What HELP for Domestic Workers does

HELP for Domestic Workers is a Hong Kong-registered charitable non-profit (legal entity HELP Limited, S.88 status, IRD No: 91/16869) founded in 1989 by Barrister James Collins. The organisation provides free advice, casework, education, mental health support, and community leadership programming to roughly 340,000 migrant domestic workers — primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand — employed in Hong Kong households, as well as guidance to their employers. Its delivery model centres on four programmes: HELPLine (emergency hotline, casework, and shelter referrals), HELPing Hands (rights education via a Training-of-Trainers volunteer model), MeHeal (mental health counselling and physical wellbeing launched October 2023), and HELP Circle (peer community-leader development). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

HELP operates from a single headquarters at 1602 Tung Ning Building, Sheung Wan, supplemented by weekend drop-in clinics, a telephone/WhatsApp hotline, virtual counselling sessions, and community outreach at churches, consulates, and gathering areas where domestic workers congregate on rest days. The underlying technology stack is deliberately minimal — WhatsApp, email, social media, and standard video-conferencing — with no proprietary platform. The organisation maintains formal partnerships with the Philippine and Indonesian consulates, the Hong Kong Labour Department, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Mind HK, Justice Without Borders, Mercy HK, and a roster of corporate donors including HKEX Foundation, Linklaters, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Bloomberg, A&O Shearman, Eversheds Sutherland, and AMC. Funding is sourced entirely from donations, corporate grants, matching-gift programmes, and cause-marketing campaigns; there is no earned income from beneficiaries. Leadership comprises Executive Director Manisha Wijesinghe (LL.M. Human Rights, University of Hong Kong; ex-UNICEF/Christian Action) and Board Chair Julie Koo, supported by a 91-person team of staff and trained volunteer community leaders.

Name

HELP for Domestic Workers

Legal name

HELP Limited

Website

https://helpfordomesticworkers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hong Kong-registered charity providing free legal advice, education, crisis casework, mental health counselling, and peer leadership development to migrant domestic workers and their employers across Hong Kong.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services for Migrant Domestic Workers

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Migrant worker support
• Domestic worker advocacy
• Community social services
• Rights education programmes
• Mental health counselling

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheung Wan

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations received via credit card (one-time or monthly), cheque, FPS (Faster Payment System), bank transfer, and Coin Dragon kiosks. Registered Hong Kong charity (HELP Limited, S.88 status). Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible for Hong Kong residents.
2. Corporate Grants and Partnerships: Corporate giving programmes, matching gifts, cause marketing campaigns, and programme sponsorships from corporations and foundations including HKEX Foundation, Linklaters, AMC, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and others.
3. Programme Sponsorship: Sponsorship of specific programmes including HELPLine, HELPing Hands, MeHeal, and HELP Circle. All programmes and services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HELP for Domestic Workers is a Hong Kong-registered charity that delivers a suite of free social-service programmes for migrant domestic workers and their employers. Its core offering consists of four interconnected programmes: HELPLine (emergency crisis support, shelter access, and one-on-one advice on employment, immigration, civil, and criminal matters); HELPing Hands (rights education delivered through a Training of Trainers model engaging both workers and employers); MeHeal (one-to-one and group mental health counselling plus physical wellbeing activities such as yoga and meditation); and HELP Circle (leadership development for community leaders who provide peer support to at-risk workers).

