Kini mama, sewer, let the tailor skill learned from mum shine again

Hi, I'm Kini mama, skill set: babysitting.

I am a proud mother of two troublesome kids. Having lived in Australia for a number of years, I've long considered this is my home (even though occasionally I still think about Hong Kong). I've always wanted to give back to our community, and back when my kids were still little, we would sometimes volunteer as a family. Recently I noticed a Facebook group called Hong Kong Mask Australia (HKMA), and without any hesitation I messaged them to see if I could be of service somehow, and joined the group straight away! To me, this is a very meaningful program which touched my heart.

When I was a child, I remembered seeing my mother sew. She was a talented tailor, anything from clothes to bags, her needle work was second to none. I would help out, and she would teach me a few tips and tricks along the way. Life was simple yet meaningful, as we learnt life-skills, unlike the world today, where kids spend so much time studying/doing exercises/tutoring etc. After arriving here, life has been busy, packed with work, family and other commitments. There was simply not enough time in a day for everything and I struggling to get enough sleep, let alone finding time to sew, thus the sewing machine was just an other ornament gathering dust, It has been stored in our garage for ages as if in hibernation.

After I became a member of HKMA, my sewing machine once again has risen to the occasion. It has been my great partner so far in helping to produce masks for our communities since the outbreak of Covid. (although I probably have not produced as many as I would have liked to). Sewing used to be a way of making money or to save up for a household, but now it is more than that, it’s a skill to help others. It’s such an honour to be part of the sewing team! Between shifts I would pop in on our group to follow and make comments on a few posts, even though we may not know each other or we have never met, our bond is amazingly strong, feeling as though we are family, together as one! Perhaps because we are all HongKongers and we shared that ‘Lion Rock Spirit’, - A kind of “never give up, never die” spirit, be it bitter or sweet.

Our group consists of multi-talented people, covering roles of publicist, logistics, receivers and tailors. We may come from all walks of life, but as each and everyone contributes just that little bit more effort, our beloved community is once again stronger and closer. We can see the change and we hope that people who are in need are no longer be left behind or go unnoticed.

You can be part of this change too. We want you! If you have the urge to join this big family, help out in any way possible, come along even if you just want a chat