family The household size does not include domestic helpers
Indian Families: 15%
Nepalese Families: 12%
Filipino Families: 5%
Correlating the family sizes with ethnicity, most families have 4 family members or more In the Pakistani community, the family size tends to be larger with 5 (32%) and 6 members (25%) in a family
Family Size by Ethnicity
In the Pakistani community, more children are common, with 32% of families 3 children and 25% with 4 children The Filipino community also tended, with 33% each having 2 and 4 children respectively In the Indian community, most families tended to have 2 children (50%) and 3 children (38%) In the Nepalese Community most families tended to have 2 children (77%)
Age and Status of Children
Two-thirds of the children in EM families in Tung Chung (66%) are studying in primary or secondary schools
Housing Type
92% are residing in public housing estates, whereas 8% live in private rental housing
The families in private rental housing are located in outlying villages; far from the town centre and mass public transport. Based on home visit observations, The Zubin Foundation estimate that the majority of the private rental housing was subdivided into flats or rooms for different families
Social Security
Almost three-quarters of households (72%) received Comprehensive Social Security Allowance (CSSA)
Before the pandemic, many ethnic minorities in Tung Chung worked in the airport which was geographically convenient, as well as in hospitality and catering Our project started in 2021 during Covid-19, when lay offs had taken place in the airport, catering and construction industries, impacting many of Hong Kong's low-paid ethnic minorities in Tung Chung Unemployment explains the high percentage of EM families receiving social security; however, the respondents shared that CSSA is insufficient to feed their families.
Needs Of Ethnic Minority Community In
Overview of EM's Needs in Tung Chung
The colour bars shown below illustrate the key needs raised by the families during engagements. The larger the size of the bar, the greater the level of concern raised by the families
44%
Need for Money for Food
Over half of respondents (55%) said they require financial support, in particular to pay for food. Respondents also share that there are not many choices for them from wet markets and supermarkets in Tung Chung because of:
Higher price of food in Tung Chung compared to other districts
Limited Halal food options in Tung Chung which means that families have to travel outside the district, resulting in travel costs as well
Need for Educational Support outside of School
44% of respondents share they would like educational support outside of school for their children (i.e. tutorial classes), in particular for Chinese, science and mathematics. Respondents shared that they require additional support because:
There are limited slots available in existing tutorial classes provided by NGOs in Tung Chung
Private tuition is unaffordable
In school, students at different levels of Chinese competency are grouped together making learning difficult
Need for Chinese Language Support outside of School
About half (49%) of respondents shared that they would like to receive Chinese language support outside of school for their children Frequently requested focuses for tutorial classes included:
Chinese reading
Chinese writing
Cantonese and Putonghua speaking
22%
Need for Well-being & Emotional Support
22% of respondents shared that they need well-being and emotional support, such as counselling and psychiatric services because of:
Conflict with parents or children
Marital conflict
Adjustment problems to changes in their living arrangements (having a baby, having other family members move in, spouse stranded in another country because of Covid restrictions). Financial problems (no income, high daily expenses, loan repayment, sudden medical expenses) Self-harm tendencies
8% 7% 5%
Need for Children’s Mental Health Support Need for SEN Children Need for Women's Social Network
8% of respondents shared that their children need mental health support Main issues described include:
Children avoid socialising with other children
Device addiction
7% of respondents shared that they wish to get additional support for children with special educational needs (SEN)
5% of respondents shared that they would like to expand their social network, meet other ethnic minority women in the district, and participate in activities with other women