Product overview

HELP for Domestic Workers is a non-profit charity (registered as HELP Limited under Section 88 of the IRD) offering a suite of free social-service programmes for migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. Its service model is built on four interconnected core programmes: HELPLine (emergency crisis support, advice, and casework), HELPing Hands (rights education and employer engagement via a Training of Trainers model), MeHeal (mental health counselling and physical wellbeing), and HELP Circle (peer leadership development). All programmes are free of charge and are delivered through a combination of direct staff delivery, trained volunteers, and community leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HELPLine Emergency support service for at-risk domestic workers providing access to shelter and basic needs assistance, one-on-one advice on employment, immigration, civil, and criminal matters, and facilitation of dispute prevention and early dispute resolution between workers and employers. Delivered via telephone hotline, WhatsApp, email, and in-person casework.
• HELPing Hands Rights education and awareness programme that empowers domestic workers and employers to build mutually beneficial employment relationships. Delivered via a Training of Trainers (ToT) model using volunteer trainers, covering 25+ topics on rights, employment law, mental health, immigration, and practical guidance in multiple languages including Tagalog and Bahasa.
• MeHeal Programme Mental health and wellbeing programme that empowers domestic workers to gain access to justice through mental health support. Provides one-to-one and group counselling via video calls, and physical wellbeing activities such as yoga and meditation classes on Sundays. Reaches domestic workers regardless of their location within Hong Kong.
• HELP Circle Leadership development programme empowering migrant domestic worker community leaders to provide guidance and support to at-risk workers and to represent the community's interests. Fosters a movement of workers developing their leadership potential through lived experiences, complementing the broader Community Leadership and Peer-support Programme (C-LeaPS) network.

Quantifiable outcome

• MeHeal programme launched October 10 (World Mental Health Day) 2023 providing free mental health counselling to domestic workers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, community and government.

• Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide physical and mental activities through the 'Connecting with Nature' project, giving foreign domestic helpers access to nature and outdoor experiences for wellbeing.
• Mercy HKcommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing support services including emergency shelter and assistance for domestic workers in crisis, including safe return home programmes.
• Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong KonggovernmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing consular support and coordination for Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong.
• Consulate General of IndonesiagovernmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing consular support for Indonesian domestic workers.
• Justice Without BorderscommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner creating transnational access to legal assistance for victims of labour exploitation and human trafficking so they can seek rightful compensation even after returning home.
• Labour Department (Hong Kong)governmentOthersGovernment partner providing employment regulation information and resources for domestic workers and employers.
• Mind HKcommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health organization partner supporting MeHeal programme and domestic workers' mental wellbeing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Social Service (ISS): Global social service organization with cross-border casework capability; HELP's Head of Communications previously worked at ISS, and the organizations share operational DNA around migrant and family services.
• Caritas Hong Kong: Large Hong Kong-wide social services organization offering shelter, casework, and community programmes — overlapping with HELP on emergency shelter and migrant support within a much broader service portfolio.
• Amnesty International Hong Kong: Human rights organization active on migrant domestic worker rights advocacy in Hong Kong — comparable in policy advocacy and rights-based framing, though Amnesty operates globally and does not deliver direct casework.

Direct peers

• Christian Action: Hong Kong-based charity running a long-standing Migrant Domestic Worker Programme offering casework, shelter, and rights education — directly overlapping HELP's HELPLine and HELPing Hands services for the same beneficiary population.
• PathFinders: Hong Kong charity supporting migrant domestic workers, particularly around pregnancy and motherhood — overlapping HELP's crisis support and casework services for the same target population.
• Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge: Hong Kong shelter and support centre specifically for migrant domestic women workers in crisis — directly comparable in emergency shelter and casework service model for the same beneficiary segment.
• Mission for Migrant Workers: Hong Kong NGO providing casework, crisis intervention, and policy advocacy for migrant domestic workers — the closest direct competitor in terms of beneficiary segment and core service offering.
• Enrich HK: Hong Kong charity delivering financial education, empowerment, and community programmes to migrant domestic workers — comparable in target segment and educational GTM motion.

Emerging players

• Mind HK: Hong Kong mental health charity and HELP's MeHeal partner — comparable in mental health service delivery model and overlapping in target segment for migrant worker wellbeing support.
• Justice Without Borders: Nonprofit creating transnational access to legal assistance for victims of labour exploitation; already a HELP partner and a peer in the migrant worker legal-rights space with potential for direct service overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/help-for-domestic-workers

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HELP for Domestic Workers