Hong Kong ‘orphans’ face a lonely life in homes of heartbreak
Most ‘orphans’ in the city have at least one living parent, but they cannot care for their children because they face poverty, marital strife or drugs
About 85 per cent of Hong Kong’s “orphans” have at least one living parent, and yet they live in institutions.
The living room is cozy and peaceful. On the dinner table, steam rises from eight bowls of food, filling the air with a tempting smell. On the couch, children chat and watch television, just like they would in an ordinary home.
But 10-year-old Alex and his “brothers” and “sisters” don’t live in an ordinary home. Mistakenly referred to as orphans, these primary school pupils are the latest victims of the city’s social problems.
Michele Chan, a social worker at St Christopher’s Home, revealed that only 15 per cent of the children currently living in institutions were parentless.
“There is no ‘pure’ orphanage in Hong Kong,” she said. “Most of the kids living in our small group homes still have families, and yet they can’t stay with their parents due to inadequate family care.”
The main family-breaking problems throwing children into the Social Welfare system are not only the growing wealth gap plaguing the city, but also drug addiction, marital conflict and abuse, according to Chan.
