Letter From Our Founder and CEO
Shalini Mahtani
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Let me start by thanking each of you for your support. COVID-19 has been detrimental to many in the ethnic minority community. We could not have made it through the last three years without the inequivalent support of our supporters – including donors, and well-wishers. Thank you.
Together with our supporters, The Zubin Foundation has been improving the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities since 2016. Key to this effort has been our ethos of collaboration with multiple stakeholders from government, NGOs, schools and universities, and the private sector.
2023 was another significant year for our community, with large numbers of ethnic minorities continuing to lose jobs caused by the fallout from the pandemic. Employment in catering continued to fall and airport and construction-related jobs remained low. With no income, families continued to struggle, and children and women tended to suffer most. In addition, this overall sense of hopelessness has also impacted youth, caused by fear of instability around them.
Our women’s helpline, Call Mira, continued to receive calls for food. We responded by continuing to provide Care Boxes to those families in need. Girls who were unable to afford menstruation supplies received Red Boxes. Call Mira gave us a window into the lives of women subjected to violence at home and we saw requests for legal support increase. With months of staying indoors, we saw more adults and children suffering from depression and anxiety, and requests for mental health counselling rise. The impact on the mental health of this community, already in poverty pre-pandemic, will be long-lasting.
I am grateful for all you do to help us in our mission to improve the lives of Hong Kong’s poorest ethnic minorities.
With gratitude and blessings,
Shalini
2023: OUR IMPACT IN NUMBERS
In 2023, The Zubin Foundation directly impacted the lives of 12,000 ethnic minority individuals through our outreach work.
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1,065 Women and girls |
1,652 Youth |
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2,348 Parents and Children had accessed to Zubin’s Family Centre and engaged in direct services such as self- help support groups and special needs therapy for children with autism and ADHD in government primary schools |
1,033 Hours of one-on-one counselling service for adults and children helping them manage their stress, depression, and anxiety, enabling them to better deal with challenges |
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5,235 Individuals received emergency relief in the form of food, and hygiene products |
257 Hours of training provided to universities, in public and international schools and in companies, about the status of ethnic minorities as well as racial diversity, equity and inclusion |
These numbers are conservative and do not include the impact on family members and the many thousands of individuals who benefitted from our information sharing on different opportunities.
About Shalini Mahtani
Shalini Mahtani
Founder and CEO, The Zubin Foundation
Shalini Mahtani, MH, MBE is one of Hong Kong’s most authoritative and respected voices on social issues, particularly diversity and inclusion. In addition to founding The Zubin Foundation, among the city’s most accomplished think tanks on issues related to ethnic minority welfare and patient welfare, Shalini is the founder of Community Business, the first organisation in Asia that brings together companies and their management around women, LGBT and disabilities at work. In 2009, Shalini was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader, and a year prior she was awarded an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her services in corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong. She was also recognised by the HKSAR Government for her contribution to issues related to ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Shalini has authored research and opinion pieces on diversity and inclusion and is a frequent speaker on the topic. She is also a co-host on both BBC World Service and RTHK Radio 3. Shalini is from Hong Kong. She is a graduate of The London School of Economics. She is married and has three children.
Email: mummy@zubinfoundation.org
Photo credit: SCMP
