What does success mean to you? Some find it in the outcomes or accomplishments, while others find it in the process. The number of people we have helped may be a way to measure whether PathFinders’ Case Managers are successful, but our Case Managers told us that this is not the only way they define success. The level of assistance required for each client varies, hence success is not only defined by the number of people impacted, but also how much of a difference we made in their lives, and what was achieved in the process. Let’s take a look at some of the memorable stories from our Case Managers.
Emily Wong defines success as breaking vicious cycles. She recalls a case where a client experienced domestic violence but struggled to leave the abusive relationship. She connected the client to the foreign domestic worker community, which provided the much needed support. Thanks to the shelter provided by PathFinders, the client and her child were able to leave the abusive household and plan the next step in their future. The case is particularly remarkable to Emily as the child, who was also a victim, had started to develop adverse behavioural traits. Without her help, there could have been a vicious cycle, with another household suffering from domestic violence in the future.
Sadia Bi Bi, another Case Manager, told us about the sense of success she gained through building good relationships with clients. In one case, the client, who was homeless and did not have a valid identity document, approached PathFinders when she was already having contractions. After assessing the urgent situation, Sadia brought her to the hospital for delivery instead of the Immigration Department to legalise her identity. The client later put her baby up for adoption given her financial difficulty and the limited social support. Before the client returned to her hometown and reunited with her family, she stayed at PathFinders’ shelter and was supported emotionally through counseling. The trust Sadia acquired served as an indispensable foundation for her to provide the appropriate assistance and be able to work on the case smoothly.
Acyntia Anastasia Ekaputri defines success by making sure every child gets their fair start in life. Cyntia shared a story of an Indonesian client whose baby has various special needs, including Down Syndrome and heart abnormality. Despite having Cyntia’s and PathFinders’ healthcare team’s support, the client, being a non-eligible person under the Hospital Authority system, could not afford her baby’s medical care. However, the option of returning to her hometown, where healthcare service is very limited and underdeveloped, would worsen the baby’s physical and psychological condition. With the help of Cyntia, through the father’s acknowledgement, the baby obtained his eligibility as a Hong Kong resident and is able to receive necessary treatments in Hong Kong hospitals.
Success comes in many forms at PathFinders, but all of them have one thing in common: raising awareness about women’s rights and empowering migrant women. By directing migrant women towards available information and resources, they are empowered to envision a better future for themselves and their children. Thus, we here at PathFinders do not measure success via statistics, but rather through the difference we make.
Co-written by PathFinders’ interns Joyce Leung, Rebecca Mak, Stephanie Chan & Sofia Chiu