18 | Wednesday, August 19, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY YOUTH Shanghai meeting shows green creativity

By XING YI in Shanghai [email protected]

A group of students and young entrepre­ neurs gathered in Shanghai to share busi­ ness ideas on sustainable development during a youth conference from Aug 6 to 9. They were attending the 2020 Change­ maker Summit organized by the China branch of Young Sustainable Impact, a Nor­ wegian­initiated nonprofit organization aiming to empower young entrepreneurs with training on sustainable development knowledge and business skills. It is the third year that the organization has held a conference in China. Around 50 young people with business proposals were selected from more than 300 applicants after three rounds of interviews that started in Li Wenjun, a volunteer teacher from Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, poses for a class picture with her students at the Hanji Junior March. Middle School in Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, Gansu. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Their business plans ranged in topic from the environment and education to gender equality and public health, and during the three­day conference the participants exchanged ideas in discussion panels, and visited companies in Shanghai before pre­ senting their projects on a roadshow. A smart pillbox developed by Zeng Jing­ qiang, a young entrepreneur from Guang­ In a class of her own dong province, won the best project award. The palm­sized pillbox, with an internet connection, can remind elderly people when Inspirational teacher gives rural students a lesson in confidence and care, and points to take their medicine, what medicine to to new horizons, in Beijing and in Lanzhou report. take, and whether they have already taken Wang Ru Ma Jingna the medicine. The idea came from Zeng’s personal expe­ er classmates were surprised. upon hearing Li’s words. rience with his grandmother who suffers Wang Xinxin was quiet, shy “After reading his composition, I from diabetes and high blood pressure. and, well, almost predictable, thought it was too exaggerated. How can When Zeng lived with his grandmother, he especially at school mealtime. someone be moved so much by such sim­ found that she often forgot to take her medi­ HThe 15­year­old student at Hanji Junior ple words? So I reminded my students not cine or took the wrong pills. Middle School in Linxia county of Linxia to fake emotions in their compositions At that time, Zeng was a graduate student Hui autonomous prefecture, Northwest and that they need to express their true at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, study­ China’s Gansu province, seemed to always feelings,” says Li. ing information technology and entertain­ buy two steamed buns every dinner. But But at her last class at Hanji school, ment industries with a focus on mobile one day she chose a plate of rice topped when she asked if any student wanted to application. Using what he learned at the with meat and vegetables. say something to her, Guo put up his hand university, Zeng designed the smart pillbox The change, and small celebration, came first and said: “Ms Li, I didn’t fake my emo­ in 2016. after Xinxin had a pre­meal talk with teach­ tions in the composition. All that I wrote After inputting a medication plan, the pill­ er Li Wenjun, a volunteer from Lanzhou, was true. Maybe you thought what you box will give reminders by flashing, sound­ provincial capital of Gansu. said were simple words, but for me, who ing a loud alarm and vibrating, and it can As one of four children from a poor has never received much care, you were also give instructions and reminders family, she didn’t get much attention from just like my mother in that moment.” through a speaker. her parents who were busy making a liv­ Li still feels regret for her misunder­ ing. Consequently, she withdrew into her­ standing of Guo. self. On the day she treated herself to a “Guo made me understand that I bigger meal, she had actually failed an should pay more attention to my way of exam and got a call to visit Li’s office. Li, talking to students, since a teacher’s instead of blaming her, asked her tenderly words can be really influential,” she says. if she was too tired and about her family “I have met too many children like Guo situation, then comforted and encour­ at the Hanji school. They are fragile aged her. enough to be moved by simple words, but “I cried and unleashed my feelings,” they are also tough enough to bear all the Xinxin recalls. “I was so happy that some­ bitterness.” Young entrepreneurs attend a recent one still believed in me, in my value and roundtable talk at the Changemaker respected me such, that I thought I too, Lining up for attention Summit. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY like others, deserve some better food and Li improved her teaching techniques to to be cared for.” better suit the students’ situations, like Xinxin was among many students Li teaching them to use mind maps to help Zeng received an initial investment from paid extra attention to during her stay at understanding and recommending books the university and founded a startup com­ the school. for them to read after class. pany. During the conference roadshow, two The 34­year­old volunteer from a mid­ She also marked students’ homework investors also showed great interest in his dle school in Lanzhou served as a tempo­ and exam papers in front of them so they project. rary Chinese teacher at the Hanji school could see her corrections as she did them. “Entrepreneurs in the elderly care indus­ from March 2019 to July 2020. From top: Li and her students speak before she bids farewell to them after she Sometimes there were too many students try are mainly middle­aged people, and I She invested a great deal of effort into completed her volunteer work last month. Li and other teachers at the school coming to her office, and they just stood in hope more young people can join us,” Zeng helping them, garnering widespread discuss work in their office. