"Her mother died, and I had never known before that class," Kang recalls in a phone interview with China Daily. Inspired by that class, Kang later founded Enlighten Our Future, a nonprofit organization based in Dali, Yunnan province, to help Chinese youngsters improve their mental well-being through poetry composition and appreciation.
She had been teaching at that school for over a year. She wanted to help the students improve their exam grades so that they could leave the impoverished area for university and have a better chance in life's lottery.
Like many children from remote areas, her students were shy at expressing their feelings and opinions. But sometimes, when she tried to discipline them, they challenged her by asking: "My parents don't mind, then why do you?"
"I realized that they could speak about their feelings and opinions through poetry," she says.
Kang promised the students that whenever it rained, they would go outside, shelter under the eaves, and enjoy the rain and write something. She also set a box outside her dormitory, so that students can put their written musings inside on Friday evenings. She would read them during the weekend and give her feedback the next week.
