Po Leung Kuk
The Po Leung Kuk, founded as the Society for the Protection of Women and Children,[1] is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services.
保良局 | |
 Emblem of the Po Leung Kuk | |
| Formation | 8 November 1878 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} British Hong Kong |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | 66 Leighton Road, Hong Kong Island |
| Location | |
Chairman | Daisy C F HO |
Vice-chairman | Calvin L LAM Daniel C Y CHAN, MH Winnie W L CHAN Helena C Y PONG Amanda T W LEE |
| Jenny Y C TAM Emily H Y TANG Arnaldo Y H HO Louie S N LAM Clement J W CHEN, JP Patrick H C KWOK Jennifer W F LIU Jonathan C K TONG Andrew NGAN Candy W K HO Carmen K M MA Winnie NG, JP Corona C M CHEUK, MH Stephanie TANG | |
| Website | Official website |
Formerly called | Society for the Protection of Women and Children |
| Po Leung Kuk | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 保良局 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
History
In the late 19th century, abduction and trafficking of women and children were widespread in Hong Kong, under the mui tsai system. On 8 November 1878, a group of local Chinese (Lo Lai-ping, Shi Shang-kai, Fung Ming-shan and Tse Tat-shing)[2] presented a petition to the Governor of Hong Kong, John Pope Hennessy to set up Po Leung Kuk to rescue the kidnapped victims and the society was officially opened in August 1882.[3]
The stated objective of the Kuk, as it is informally known, is to care for the young and protect the innocent. In the early days, it was primarily engaged in suppressing abduction of women and children and providing shelters and education for such victims. There were some difficulties with the colonial government, as a result of cultural differences, but the overall intention of improving the lot of unfortunates was earnestly pursued. However, it has been suggested[3] that the arrangements the Kuk provided had the convenient effect of maintaining a supply of servants and potential concubines for the wealthy Chinese families of Hong Kong, in a "peculiarly Chinese form of patriarchy".[4]
Today Po Leung Kuk has over 300 units providing a wide spectrum of services, including social services (including medical services), educational services, recycling centers, recreational services and cultural services.[5]
Services
The Kuk currently runs more than 300 units throughout the SAR, providing welfare, educational, cultural and recreational services.
It is now known mostly for running schools in Hong Kong, with PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College being their most widely known school.[6]
See also
References
- "The Founding of Po Leung Kuk".
- Centenary History of the Po Leung Kuk Hong Kong 1878-1978.
- A Concise History of Hong Kong, by John Mark Carroll, 2007. pp60-61
- The Protection of Women in 19th Century Hong Kong, Elizabeth Sinn, p164
- "Po Leung Kuk Annual Report 2017-18".
- "University Admission Statistics for Degree Courses 2003-2012". www.sfc-plk.edu.hk.