Judy Kong: Chief Executive of InspiringHK Sports Foundation

Today, I met with Judy Kong (Judy) at her childhood place—Lai Tak Tsuen, in Tai Hang, for a photo shoot. This public housing estate, nearly 50 years old, consists of eight buildings, four of which have a unique cylindrical design, making them the first of their kind in Hong Kong. Coming from a grassroots family, Judy has devoted many years to the social welfare sector and has been serving as the Chief Executive of the InspiringHK Sports Foundation since 2017. "We hope to use sports to help young people develop positive traits, thereby alleviating various social issues," says Judy. Her life story is a successful example of changing one's fate through knowledge and a prime example of lives impacting others.

Judy Kong's deep involvement in social service work is rooted in her family background and upbringing. "I was born into a working-class family. My father was a minibus driver, and my mother was a homemaker. I lived in a 290-square-foot public housing unit with my grandmother, parents, and two older brothers. As a child, I had a congenital heart defect, and the cost of treatment in a private hospital would have been astronomical. Thankfully, the government's provision of good public medical welfare came to our rescue. At the age of six, I underwent surgery in a public hospital and stayed there for a month, with the total medical cost being just over a thousand Hong Kong dollars. This experience opened my eyes to the profound impact of social welfare policies on citizens and families who lack resources, and it has been a driving force in my commitment to social service work."

"In both work and life, I hold the belief: 'Do not neglect doing something good because it is too small, nor do something bad because it seems trivial."

English Text (Translated from Chinese) by: Jeremy Chapnick

Chinese Text by: Monica Lau

Photos by: Raymond Chan

Committed to Serving Grassroots Youth

Upon completing high school, Judy decided to pursue global business studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a choice influenced by her upbringing. "I chose this subject mainly to participate in overseas exchanges and to see the world. Since I came from a grassroots family, I rarely had the chance to travel abroad by plane. This course allowed me to go to Denmark and the USA and included scholarships." Global Business Studies has always been regarded as a 'miracle major' with high admission standards. Judy laughed and mentioned that since it was the first time CUHK offered this course, the admission requirements were relatively lower, and she was fortunate to be admitted. The interviewer couldn't help but feel curious—had she never considered a career in business or finance? "I admit my mathematical skills are not very strong, which makes me unsuitable for finance or banking. On the other hand, I believe I am good at communicating with people and often pay attention to the living conditions and needs of different social groups, such as the elderly, disabled individuals, and people with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, social welfare work allows me to utilize my strengths more effectively."

Profound Impact of Public Policy

After completing her university degree, Judy joined the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups as a Development Officer, responsible for youth leader training, while pursuing a part-time master's degree in social work at the University of Hong Kong. "Having business knowledge, I also wanted to understand how to assist various service recipients from a social welfare perspective, as many social issues require collaboration between the government, businesses, and the community. Furthermore, a professional social work qualification would significantly enhance my progress in the social welfare sector." After her last semester, Judy chose to do her last placement at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center, one of China's largest pediatric hospitals. Every day, she saw a long line outside the hospital, with parents from all over the country bringing their sick children for treatment. "I was assigned to work in the pediatric ward, where many children had heart defects. Since many were not from Shanghai, they had to pay hundreds of thousands of yuan for medical expenses. This made me realize that society's medical policies affect many people, and even though frontline staff like doctors, nurses, and social workers work hard to provide the necessary services, if social policies are not ideally set to benefit the majority of the population, the core issues cannot be resolved," she said earnestly.

After becoming a registered social worker, Judy joined the multinational fashion group Burberry, managing the company's charity fund for the Asia-Pacific region, which was quite different from her previous role in an NGO and was very beneficial. "Working at Burberry enhanced my understanding of the considerations and criteria businesses employ when making charitable donations, which proved invaluable upon my return to the NGO sector. Additionally, since Burberry has charity funds worldwide, I not only reported back to the headquarters in the UK but also had the opportunity to interact with colleagues from different countries and regions, which greatly broadened my perspective." After working at Burberry for almost five years, Judy, always eager for new challenges, decided to resign and pursue further studies. She traveled to the UK for a one-year Master's in Public Policy at the University of Oxford. "Addressing many social issues necessitates collaboration among the government, businesses, and the community. Having worked in both the nonprofit sector and the business world, I now understand the perspective of 'the officials.' A single social policy can affect tens of thousands of people. Through this course, I wanted to explore how governments formulate social policies and the criteria they use to prioritize social services."

Fostering Youth through Sports

Upon her return, Judy joined the InspiringHK Sports Foundation ("IHKSports") and became the Chief Executive. Founded in 2012, IHKSports is dedicated to fostering youth through sports, offering equitable sports training opportunities for underprivileged children and youth with special educational needs. Additionally, it advocates for gender equality, social inclusion, and healthy lifestyle concepts. "We hope to use sports to help young people develop positive traits, thereby alleviating social issues such as intergenerational poverty and unequal learning opportunities." IHKSports organizes various sports training programs each year, including fencing, karate, street dance, and lacrosse, taught by experienced coaches, providing equal learning opportunities for grassroots youth.

Among the many programs organized by IHKSports, perhaps the most well-known is the first public housing estate basketball league and training program in Hong Kong, "WELL DUNK!" This project organizes youth basketball teams across multiple public housing estates throughout Hong Kong, offering professional basketball training for youths aged 13 to 17. "This season, more than 32 teams competed, each supported by a naming sponsor, such as UBS Group, Haitong International, and the Alex Fong-founded Hong Kong Swimming Academy. Besides participating in basketball competitions, these young people also have the opportunity to engage in corporate visits to broaden their horizons."

Overcoming Risks and Opportunities

It's well-known that many social issues cannot be resolved overnight and require sustained effort over time. Managing an NGO is much like running a business; besides dealing with finances and personnel matters, one must adapt to various challenges and strive to turn crises into opportunities.

In early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and the Education Bureau announced the suspension of classes across all Hong Kong schools, the sports training programs offered by IHKSports were also put on hold, presenting Judy with a significant challenge. "I immediately met with my colleagues to discuss strategies, and we decided to produce a series of instructional videos themed 'No Classes, But Don't Stop Exercising,' which we broadcasted daily on social media to encourage students to continue exercising at home. After the videos were released, many schools contacted us, asking us to use these clips as materials for their online physical education classes. Later, when the government announced the closure of sports and recreational facilities, we moved our training programs to parks." Many donors highly praised Judy and her team's quick response and flexibility, which caused donations to rise rather than fall during the pandemic.

Having been in the social welfare sector for many years, Judy admits there have been times when she felt disheartened, making self-motivation very important. "Whether in work or life, I always adhere to the belief, 'Do not neglect doing something good because it is too small, nor do something bad because it seems trivial.' Do not overlook doing good because it appears small, and do not engage in wrongdoing because it seems trivial. Designing and organizing activities with care and witnessing significant changes in the participating youth brings me a profound and indescribable sense of satisfaction and happiness beyond monetary value." Observing Judy's genuine smile, the interviewer deeply experienced the genuine impact and significance of influencing lives through personal actions.