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The $40 Challenge

News - Events - Featured
|
April 29, 2024
WHO ARE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG?

According to government sources, there are currently around 15,000 asylum seekers in Hong Kong. Most come from countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Half of them are women and 8% are children.  

WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDE FOR THEM?

In Hong Kong, each refugee is given HK$1,200 per month for food in the form of supermarket vouchers – that’s $40 a day.  

The monthly assistance for a refugee includes: 

  • Housing allowance of HK$1,500 paid directly to the landlord  
  • Food allowance in the form of pre-paid supermarket cards of HK$ 1,200 (HK$40 per day) 
  • HK$300 for utilities,  
  • a toiletry bag with personal hygiene items,  
  • and some petty cash for transportation to appointments 
WHAT DOES JUSTICE CENTRE DO?

We are dedicated to addressing the unique legal precarity faced by refugees, asylum seekers, and other displaced people in Hong Kong, by offering support with their protection claims. By ensuring that their stories are heard we aim to achieve a safer, more secure future for them. 

We recognise that the path to safety relies on more than legal processes. Our programmes are designed to address immediate and pressing psychological and welfare needs ensuring that our clients can live with dignity as they pursue their legal journeys. 

Our Emergency Welfare Fund allows us to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies that cannot be solved through NGOs or other means, providing short-term relief for accommodation, medical needs, food, and other basic essentials. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

JOIN THE #$40CHALLENGE TO: 

1. Raise Empathy and Awareness 

For 5 days from 27 May until 31 May sign up to live just one of the limitations that refugees face in Hong Kong. Budget to spend $40 a day on food and share your experience on social media to help us raise awareness for the plight of refugees living in our city. 

2. Fundraise for us 

Justice Centre receives no government funding. Every dollar raised by the $40 Challenge will be directly allocated to sustain our essential legal and welfare services, including replenishing our Emergency Welfare Fund, which provides immediate assistance to refugees in dire situations in Hong Kong. 

Donate the difference between HK$40 and what you usually spend or ask friends to sponsor you. Help us reach our goal of raising HK$200,000 to replenish our emergency fund for one year and help more refugees receive urgent legal and welfare support. 

Recently our Emergency Welfare Fund:

    • Provided a refugee with severe tooth ache with urgent dental treatment, alleviating unbearable pain and restoring their ability to eat and smile without suffering
    • Secured temporary accommodation for a man facing homelessness when his savings ran out, offering him a safe place to stay until he could receive further assistance. This support was a lifeline during his most vulnerable moments.
    • Helped a single mother and her two boys, who struggled to pay her utility bill after her husband’s departure. The Emergency Welfare Fund stepped in, ensuring her family had electricity, warmth, and light in their home during a challenging time.

#$40 CHALLENGE IN BRIEF

Step 1 | Sign up and recieve your participant pack

Can’t wait to join us in this journey of making a difference?

Sign up and get the meals plan, social media pack and other important information through the participant pack here !

Step 2 | Create your fundraising page

Create a profile for yourself on Give.Asia so that people can sponsor you, or simply share Justice Centre’s official $40 Challenge fundraising page

Step 3 | Meal Prep

Use our handy meal plans or make your own grocery list that fits your budget, then head to the store and shop for your recipes.  

Is there a day or obligation that week that mean you have to step out of the Challenge? That’s okay. These moments offer a valuable reflection on the privilege of choice. To acknowledge and share this privilege, we’ve introduced the “Share Your Privilege Joker”, for which you are asked to donate an extra $500 to the campaign. That way you are gifting the privilege of choice to someone else facing a tough situation, through our Emergency Welfare Fund. 

Step 4 | Share it on social media

Document your journey living on $40 a day for food for five days. Share your experience and tag us on your post @justicecentrehk / #$40challenge, (make sure the post and / or your profile is public).  

Step 5 | Connect with other Challengers!

The challenge ends on May 31, 5pm. Follow us on Social Media to stay updated and join us for the closing event! 

While the $40 Challenge aims to mirror the constraints refugees face, it’s a mere snapshot of their struggles. It doesn’t capture the entirety of their experiences — the loss, rejection, and uncertainty that define their lives. Our goal isn’t to replicate every aspect of refugee life but to open our eyes to their challenges, fostering empathy, solidarity, and action. 

Questions or want to learn more? Request the Participant Pack through the sign up form or email us on info@justicecentre.org.hk  

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