All hands on deck.
We are as diverse as the clients who walk through our doors seeking assistance. Our team of four full-time staff provide free advice and assistance on employment, immigration and human rights issues to domestic workers, irrespective of race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or gender.
No matter who you are or where you come from, HELP provides a warm welcome, a listening ear and a unique solution to every person seeking our assistance.
Manisha Wijesinghe – Executive Director
Manisha completed her Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B.) at the Open University of Colombo in 2012. In 2014, she received her Master of Laws Degree in Human Rights (LL.M.) from University of Hong Kong (HKU). Manisha enrolled as an Attorney at Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 2019 and is a life member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. Before coming to Hong Kong in 2013, Manisha worked for the UNICEF Child Protection & Juvenile Justice Programme and Save the Children – Sri Lanka.
After completing her Master’s Degree, Manisha worked at Christian Action (Migrant Domestic Worker Programme) and at Daly & Associates specializing in the area of migrant worker rights and international labour law. She joined HELP in October 2019.
Karen Ng – Director of Case Management
Karen moved back to Hong Kong in late 2018 after having lived in the United States for 19 years. A native of Hong Kong, Karen speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. She is committed to social justice work, with experience advocating for immigrant rights, workers’ rights, and human rights through means such as direct legal services, community outreach and education, and policy advocacy.
Karen has worked and interned at various non-profit organisations, such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus and Center for Constitutional Rights. A juris doctor graduate, Karen‘s joined HELP’s case management team as a Case Manager in September 2018. She was promoted to the post of Director Case Management in February 2021.
Betty Wagner – Case Manager
Betty has worked and lived in Hong Kong since 2005, having spent the decade prior in Germany. Her previous roles as a radio announcer, line producer and media assistant come in handy on a daily basis at HELP, where she manages client cases and leads workshops to educate domestic workers. Betty is fluent in her native Bahasa Indonesia, as well as English and German.
Danilo Andres Reyes – Case Manager
Danilo completed his Master of Laws in Human Rights (LLM, HR) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He is a former Deputy Director of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a Hong Kong-based human rights NGO. Before coming to Hong Kong in 2005, he was a journalist for various newspapers in Mindanao, the Philippines.
Danilo is currently finishing his PhD on Asian and International Studies (AIS) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). He is the recipient of research fellowships, academic and community service awards in Canada, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. He is married to a lovely wife, and has three kids. Danilo joined the HELP team in November 2019.
Marina Lui – Administrative Assistant
Ina joined HELP in November 2018, as our fantastic Receptionist and Administrative Assistant. She is the first person that our clients meet and she does a great job of making them feel welcome. She comes from the Philippines and has lived in Hong Kong for many years and has over a decade of experience in administration. She is happily married and loves her cats and yoga.
Nicole Bernas – Project Coordinator
Nicole was born and raised in the Philippines. She moved to Hong Kong in 2018 after having lived in Singapore for over five years. In 2019, she began volunteering with HELP and soon after joined us as Project Coordinator.
She is a certified Project Management Professional with over seven years of experience working in the Financial Services and Business Process Outsourcing industries. Nicole holds a degree in Business Management from the Ateneo de Manila University. Outside of work, she is an avid rooftop gardener.