Po Leung Kuk
Encyclopedia
The Po Leung Kuk (Society for the Protection of Women and Children) is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong
that provides support for orphan
ed child
ren, education and other services.
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 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.
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 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".
Over the following century, the Kuk gradually evolved into a diversified organization in line with the social and economic changes over time.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
that provides support for orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren, education and other services.
Founding of Po Leung Kuk
In the late 19th century, abductionKidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
of women and children were widespread in Hong Kong, under the mui tsai
Mui tsai
Mui Tsai , which means "little sister" in Cantonese, describes young Chinese women who worked as domestic servants in China, or in brothels or affluent Chinese households in San Francisco. The young women were typically from poor families, and sold at a young age, under the condition that they be...
system. On 8 November 1878, a group of local Chinese presented a petition to the Governor of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
, John Pope Hennessy
John Pope Hennessy
Sir John Pope Hennessy, KCMG , was an Irish and British politician and colonial administrator who served as the eighth Governor of Hong Kong.-Early life:...
to set up Po Leung Kuk to rescue the kidnapped victims and the society was officially opened in August 1882.
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
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
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 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".
Over the following century, the Kuk gradually evolved into a diversified organization in line with the social and economic changes over time.
Services
The Kuk currently runs more than 200 units throughout the SAR, providing welfare, educational, cultural and recreational services.See also
- Primary Mathematics World ContestPrimary Mathematics World ContestThe Primary Mathematics World Contest or PMWC takes place every year in Hong Kong. It was first held in 1997, and is sponsored by the Po Leung Kuk organization. The competition has attracted teams from around the world...
- Po Leung Kuk MuseumPo Leung Kuk MuseumThe Po Leung Kuk Museum , or Po Leung Kuk Archives is housed at the Main Building of the Po Leung Kuk's Headquarters at 66 Leighton Road, Hong Kong....
- Penang Po Leung KukPenang Po Leung KukIn 1878, a group of local Chinese in Hong Kong presented a petition to the Governor of Hong Kong, John Pope Hennessy to set up the Po Leung Kuk to rescue the kidnapped victims. The main objective of Po Leung Kuk is to care for the young and protect the innocent....
- Singapore Po Leung KukSingapore Po Leung KukThe Singapore Po Leung Kuk was established in 1888 and began as a single room with six beds and was meant for permanent juvenile residents. This was expanded to 120 beds in 1896, with new accommodation in 1928 providing for 300 residents...