Rev. Franco Mella's Hunger Strike

Amid the bustling streets of Wan Chai during rush hour sits an elderly foreign man. Behind him, a photograph of a young girl is taped up, accompanied by handwritten red-lettered pleas. Beside him lie a Bible and a diary. This is Father Franco Mella, affectionately known as “Franco.”

Born in Milan, Father Mella arrived in Hong Kong 50 years ago as a missionary and has since been an active voice in social movements and human rights advocacy. On July 11 this year, he staged a five-day hunger strike outside the Social Welfare Department to seek justice for Alicia, the daughter of a Ugandan refugee. His plea: to reunite Alicia with her biological family.

Alicia’s mother, Shifa, a Ugandan refugee, was imprisoned in 2014 and deported in 2017, separating her from Alicia. In 2019, the Social Welfare Department placed Alicia with another family but refused to share her contact information with Shifa or Father Mella.

Father Mella shared that he has been in the dark about Alicia’s whereabouts for years. "I don’t even know if she’s still in Hong Kong or has gone abroad," he said, expressing his simple wish to see Alicia again.