Po Leung Kuk

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Po Leung Kuk
保良局
Formation8 November 1878; 145 years ago (1878-11-08)
Founded at British Hong Kong
Legal statusActive
Headquarters66 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
WebsiteOfficial website
Formerly called
Society for the Protection of Women and Children
Po Leung Kuk
Chinese保良局

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.

History[edit]

Dr. Kai Ho and colonial secretary James Stewart Lockhart at the opening of the Po Leung Kuk in 1896

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[edit]

Po Leung Kuk

The Kuk currently runs more than 300 units throughout the SAR, providing welfare, educational, cultural and recreational services.[citation needed]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Founding of Po Leung Kuk".
  2. ^ Centenary History of the Po Leung Kuk Hong Kong 1878-1978.
  3. ^ a b A Concise History of Hong Kong, by John Mark Carroll, 2007. pp60-61
  4. ^ The Protection of Women in 19th Century Hong Kong, Elizabeth Sinn, p164
  5. ^ "Po Leung Kuk Annual Report 2017-18".
  6. ^ "University Admission Statistics for Degree Courses 2003-2012". www.sfc-plk.edu.hk.