Boundless Voices is a student initiative led by Charlie Lam and Fiorelli Wong. It was a 2021-22 John Ying Wah Gibson grant recipient, and we were fortunate enough to ask the leaders some questions about their project.
Introduce your project. What is it, what does it do, and what do you hope the outcome will be?
Our organisation, Boundless Voices, aims to amplify the stories and narratives of refugees in Hong Kong. Our mission is to connect individuals to the wider world through education, empowerment and collaboration.
‘Project: Connect’ is an initiative that promotes digital literacy amongst refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong. Recently, we have partnered with a few organisations, including Happyer.io, Refugee Union and many technology firms, to launch our project. We have collected computers from Hong Kong and beyond, and are ready to start our digital literacy course once the coronavirus situation gets better!
Why did you start this project?
We started our project after discussing the global refugee crisis. On the news, we see refugees flocking to Europe, America and other faraway countries on the other side of the globe. We wanted to do something about this, so we started researching the issue.
But what really shocked us was that this issue is closer to home than we think. There are currently 20,000 refugees and asylum seekers seeking citizenship in Hong Kong. Having a nationality is something we all take for granted, and upon further research, we felt increasingly inspired to change this.
What are some things you learned after starting this project?
A few months ago, we went to the Refugee Union to meet up with some members. They shared how being a refugee in Hong Kong is an extreme ordeal. Today, every adult refugee is given just HKD$3300 a month, and they are banned from earning money in other ways. This money must cover housing, food, utilities, transportation, education and other expenses. Keep in mind that such subsidies are only available for approved refugees; other asylum seekers must do without.
This means that refugees are given the bare minimum to survive, with very little money left for upskilling themselves or pursuing their passions.
Our interviewees also talked about how children, especially, are being hit hard by the pandemic. As many lectures and resources are moved online, many students are unable to continue their studies without the necessary digital tools.
What kind of people are you looking for to join your team, and what responsibilities can people expect to have if they join the team?
We’re looking for anyone who’s interested in finding out more about refugees and who’s eager to get directly involved. Anyone across all year groups is welcome to join us on our journey, no prior experience is needed either, all we require is your passion to make a difference!
Currently, we are looking for graphic designers, outreach coordinators, digital architects, workshop leaders and advocacy directors. All the necessary information and details for these positions can be found on this document here.
What’s been your favourite part of this project thus far?
Our favourite part of this project has definitely been getting to know the stories of all the people we are working with. From conducting interviews with members of the Refugee Union to collaborating on courses with employees at Happyer.io, this project has really helped us connect with a wide variety of people. Our initiative is unique because we try to actively get involved directly with those who lack the resources to reach opportunities. Although advocacy is important, we pride ourselves on taking direct action to help others.
What are some of the things you’re working on right now?
Our main project would be Project: CONNECT. This project entails recycling second-hand computers and redistributing them to refugees our age who are eager to learn about the world of technology. We have recently received a generous donation of eight laptops from a pioneering tech firm in the US, as well as several donations from various companies in Hong Kong.
With the Refugee Union, we have been able to communicate directly with refugees in Hong Kong. We have had extensive discussions with Adella, the chairwoman of Refugee Union, about our project and its goals, and over the last month, we’ve been planning our initiative with their help. Alongside Happyer.io and H Academy, we have also been able to develop insightful syllabi and gain access to a variety of educational resources.
Our aim is to use these resources to share our existing knowledge and skills of digital literacy and technology with refugees who may have not encountered certain software previously.
We are also aiming to help refugees & asylum seekers through advocacy, fundraising and education. This is why we need your help and your ideas to maximise the impact we have!
What do you hope for others to take away, and for yourselves to take away, throughout this process?
Our organisation, Boundless Voices, will aim to amplify the stories and narratives of refugees in Hong Kong. Our mission is to connect individuals to the wider world through education, empowerment and collaboration.
Our aim is to give people a voice. A voice to express their ideas & needs. A voice to pursue the opportunities they deserve. A voice to enrich our collective culture.
By enriching their voices, bigger calls to action can be made.
Refugees and asylum-seekers face systematic barriers which obstruct their access to technology. We work to change this.
To sign up to be a part of this project, click the link here.
