Bethune House

What Bethune House does

Bethune House, formally The Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge Limited, is a Hong Kong-registered non-profit organization that has operated since 1986 as an emergency shelter and support services provider for distressed migrant women workers, primarily foreign domestic helpers. The organization runs two physical shelters in Hong Kong housing 25-30 women at any given time, with residents typically staying between two weeks and over two months. It supports up to 700 cases annually involving contract terminations, abuse, labor violations, and related crises, with an average of 6-7 new migrants seeking temporary shelter each week. Services are delivered directly through a 24/7 hotline (+852 9338 0035), the shelters themselves, and onsite emergency response deployments.

The organization's core offerings span emergency shelter with food and accommodation; legal and medical case support including court accompaniment; counseling and psycho-social welfare services; education and skills training (English, computers, handicrafts, first aid, child and elderly care); and stress-reduction activities. There is no proprietary technology stack — the model is people-intensive and relationship-driven, with the entire paid team consisting of 3 permanent staff supported by up to 6 volunteers, led by Executive Director Edwina Antonio (35+ years tenure, 24-hour on-call).

Bethune House has no conventional revenue model. It is funded entirely through donations and charitable grants, accepting in-cash contributions via cheque, direct deposit, FPS, and in-kind supplies. Anchor financial supporters include Fu Tak Iam Foundation Limited and CWM Nethersole Fund, supplemented by food donation partners (Food Co HK, Feeding Hong Kong, Foodlink Hong Kong) and volunteer-engagement partnerships with schools (Bradbury School, West Island School). The organization explicitly states it has no steady funding source and continuously raises resources to sustain service delivery. Its go-to-market is community-led: referrals from Hong Kong's Labor and Immigration Departments, police, courts, and migrant worker organizations, particularly Mission for Migrant Workers.

Name

Bethune House

Legal name

The Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge Limited

Website

https://bethunehouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Bethune House is a Hong Kong non-profit operating since 1986 that provides emergency shelter, legal and medical support, training, and counseling to distressed migrant women workers, serving up to 700 cases annually across two shelters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian shelter and migrant support services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Migrant women shelter
• Emergency shelter services
• Humanitarian support services
• Crisis accommodation services
• Migrant worker advocacy

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Support: Bethune House is a non-profit organization that relies entirely on donations from kind-hearted groups and individuals. They do not have a steady source of funding support and constantly work to raise resources for service beneficiaries. Accepts in-cash donations via cheque, direct deposit, transfer, and FPS, as well as in-kind donations of supplies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bethune House is a non-profit community shelter providing emergency accommodation, food, legal and medical case support, education and skills training, and stress-relief activities for distressed foreign domestic workers (primarily women) in Hong Kong. It operates two shelters serving 25-30 residents at any given time and handles up to 700 cases annually, supported by 3 permanent staff and up to 6 volunteers.

Product overview

Bethune House is a non-profit community shelter organization (not a technology product company) offering a unified set of crisis support services for migrant women workers in Hong Kong. The core offering consists of emergency shelter, legal and medical case support, education and skills training, stress relief activities, and emergency relief assistance. These services are provided holistically to support the welfare, empowerment, and access to justice for distressed foreign domestic workers. Additional offerings include volunteer programs and a monthly newsletter publication. There is no platform-plus-modules architecture or distinct technology product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Services

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Operation Santa ClauseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for holiday-season charitable activities supporting migrant workers in Hong Kong.
• Food Co HKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood donation and support partnership for providing meals to shelter residents.
• Bradbury School Hong KongminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partnership involving student volunteers and community engagement activities.
• Foodlink Hong KongminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood donation partnership helping to feed shelter residents.
• Feeding Hong KongminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood rescue and donation organization supporting shelter meal programs.
• West Island SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution partnership involving student volunteers and community activities.
• Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular coordination and referrals of migrant women in distress. Edwina Antonio serves as Recording Secretary of MFMW's Board, and periodically visits to connect with more women and guide them through challenges.
• Kowloon Union Church (KUC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch community providing spiritual support and fellowship. Edwina is a member of the Care and Fellowship Ministry and former secretary of its Council.
• Action for Reach-OutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization supporting commercial sex workers in Hong Kong. Edwina is a founding board member.
• Hong Kong Against Racial Discrimination (HARD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy group. Edwina is a former member.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Center for Migrant Advocacy: Philippines-focused NGO operating in Hong Kong to advocate for migrant worker rights and provide welfare support services — shares the same end beneficiary as Bethune House.
• EnrichHK: Hong Kong NGO providing financial literacy, education, and empowerment programs for migrant domestic workers; differs by focusing on education rather than emergency shelter, but serves the same population.
• Uplifters: Hong Kong-based nonprofit focused on education and empowerment for migrant domestic workers; serves the same population with a programmatic rather than shelter-based model.

Others

• St. John's Cathedral Community Outreach: Faith-based Hong Kong organization that periodically provides shelter and assistance to migrant workers in emergencies; comparable as a community-based care provider for the same population.

Direct peers

• HOME (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics): Hong Kong NGO offering shelter, legal aid, and psychosocial support for migrant domestic workers and other migrant laborers — directly comparable in services and target population.
• HELP for Domestic Workers: Hong Kong-based support organization for domestic workers offering counseling, legal assistance, and crisis support — comparable in mission and target population to Bethune House.
• PathFinders: Hong Kong NGO supporting migrant domestic workers facing crisis, including pregnant women and mothers, with shelter, case management, and reintegration services — a direct functional peer in migrant worker refuge.
• Mission for Migrant Workers: Hong Kong-based NGO providing direct support, advocacy, and referrals for migrant domestic workers; it is Bethune House's closest referral partner and serves the same core migrant worker population with overlapping services.

Regional players

• Thai Women's Association (Hong Kong): Hong Kong-based support network for Thai migrant domestic workers offering social support and crisis referrals — similar role to Bethune House but focused on a specific nationality cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Hong Kong – Migrant Workers Services: Large Hong Kong-wide social services organization providing migrant worker support among many other programs — broader and better-funded but addressing the same underlying community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BethuneHouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Bethune House