A teenage girl takes to the stage to speak out about the challenges she faces at the launch of the Kely Support Group's RISE project aimed at empowering ethnic minority youths. All Photos Provided to China Daily

A new project is hoping to break down the barriers faced by ethnic minority youths by empowering them to take their place in society, writes Hazel Knowles.

Teenagers Lena and Maria consider themselves true Hong Kongers. The two students were both born in Hong Kong and speak and write Cantonese, but they claim they are often denied the same opportunities as their classmates because they are not Chinese.

Lena's family are Pakistani while Maria's family are from the Philippines. It is this simple fact, they say, which makes their life more difficult and exposes them to discrimination in and out of the classroom.

"I remember one time when I went to Mong Kok night market with my dad and my dad asked the lady in English how much something was. She just waved her hand for us to go away," said 15-year-old Lena.

"Then my dad asked her the same question in Chinese and she replied "Oh you know Chinese. Come, come. I will give you a sale.

"That to me seemed so unfair. I want to feel like a Hong Konger because I was born here. But I feel I don't have the opportunities my Chinese peers have, because I am Pakistani. I feel I am always judged because of that. Many people assume we don't know Chinese and don't give us chance to do or say something."

Maria believes the discrimination she has experienced in the classroom has already affected her confidence. She feels she has been pigeon-holed as a low achiever because of her ethnic background and fears in the long run it will be the obstacle that prevents her from achieving her dream of becoming a flight attendant.

"I feel like I am being judged. It is really hard for me to show the real Maria. The teachers focus only on the students whom they feel have potential and I don't feel I am given the same opportunities as my Chinese classmates.

"To be told you can't do this because you are not in the smart class does affect your confidence. It is the smart students who are given more help. We don't get that.

"Right now I feel I have a 50-50 chance of achieving my dream of being a flight attendant. But the criticism and judgment I experience at school makes me think I can't be that person."

The girls' concerns over the lack of support they receive at school are echoed by their peers and throughout Hong Kong's ethnic minority families, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

A report published in 2011 by a special EOC working group to address the concerns over education for the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong found that many thought the Hong Kong education system was failing these children.

The report, entitled Education for All cited the lack of early Chinese language teaching for ethnic minorities, lack of funding in schools, indirect discrimination in the school placement selection procedure which emphasizes Chinese language ability, and an exam system which failed to accommodate non-native Chinese speakers.

It went on to voice concerns that these factors resulted in poor Chinese language efficiency among many ethnic minority students, which in turn affected their attainment in all subjects, contributing to a high drop-out rate from secondary school and adversely affected their employability and chance of further education.

These are concerns which would appear to be backed up by statistics from the government's Census and Statistics Department which in its 2006 population by-census found that ethnic minority students accounted for 3.2 percent of the total student population at pre-primary level.

Chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission Lam Woon-kwong offers his support to a project aimed at helping ethnic minority young people reach their full potential. A report by the commission in 2011 found many people felt the education system was failing to help ethnic minority youths.

According to the government's most recent figures in 2011, there are around 25,729 Hong Kong-born ethnic minority children aged between three and 17, like Lena and Maria, living in Hong Kong, plus another 14,900 who were born outside Hong Kong.

Of these, around 14,076 non-Chinese speaking students attend mainstream secondary and primary schools (public and direct subsidy scheme) compared to 22,283 who are in non-mainstream schools such as international schools and those run by the English Schools Foundation.

According to Tim Woo, of the Kely Support Group, a group which works to empower and educate youths, the long-term education prospects for many of these youths are not good with very few going on to university.

"We can see this at Hong Kong universities where less than 10 percent of the ethnic minorities who graduate from local school actually get into university. So what happens to the rest of them after graduating from high school? It is hard to say where they go from there," said Woo.

Woo is the coordinator behind a new project aimed at helping young people like Lena and Maria overcome the obstacles they face and take their place in Hong Kong society.

The project called RISE (Realizing Inner Strengths, Empowered!) is being run together with the Applied Social Sciences Department (APSS) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and involves matching over 30 ethnic minority youths with 18 successful adult professional mentors.

These mentors will support them through a program of hands-on workshops aimed at teaching them leadership and life skills to help them overcome obstacles and to become effective community leaders in society.

Woo said the workshops would also show the youths the contribution the ethnic minorities have made to Hong Kong throughout its history and teach the importance of diversity.

Kely Support Group Chairperson Fern Ngai said their work has shown that when young people are not provided with meaningful life opportunities or feel that they are being valued or accepted because of who they are, they often become vulnerable to issues of drugs and alcohol, depression or even suicide ideation.

"RISE project is a crucial platform for ethnic minority youths to not only acquire the skills, knowledge and expertise they need to overcome the barriers they face, but also as wonderful opportunity for institutions to be more culturally sensitive and inclusive of their needs as these youths are our future contributors, leaders and decision-makers."

The project has already gained the support of the EOC, whose chairman Lam Woon-kwong attended the launch last November along with 70 other guests.

"The irony is that many are facing significant barriers to accessing their rights in Hong Kong, even outright discrimination, being at the receiving end of deeply-embedded, often subconscious, stereotyping and prejudices," Lam told the young people taking part.

"That is why initiatives such as today's project are so important: to remind you that you are not alone, that you have a platform for change. There are many who are ready to invest in your success to be your support system and a sounding board for your plans.

"We need young people to also speak up, to take ownership of these issues, and to challenge stereotypes in their own lives ... we can together chip away at the out-dated beliefs tethering us all from our aspirations as an inclusive society."

RISE Project Coordinator Woo acknowledged that the 90 participating students were only a very small number when you consider Hong Kong has in excess of 12,000 ethnic minority youths. However, he hopes the young people who take part will carry what they have learnt forward to influence and empower their peers.

"Theoretically it looks like a drop in the ocean. But we hope to extend our reach as much as possible.

"At the end of the project there will be an opportunity for the participants to share what they have learnt through creative media such as film or book making to their classmates and peers.

"It's about the community investing in youths. The ethnic minority community has already contributed to Hong Kong's history, growth and stability. It should be no different for new generation of ethnic minority youths. Hong Kong should recognise the value of these youths.

"There is so much richness in cultural diversity here but a lot of potential is cut short because opportunities are not within the reach of many ethnic minority youths."

Lena and Maria consider themselves lucky to be two of the initial 30 recruits taking part in the RISE project. They claim in the few weeks they have worked with their mentors since the project launch they have already grown in confidence.

"I feel very proud to be taking part," said Lena, "At the launch I got to talk to different important people. I feel like it has already boosted my confidence and that I really may be able to achieve my dream."

The first group of 30 young people chosen for the Kely Support Group's RISE project celebrate the project launch. The group will take part in workshops aimed at developing their confidence and leadership skills with the help of mentors.

(HK Edition 01/08/2013 page4)