Second Home project helps Hong Kong’s migrant workers tell their stories, be creative

Baviera, who loves photography, saying it allows you to “put yourself in a different world”, heard of Second Home through another art workshop.

“Exposing yourself to different things will widen your perspective ... going out somehow opens a different environment that will allow me to be free,” Baviera said.

Tiff Chun, the main coordinator of Second Home, launched the initiative as part of a more extensive programme called Art Island, which funds 10 short-term projects.

The 25-year-old artist and community project coordinator wanted to propose a project that highlighted the stories of migrant workers because she knew they were often misunderstood and treated with contempt. The programme launched in February and ends this month.

“Before this project, I didn’t really engage with the migrant community. But I grew up with domestic helpers in my home,” she said. “I’ve always been curious about them. But I feel like there’s no chance to talk to them [equally], like how friends talk. I used this opportunity to start a conversation.”

Chun and her small team began by conducting street interviews with migrant workers. To her surprise, many were chatty and shared similar interests. They uploaded their interviews to Second Home’s Instagram account, which has more than 4,400 followers. Some posts have even gone viral, garnering thousands of likes.

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“What our project is tackling is [how domestic workers don’t have] a way to tell their own stories,” Chun said. “They’re kind of disconnected from Hong Kong society because they work six days a week.”

“They could be quite lonely and facing anxiety or depression, but maybe they don’t have the resources to deal with those mental issues. And so if they want to learn something, it’s hard to find resources.”

So far, Second Home has organised workshops on poetry, sound exploration, crocheting, moving images, and more, attracting dozens of local and migrant Hongkongers. Domestic workers can attend these sessions for free, while others pay a participation fee.

Thirteen-year-old Sarah* has attended Second Home’s poetry reading and sound explorer workshops. After stumbling across the group’s street interviews on Instagram, the teen decided to learn more about the project.

“I thought that was really inspiring ... I’m quite passionate about domestic helpers. And I really enjoy talking to strangers, getting to know their stories – in particular domestic helpers,” the student at Renaissance College said, adding that she started learning Tagalog this year to surprise her family’s domestic worker.

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Sarah described her helper as “one of my biggest inspirations” but noted that many of her peers complain about domestic workers.

“There is racism tied to their perspective,” she said, adding that she found these comments “offensive”.

Inspired by Second Home, Sarah plans to create an Instagram account featuring interviews with domestic helpers at her school in hopes of reaching her peers.

“[I want to] ask them questions, gather their perspectives about different things and give them a platform to share their experiences,” she said.

*Name changed at interviewee’s request.