WIMLER has two main programs in Hong Kong: capacity and empowerment program for migrant workers and raise funds to support education for less privileged children. WIMLER has been supporting the education of poor children in the Philippines since 2011 with the help of its donors and sponsors.
Being a charity organization registered in Hong Kong, it is also part of WIMLER’s mandate to initiate programs in Hong Kong. It is for this reason that since last year WIMLER HK in partnership with the Hope of the City Foundation supported English two tutorial classes for Chinese migrant children (see related story). Since November last year, WIMLER also supports tutorial class for non-Chinese primary students this but in Chinese language and eventually, other relevant subjects too.
The Hong Kong Government through the Education Bureau (EDB) has launched several support services for newly arrived or non-Chinese speaking (NCS) children with the aim to integrate them smoothly into the local education system.
EDB provided funding for schools like the School-based Support Scheme Grant, funding for Professional Support, After-school Extended Chinese Learning Project, among others. They also provide grants to non-governmental organizations that provide tutorial services for ethnic minorities/NCS like International Social Services HK – HOPE Center, Christian Action, HK Christian Service-CHER Centre, to name a few.
However, the schools and NGOs that provided support to NCS are concentrated in schools around Wan Chai and in selected areas in Kowloon and Tuen Mun that WIMLER decided to pilot tutorial classes to accommodate other children from the Quarry Bay area.
The first WIMLER HK’s Chinese tutorial project for Filipino migrant children was conducted last November 22, 2014 with three kids. Since WIMLER does not have a permanent venue for the tutorial activities, the tutor and the kids met at the Pacific Coffee shop in Tai Yau Plaza in Wan Chai. So far, ten hours of tutorial sessions were conducted in the month of November. (Nov 22, Nov 28 and two sessions in Nov 29). The Quarry Bay tutorial session started last November 28.
In late November 2014, Joy Tadios-Arenas, WIMLER director and project manager, approached the Filipino-Chinese of Taverna Spanish Restaurant in Quarry Bay if she would allow the tutorial to be conducted before the restaurant’s time of operation. However, conducting classes at the Pacific Coffee in Quarry Bay is not practical. There were times that two sessions are conducted: one in the morning and one in the afternoon or an extended one when four kids showed up instead of the confirmed three. Moreover, the coffee shop gets crowded around lunch time and it was challenging to do tutorials with the noise and crowd. Taverna’s owner agreed to provide the venue for the tutorial on December 13, 2014. With a bigger venue, we were able to sign up eight students and hired three tutors on the same date.
Currently, the established sessions are held every Saturday morning/afternoon in Wan Chai and Quarry Bay. While other schedules - for instance Wednesday or Friday with additional session in North Point – are added when tutors are available or when kids needed additional ones during exam period. Confirmed sessions depend on the number of kids available as some have activities in their school on a Saturday.
It was challenging to do the logistics – arrangement with individual parents as well as the tutors. Schedules are adjusted weekly. But it is worth all the effort and time. WIMLER is able to help Filipino kids studying in local Chinese schools and bilingual schools. Some of them are kids of friends of WIMLER.
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| Tutorials held in Taverna Spanish Restaurant |
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