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY a line to wait. says. praise when she left, and was awarded as Lu Xiefu, one of Li’s colleagues, says: Before coming to the conference, the par­ “an advanced individual of education “We occasionally asked students to our ticipants have a two­month online incuba­ and teaching quality of Linxia county in office for a chat and to offer advice, but tion, during which time the organizer puts 2019”. many students came to Li’s office every them in contact with business mentors and Li went to the school after she applied I thought that since I came to the school, if I could day. She is extremely careful and patient in angel investors and teaches them team to participate in an education aid project helping students analyze their mistakes. I building, project execution and commercial­ that sends volunteers to work as short­ make some changes, no matter how minor, have learned so much from her.” ization skills. term teachers at schools in poverty­ my stay would be worthwhile.” At the beginning of Li’s time in Linxia, “The advice I got from mentors in estab­ stricken regions. Li thought she was she left her 2­year­old daughter, who had lished companies broadened my horizons. “lucky” since the place she went to was Li Wenjun, a teacher from Lanzhou, Gansu province, who volunteered for over been brought up by Li and her husband They put forward specific suggestions and not that poor, at least “we are not short of a year at the Hanji Junior Middle School in Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture since birth, at home in Lanzhou. The little pointed out the shortcomings of my project,” water or electricity”. girl, however, couldn’t get accustomed to Zeng says. As a large­scale junior middle school in her mother’s absence. As a result, Li decid­ Besides the smart pillbox, other projects Linxia, Hanji school boasts nearly 30 class­ didn’t know upon which aspect I should want to “let their favorite teacher down”. ed to take her to Linxia as well. included one that turns leftover milk into a es per grade, and the three grades com­ concentrate in order to help them,” she For instance, some pointed out that no “I was afraid she would disturb my work, sustainable fabric for making clothes, a sex bined have more than 5,600 students. Of recalls. teacher had ever cared about where they so my parents and husband took turns to education program and a wearable device for these, 3,800 are boarders. Li was determined to make a difference. had dinner during the weekends. come to Linxia and take care of her while I the visually challenged. Li tried to build good relations with the “I thought that since I came to the school, Li says she believes in the strength of worked,” recalls Li. “I often felt guilty see­ Participant Lin Yijie says: “I am very inter­ two classes of students assigned to her, but if I could make some changes, no matter “the devoted style of teaching and school­ ing my parents exit the car with stiff legs ested in startups or NGOs with social influ­ the majority failed to hand in their home­ how minor, my stay would be worthwhile,” ing”. “Compared with knowledge, the stu­ after a three­hour ride from Lanzhou. ence. The conference taught us work, or be attentive in her class. She knew says Li. dents are more eager for an emotional When my husband was in hospital, I could entrepreneurial knowledge, provided tech­ she had a struggle on her hands but was She prepared a small notebook, talked connection and the feeling of being cared not look after him, either. I owe them so nical and psychological support, and pushed determined to make it work. with the students one by one like friends for,” says Li. much.” us out of our comfort zone to cooperate with After talking with students, Li got to and noted down information about their Guo Yanhong, a student of Li, came to Tao Yongheng, a vice­principal of the partners with different personalities.” know that more than 60 percent of them situations. Her frankness soon opened the her office almost every day and asked Li Hanji school, says: “Li never let her per­ During the conference, participants also were from the Hui ethnic group. Their door to students’ hearts, and often both Li to check his homework or explain prob­ sonal life influence her work. A teacher visited a number of companies and organiza­ families, traditionally, were in the low­ and her students became emotional dur­ lems. Sometimes he even seemed to be like her can help greatly improve our tions, including the Norwegian consulate in income bracket and work and payment ing the hourlong talks. quite happy if Li criticized him for mak­ school’s approach. Shanghai, PwC China Innovation Center and often took priority over education. She found many of them were left­behind ing mistakes. “She consistently showed us the ideals Coca­Cola to learn more about their social “Students seemed to lack the motivation children whose parents migrated for work, By talking to Guo, Li got to know his and skills required in the pursuit of being a entrepreneurship and startup projects. to study,” Li says. while some had seen their parents get mother had left home when he was young, good teacher. She is our model.” Dai Kai, chief executive officer of YSI Chi­ Li found that the students didn’t have divorced. She tried to give them more care and his father migrated to faraway places Li’s efforts worked. Both classes she na, says: “Business shouldn’t be only about the solid foundation that primary school by talking with them frequently and help­ for work, leaving the boy at home to live on taught registered a huge improvement. profit. In the midst of pandemic, we should should have given them and she became ing them face their difficulties and solve the money his father transferred to him “I want to open a window to help the realize the importance of sustainable devel­ depressed during the first semester. On their problems. regularly. students look outside, and to make them opment than ever. In the future, YSI China top of this, the students and the school One day, when Li was examining Guo’s understand the world is a large place. I will continue to empower more aspiring were recipients of financial aid from the Devotion works homework, she saw a wound on his hand, hope my way of thinking will influence young people to use business to solve social authorities and it seemed a shame, she Her encouragement seemed to work and reminded him to dress it to prevent them to some extent,” Li says. problems and promote sustainable develop­ says, to see opportunities not taken. wonders. Even more students began to infection. Her caring words hit Guo hard. ment.” “I have worked as a teacher for nearly 10 hand in their homework, and studied He later wrote in an essay that he turned Contact the writers at years, but never met such a situation. I just much harder than before, as they didn’t around and burst into a flood of tears [email protected] Gu Yuhan contributed to the story.