NEWS/ HONG KONG/ CITY
Press Release
[Embargo until 7 pm on 12 November 2025]
Improving the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities by reducing suffering and providing opportunities
Shukur – Gratitude and Thank You to Hong Kong
The Zubin Foundation - the only Integrated service provider for ethnically diverse Hong Kong people celebrates 10 Years of Service
Hong Kong, 12 November 2025 – From congratulations to a shared hope of an inclusive Hong Kong The Zubin Foundation’s 10 Year Anniversary Reception was a celebration of community and collaboration. Held at Blueprint, Taikoo Place, the event welcomed over 100 guests from across sectors who gathered to recognise a decade of measurable impact from the city’s only integrated service provider for low-income members of the ethnically diverse (ED) community of Hong Kong. The charity, founded and run by a member of the local ED community, celebrates 10 years of dedicated service to Hong Kong’s ED individuals.
A Decade of Service
Founded in 2015, The Zubin Foundation was founded in the name of Zubin, a young Hong Kong boy who passed away tragically and suddenly. This NGO's mission is to reduce suffering and provide opportunities to those on the fringes of the ED community. Over the past decade, the Foundation has grown into the only integrated service provider in Hong Kong for the ED communities, offering mental health counselling in multiple languages, university scholarships for disadvantaged youth, support for women in crisis, and outreach to the elderly who are often neglected. The Foundation has not shied away from the most difficult issues of forced marriage, child safeguarding, domestic violence and end of life.
Shalini Mahtani, MH, MBE, Founder and CEO of The Zubin Foundation, reflected on the journey, “We began with a simple mission Today, we work with over 10,000 individuals annually and have built a systematic way of addressing the needs of the most vulnerable by working in collaboration with government, hospitals, schools and the Police, other NGOs, religious institutes and corporates. We are deeply grateful to our partners who have walked this journey with us. Unlike many of the other NGOs, the ED community is not a fragment of our service users, they represent the totality of who we serve. They are our community.”
A Decade of Enhanced Visibility
The Zubin Foundation has used its voice to champion for the visibility of ED individuals in government advisory and statutory bodies (ASBs) and through the success of Diversity List1, they have put forward a total of 143 people for the government to consider. Today, there have been 40 appointments to ASBs. Aruna Gurung and Rizwan Ullah, two ED District Councillors were highlighted in Diversity List many years ago as were the torchbearers of the National Games Lamia Sreya and Rizwan Ullah.
We see it as our responsibility to share the challenges faced by our community with the government – be it Health Bureau or Labour and Welfare – and for us, ensuring that the voice of the ED population is fully represented in Hong Kong is critical. Some of our policy recommendations that have been adopted by the government included additional SEN support for non-Chinese speaking children in mainstream government
Improving the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities by reducing suffering and providing opportunities
schools, introducing an ethnic minority well-being centre providing free counselling in minority languages, and recommending talented people for government advisory roles through Diversity List1 .
The 10th Anniversary Reception featured a video message from Mr Eric Chan Kowk-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration, and an opening speech by Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, who praised the Foundation’s decade-long commitment to inclusion of the ED community.
Mr Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration, HKSARG, shared in the video, “For 10 remarkable years, The Zubin Foundation has been a powerful voice for Hong Kong's ethnic community, making a real difference day after day. It supports over 10,000 users a year and offers emotional support and counselling for women, children and elderly. It touches every part of their lives. I have seen this impact first-hand. Initiatives like the Diversity List1 which recommends talented individuals for government advisory roles. There are also scholarships and internships for young people. The work is inspiring, meaningful and transformative on an individual as well as a community level. The Foundation is a steadfast partner of the government. Together, we are improving lives for our ethnic communities and in doing so, we are building a stronger, more diverse and culturally rich Hong Kong. A Hong Kong we can all be proud of.”
The more the Foundation empowers individuals by reducing suffering and providing opportunities, the more it allows them to flourish and contribute positively to Hong Kong. These achievements have been made possible from a wide network of individuals and organisations – through volunteering, mentorship, community engagement, strategic partnerships, and philanthropic contributions. Each act of collaboration has played a crucial role in advancing the Foundation’s mission and amplifying its impact across Hong Kong’s ED communities.
“Shukur – Gratitude” and Look Beyond
The reception’s theme, “Shukur”, was expressed in Urdu, Hindi, Bahasa Indonesian, Tagalog, Punjabi, and Chinese – a reflection of the multicultural communities the Foundation serves. This powerful word, meaning “Gratitude and Thank You” across many languages, captured the spirit of the evening: appreciation for the past, and hope for the future.
“Shukur – Gratitude reminds us of where we’ve come from, and where we must go. Tonight, we honour all of the supporters and friends who have walked with us and helped us build a more inclusive Hong Kong. We also extend our deepest thank you – to every woman, child, youth, and elderly member from the community who has trusted us. Serving Hong Kong’s ED individuals has been our honour and great privilege. With gratitude as our compass, we look ahead to expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and continuing to walk alongside those who need us most- with the ultimate aim of making Hong Kong inclusive so in 10 years we no longer need to exist.” concluded Mahtani.
The Zubin Foundation proudly celebrated its 10 Year Anniversary and extends heartfelt thanks to Swire Properties, our venue partner, for generously supporting this meaningful occasion.
Photo available after event
Improving the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities by reducing suffering and providing opportunities
Group Photo (from left to right) with Ravi Gidumal (Chair, The Zubin Foundation), Ranoo Wasan (Board Director, The Zubin Foundation), Yolanda Yu (Chief Superintendent of Police, Crime Wing Support Group, Hong Kong Police Force), Suzanne Ip (Prin Ex Mgr (Health) 3A, Health Bureau), Chris Sun (Secretary for Labour & Welfare), Shalini Mahtani (Founder and CEO, The Zubin Foundation), Linda Lam (Chairperson, Equal Opportunities Commission), Chris Fung (Assistant Director of Film, Newspaper & Article Administration, Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration), Vivian Lam (District Social Welfare Officer (Kowloon City/Yau Tsim Mong), Social Welfare Department), Kishore Sakrani (Board Director, The Zubin Foundation).
Download here: [Link available after event]
NOTE TO EDITORS
Definition
1Diversity List: Hong Kong’s directory of ethnic minorities who have demonstrated talent and commitment to serve on government ASBs prepared by The Zubin Foundation.
ABOUT THE ZUBIN FOUNDATION
The Zubin Foundation (registered charity in Hong Kong: IR 91/12344), named after Zubin Mahtani Gidumal, is an integrated service provider for Hong Kong's ethnically diverse communities. We improve the lives of Hong Kong's ethnically diverse individuals by reducing suffering and providing opportunities.
The Zubin Foundation 10 Years of Transforming Lives of Hong Kong’s Ethnically Diverse Communities:
As we celebrate our tenth year, The Zubin Foundation is more determined than ever to improve the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnically diverse individuals. Over the past decade, we have transformed lives by reducing suffering and providing opportunities to Hong Kong’s ethnically diverse communities. Our ten-year anniversary is a powerful reminder that poverty in our community continues to rise and there are thousands of individuals who are in need of support, whether women victims of domestic violence, elderly individuals living alone, or children facing mental health problems.
The Zubin Foundation relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund its work. For more information, please visit: www.zubinfoundation.org
PRESS / GENERAL ENQUIRIES
Matthew YU, The Zubin Foundation | E: matthew@zubinfoundation.org | Tel: 2540 9588 / 6084 9333