The film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In brings back the life of residents inside the forgotten Kowloon Walled City in the 1980s. The shadowy fortress, known as a haven for drugs and crime, existed as a place of “three non-interventions” before it was demolished. One young British missionary, however, was determined to sow hope for the lost youth who lived inside the walls. Jacqueline PULLINGER, then fresh out of University, arrived in Hong Kong in the mid-1960s with one purpose: to serve those who society had cast aside. Now in her 80s, she remains in Hong Kong, working quietly for the city’s most vulnerable.

PULLINGER’s selfless service aligns with the spirit of Hong Kong Shue Yan University’s motto, “Cultivating virtues of benevolence; broadening horizons and knowledge.” In recognition of her role as a pioneer in the rehabilitation of drug addicts for six decades, the University presented her with the honorary Doctor of Social Sciences degree.

In an interview with Shue Yan Newsletter, PULLINGER expressed her gratitude and appreciation, stating that she carefully read about the University before accepting the honour. “I very much appreciate what your university has done, so I’m glad to accept the honour,” she said. Her mission, “Love your neighbour”, is rooted in her faith and is something she encourages young people to explore. She hopes they will find meaning in it by connecting with the impoverished.

Jacqueline PULLINGER’s journey began not in ministry but in music. A graduate of London’s Royal College of Music, she first taught music in England. But her calling was always greater. In 1966, then 22, she travelled alone from London to Hong Kong, beginning her missionary work to help countless underprivileged people over several decades.

Now 80, PULLINGER is based in Cheung Sha Wan, with St. Stephen’s Society situated in a community surrounded by markets, old buildings, and public housing estates. Looking out from her window, she can see the weathered pipes of the buildings across the street, a view she loves because it represents Hong Kong’s reality.

Following what she describes as a “calling from God”, PULLINGER is determined to make the most of her only one life to avoid future regrets. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, PULLINGER taught music at a school to support herself while moonlighting with the Hong Kong Philharmonic—until her missionary work began to occupy her fully.

A year after arriving, she stepped into the Kowloon Walled City for the first time. “There was no water, not many people had electricity, and sewers were just opened. There were more rats than people,” she recalls. “The teenagers and children have no free primary school. One little school I was used to help in – charging $4 a month, many students just couldn’t afford it.” The plight of young people trapped in crime and addiction struck her deeply. They included those who sold tickets at adult cinemas or children whose parents were addicts. “They have no choice in life. Of course, they are going to join the gang.”

PULLINGER’s answer was to support these lost youth by opening a youth centre inside the Walled City. Among other things, it offered recreational activities and organized camping trips, showing them a different way of life. It was about giving them “sunshine in their lives”, she says. It was only when the Walled City was demolished in 1993, after more than 20 years of service there, that she left the area.

In 1981, PULLINGER founded the St. Stephen’s Society, a community dedicated to supporting addicts and the poor across Hong Kong. Today, the organization houses over 100 residents while providing alternative education for youth to encourage them to live beyond screens, video games, and mobile phones. She smiles as she explains that the society was not very organized initially, as it began with her simply opening her own home to those in need. As more volunteers joined and a bank account was needed, an organization was formed. “Helping and loving poor people isn’t charity work. I just saw someone in need, sometimes I took them into my home to live with me, sometimes I helped them get off drugs,” she says, “I just came to share my life with them.”

Having lived here for most of her life, PULLINGER considers Hong Kong her home, more so than her birthplace in Britain. “Hong Kong is a great place full of wonderful people,” she says, though she admits the city’s stark inequality prevents many from starting a good life. “There is still so much to do; I haven’t finished yet.”

Her empathy extends especially to the elderly women she has met. “Most of the old ladies were working two or three jobs in order to raise their children and send them to school or University… I highly respect them,” she says.

Like the biblical command to “love your neighbour, “PULLINGER has never strayed from this message. She encourages University students to get involved with the impoverished to find life and riches. “The more you are involved with people who have little, the more you realize how little you have because they have so much to give you,” she says. Then you start to look at things the other way round.”

Citation：Jacqueline PULLINGER, Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa
https://newsletter.hksyu.edu/en/citation_jacqueline-pullinger-doctor-of-social-sciences-honoris-causa/