In Hong Kong, the number of children facing mental health issues is rapidly increasing, and yet not much attention is given to them because schools and parents are not receiving effective support to respond to the feelings and needs of these children.

With the vision to lead the transformation of the communication culture in schools and families to enhance children’s emotional well-being, JUST FEEL, a local nonprofit startup, promotes the development of social-emotional learning (“SEL”) and compassionate communication with a holistic, preventive, systematic and affordable approach.

Established in 2018, JUST FEEL has been organizing a series of school-based outreach programs with the aim of creating a compassionate learning environment that encourages children to be aware of their emotions, and to express them in an appropriate manner. Public awareness building workshops targeting educators, parents, and children from primary to secondary school age have also been conducted to promote compassionate communication and SEL.

Through this intervention model focusing on “Training of Trainers”, educators and parents are empowered to be more proactive and skillful in responding to children’s emotional needs, while children are able to embrace emotions and gradually develop compassion that helps establish and maintain positive relationships which are essential in mental well-being.

The Foundation acknowledges that social and emotional education is critical in transforming conflicts and building a compassionate society. Aligning with values of compassion and JUST FEEL’s motto “Connection Before Solution”, the Foundation is delighted to be supporting JUST FEEL through the unique Core Partnership approach since 2020.

Advocated by the Foundation, the Core Partnership model provides nonprofit startups sharing the Foundation’s philanthropic objectives with financial, intellectual and social resources during their critical development stage. By supporting our Core Partners to enhance their organizational capacity and sustain their social efforts in the long term, the Foundation hopes that transformative impacts could be brought to the communities they serve.

Particularly with JUST FEEL’s dedication to nurturing compassionate communication in the next generation by empowering the most crucial stakeholders, i.e. parents and teachers, and by focusing on the root cause of the rising social needs, it is hoped that this Core Partnership will foster a systemic change in society to prevent emotional issues in children – a step closer to the Foundation’s aspiration to building a compassionate society.