Matthew Kwok and Raymond Yang were teaching fellows with “Teach4HK” in 2017. They noticed some occasional disputes among students who could not properly express themselves. Having studied “Compassionate Communication” in Taiwan, Raymond brought the concept to Hong Kong. In 2018, the duo partnered with their alumnus Anthony Ngai to found the social venture “JUST FEEL”. Believing in “Connection Before Solution”, they designed communication tools called “Feelings and Needs Cards” based on “Compassionate Communication” and started to provide primary schools with educational support in social and emotional learning (SEL) as well as classroom relationship building, aiming to help children to learn to express their feelings and resolve conflicts through Compassionate Communication.
Matthew describes their entrepreneurship journey as a “trial-and-error” process: attempt, fail, and continue to attempt. For example, Feelings and Needs Cards were deemed to be used as teaching materials, yet it turned out the teachers were too busy and had no time nor idea how to use them. Diary booklets were published for children to record their feelings, but some parents requested their children to complete the diaries as homework, which was deviant from the intention of the venture. It was also not easy to explain to the public the position of “JUST FEEL”. The three founders had to clarify that their beneficiaries were not only students with special educational needs but all students as they acknowledge the importance for students to develop the habit of expressing feelings and needs from an early age as a preventive intervention for developing healthy interpersonal relationships and enhancing emotional well-being in the long run. “It is quite hard to succeed just by one hit in launching a new model or method. There are not many trial opportunities in the society, undermining people’s will to try.” As for “JUST FEEL”, Matthew grinned and said, “We try to avoid failures that can be avoided and accept those that are unavoidable. We simply try out errors.”
Embracing the spirit of “trial-and-error”, “JUST FEEL” continues to learn and respond to the needs of children, parents and schools to improve their business. At present, they have already developed twelve services for schools. “A social enterprise has to know not only how to serve, but also how to run a business and how to found one,” said Anthony. He hopes more businessmen would share their experience to mentor the social welfare sector regarding business operation. On advice to upcoming social innovators, Raymond encourages them to “sustain the passion and answer to the inner calling.”
- The SIE Fund has provided funding for the prototype project “Just Feel”. More information about the project can be found here.
Profession
educationScope of Services
education and trainingBeneficiaries
youth and childrenRead more
(To be updated)