A guiding light

After graduating from university in 2015, she returned to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, and entered the Kunming Red-headed Gull Service Center, which was founded just a year before.

The center is the successor of the social work office for youth affairs under the Kunming committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and is the first nonprofit social services organization to have been founded by the CYL in Southwest China.

The center collaborates with governmental entities, NGOs, communities and companies to provide legal protection, counseling and support for teenagers, with the aim of creating a healthy and safe environment favorable for their growth.

A major part of their work involves offering social work sessions for juvenile delinquents at detention centers, with workshops in emotion management and interpersonal relations as well as one-on-one counseling.

"When it comes to teenagers who have gone astray, many people would turn their noses up and avoid them. But to me, just because they made mistakes doesn't mean they are bad by nature. Many of them just made the wrong decision at the wrong time," Zhou says.

"Many of these kids have family problems. They are not supported, some are even disowned, by their family. Their family members might not write to them. They need someone they can trust to share their feelings confidentially."

Zhou speaks of a 16-year-old she encountered at the Kunming detention center. The girl has impaired hearing and speech, and was abandoned by her parents. She was then adopted by an elderly woman, but after the woman passed away, she once again became homeless. Without any money, she was caught shoplifting and taken into custody.

Because of the communication difficulties, the girl tended to keep to herself and often got into fights at the detention center. When attending Zhou's group activities, she was not enthusiastic to take part or work with others.

"I then focused on creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and love in the group, and conveyed to them the concepts of tolerance, understanding and support. My colleague and I also kept her company, giving her support, encouragement and one-on-one counseling using written notes," Zhou recalls.