When should I use Call Mira?

Call Mira is in operation from 10 .00 am to 6.00 pm on Mondays to Thursdays, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on Fridays, and 10.00 am to 1.00 pm on Saturdays. Call Mira helpline will NOT operate on Sundays and public holidays. 

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What is Call Mira?

Call Mira is a communications platform for ethnic minority (EM) women. Call Mira is backed by a team of knowledgeable women who have both the ability to communicate in several South Asian languages and have extensive experience dealing with various aspects of life in Hong Kong. Information disclosed by callers will assuredly stay confidential. You can give Call Mira a call if you have any questions related to navigating Hong Kong. Call Mira will try their utmost best to help you.

 

Is Call Mira able to provide direct funding to me?

Because Call Mira is run by a small group as a sub-part of The Zubin Foundation, Call Mira is unable to provide any sort of direct funding or financial assistance at the moment. However, Call Mira does have connections to other larger organizations that do have options for people in need to receive such assistance.

 

How can Call Mira help me?

Call Mira has connections to many other NGOs in Hong Kong as well as connections to other agencies including but not limited to agencies in real estate, banking, recruitment, social service, education, etc. Because Call Mira’s callers are fluent in many South Asian languages, they will undoubtedly be more comfortable and facile to communicate with as opposed to several governmental social service agencies that are only able to communicate in either Cantonese or English.

 

If I have an urgent issue that needs resolving, can I contact Call Mira outside the hours of operation?

Unfortunately, Call Mira is only in operation from Monday to Thursday (10.00 am to 6.00 pm), Fridays (10.00 am to 5.00 pm) and Saturdays (10.00 am to 1.00 pm). Please go to our website if you need additional information. If your problem is related to violence or if you fear that violence will come to you, we advise you to call the police at 999.

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If you’re feeling stressed, panicked or would like to talk to someone, please call the Mental Health Support Hotline at 18111.

 

How quickly does Call Mira respond?

Call Mira’s response times vary depending on the type of situation. If the problem is urgent, ie. you are unable to find suitable housing and your contract is due to end soon, Call Mira will attempt to help you look for housing by contacting real estate agencies and reaching out to other NGOs that can provide additional assistance. Depending on the situation, the size of the family, and the family’s financial situation, this could take anywhere from a day to a week. In other cases, ie. if you are looking for more information to make your life in Hong Kong easier, Call Mira will point you to the appropriate organizations that could help you more directly.

 

If I donate to Call Mira specifically, where does that money go?

It goes to the maintenance of our website, is used for emergency relief cases,  and sometimes funds research conducted on behalf of Call Mira.

 

I am a foreign domestic helper. Can Call Mira help me?

Unfortunately, Call Mira does not have expertise in working with foreign domestic helpers even though these helpers often form part of the ethnic minority population. However, Call Mira can direct you to organizations that are prepared to help you.

 

I am an ethnic minority man. Is there a similar helpline that Call Mira can direct me to?

While Call Mira is targeted at ethnic minority women, there are many resources on the website that men and women can use alike. You can still give us a call so that we can direct you to the appropriate resource.

 

I fear that if my daughter wears a hijab to school, she will experience discrimination. What is Hong Kong’s official view on this?

A case similar to the one you described occurred in 2017 when young Muslim girls were discriminated against for wearing headscarves at school. However, the school was found to be infringing on the clause stating that students should have equal access to education and that calling students out on their religion-necessitated clothing is a form of discrimination.

 

I want to learn Chinese and/or English. However, I don’t have the means to pay for classes. How should I proceed?

There are many free or low-cost options for you to learn Chinese or English. Many NGOs host free classes for people in need to build more skills to be more employable.  Please refer to our Education page.

 

Are there any ethnic minority groups that I can join to find friends in Hong Kong?

Yes, there are numerous Facebook groups for women to connect with other women of the same ethnicity. Please refer to our page on Welfare. Call Mira recognizes that finding people with whom you can connect is important especially in an environment where you are part of the minority population.

 

Are there any ways in which I can get access to additional food at either no expense or low cost?

Yes, many NGOs provide free meals for those in need such as Foodlink and Food Angel to name only a few. Please refer to our Welfare page.