Joy of giving

She admits she once had doubts about the project. "Did those students need those courses more than financial help?" she asked herself. But as time goes by, she has become more determined.

According to Gao Guangshen, vice-secretary-general of the Sun Culture Foundation, there is a large number of primary school students in Beijing who are non-Beijing natives.

Yang Lan and her husband Wu Zheng with former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn at a recent private forum for charity experiences. Provided to China Daily

"Many children of migrant families feel uncomfortable in Beijing, which is a totally strange environment for them," says Gao. "Connecting with art could make them more confident and happier"

Wu Tao, 17, whose parents sell vegetables at a small market, is one of the migrant students taking guitar courses arranged by the foundation. Living near a railway line, Wu has been living with the noise for years, though he likes playing guitar and is one of the best students in the class.

Now he works in a restaurant washing dishes. He tells Yang his dream is to become a cook - a cook who can play the guitar.

"My life is good and I have great education. Being with those children makes me sober and moves me," Yang says.

Her aim is to develop the Sun Art Classroom project in Beijing and then in other cities in three years.

Each classroom needs 120,000 yuan ($19,000) for a year, including facilities and teachers. Four migrant schools in Beijing have started the program, which invites retired art teachers to give classes.

Yang's next target will be the "left-behind" children, with one or both parents working far away from home, leaving them at home to be taken care of by grandparents or other relatives.

"These social problems are brought by the fast urbanization," Yang says. "I wake up in the morning as a mother and I watch news like everybody else. I want to be a part of the world in a positive way."

Yang's own life reflects China's transformation and rapid development. Her grandmother grew up at a time when women had bound feet. Her mother became the first college student in the family.

At 21 years old, she went to an open casting call for a variety show in Beijing and beat about 1,000 other contestants when she was just a senior in college. The show became the most popular in China within the year.