There is a slew of social enterprises in Hong Kong, with a number of them dedicated to supporting the lives of underserved women and women who are "new arrivals" or those who just newly arrived in Hong Kong as migrants or immigrants.
To get involved and know which initiatives to support and patronize, check out these women-centered social enterprises below.
MicroForests
MicroForests is another social enterprise in Hong Kong that provides training and dignified job opportunities for marginalized women, including new arrivals, single mothers, teenage mothers, and women from low-income families through the sale of artworks and MicroForests workshops. Inspired by the Sogetsu School of Japanese Floral Art (Ikebana) by Sofu Teshigahara, MicroForests creates living artworks that bring peace, calmness, and joy to the lives of Hongkongers.
sis works
An initiative by the Jockey Club NOW PLUS Project and sponsored by the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres, sis works is a social service that provides on-the-job training to underserved women in Hong Kong to develop their full potential. The women are taught how to concoct and make eco-friendly soaps, natural skincare products and perfumes, mosquito repellent pastes and sprays, shampoos, and more. Sis works regularly promotes its products through its Facebook page, where it can be easily seen by the online public.
3H Handicraft
3H Handicraft, which was established in 2011 by non-profit Mission to New Arrivals Ltd., aims to help empower newly arrived women in Hong Kong by providing them training in handicrafts. The handicrafts the women create range from decorations, artificial pot plants, jewelryies, and knitted items to clothes, and festival gifts and trinkets. These beautiful creations are marketed by the social enterprise to the public so the women can earn without leaving their households and young children behind. The 3H in in 3H Handicraft stands for heart, hope, and home.
Fantastic Ladies Café
The Fantastic Ladies Café by The Free Methodist Church of Hong Kong also provides on-the-job training and job opportunities to women who are unemployed, did not finish their education, and even retired women and unemployed youths to help them become more self-reliant. The Northern European-style café serves hotel-style pasta, cakes, specialty coffees, and more, which are prepared and cooked by the women themselves.
neoi5 zoeing3
Last on our list is neoi5 zoeng3, a social enterprise that aims to help empower underserved women in Hong Kong by training them in the development, production, and sale of fusion sauce. According to the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund), the women are guided by professional chefs to help them develop four flavors of sauce (sweet, sour, bitter, and chilli). It was reported by The Standard on Nov. 20, 2017 that neoi5 zoeing3 received HK$100,000 from the SIE Fund to back its initiative of supporting and training underserved women.
