The Tribune

RELIVING the internal financial stress of Over the Hill with a massive charity drive would help the inner city communities to improve on parenting skills, and minimise the educational disparity experienced by the most vulnerable Bahamian citizens, according to a leading figure in the Bahamian Chinese community.

Executive members of the Bahamian Chinese Community Association, Raymond Wong and Kay Kay Tong, accompanied by Lloyd Wong, a trustee of the Bahamas China Friendship Association (BCFA), told of their efforts in the S O S - Save Our South hurricane relief programme, currently ongoing in rebuilding the islands impacted by Hurricane Joaquin, as they discussed their fundraising efforts to combat community problems on a television show on Wednesday.

“Our executives went to every business establishment in the Bahamian Chinese Community and asked for a donation and everyone was extremely willing and gave. So we pretty much raised $35,000 in one afternoon,” said Mrs Tong, executive secretary for the Bahamian Chinese Community Association and a Bahamas China Friendship Association member. “Disasters such as this is huge and we actually do a lot of charity work independently, which we don’t really get much recognition for, because we don’t publicise it.”

She said because of the massive destruction in the southern Bahamas, the association felt it was important to come together and show what was done as a community to help support fellow Bahamians.

“We are Bahamian as well and we are really happy to be a part of the Save Our South initiative that will help the HeadKnowles relief group because this grassroots organisation shows that every Bahamian, from every corner of this country, can come together to do something that’s truly positive and that we can come together and rise above anything. We are very happy as the Chinese Bahamian Community to be a part of such an effort,” said Mrs Tong.

When asked about the daily social ills that the Bahamian Chinese Community had witnessed happening for decades in the Over The Hill community, where most of their businesses have been established and serving customers for the last 50 years or so, Mrs Tong said their customers are facing serious challenges in life in general throughout the Bahamian community.

“Actually, we donate and help the Red Cross every year. Personally, I was a member of the Red Cross Fair Committee, and am an active member of the Hay Street Movement For Change in the Over The Hill Community, because I engage in community work over the hill,” said Mrs Tong.

“I also work with the ‘Violets Are Blue’ organisation and we do whatever it takes to support different charity organisations around the over the hill communities. Many Chinese Bahamians do a great deal of charity work on their own, but we don’t publicise much that we do because we really aren’t in it for the publicity. However, in this instance, it’s very important to show solidarity with all Bahamians, that we are a part of this community, because we are Bahamians too and we’re here to help.”

Mrs Tong said most Bahamians believe they understand the fundamental causes of what’s happening in these areas, but Chinese Bahamians see it and work amongst it every day in these communities that are the hardest hit, where most middle class Bahamians don’t really go and support those businesses.

“I think it starts in the home and it’s a parenting issue that we can improve. I find it very critical that we improve upon how we educate our children because we see a lot of challenges out there. And without education, you can’t rise above anything,” said Mrs Tong.

“In our community, it’s so stressed that we have to get a good education and perhaps that message should be driven more nowadays. We are really happy as a group to come together and do something this positive for The Bahamas and hopefully we will recover as a country soon.”