Returning to help
Chen Yanfei (third from the right) was born in Guizhou in 1992. “The poverty we experienced back then left a pain in my heart which will be there forever.” Yanfei can never forget that her dream of attending university was made possible through the national ‘Poverty Alleviation Through Education’ policy and Amity Foundation’s programme to support girls to gain a tertiary education. “I feel as if this care warmed me like a light, and a seed of love was planted in my heart, teaching me how to love others. Because of this, I always wanted to become a ray of light myself, to repay society, and giving light to even more people in need.”
In the summer holidays of 2014, Yanfei (third on the right) participated in a summer camp run by the Amity Foundation called ‘Light up the childrens’ heart together’ as a volunteer through the University for Girls programme.
In 2017, having graduated from the Guizhou Normal University, Yanfei chose to remain in her home area and to become a grassroots worker in Changming Village, which is in Liupanshui, Guizhou. She threw herself heart and soul into the work of building up and developing the area.
“Four years ago, I came to Changming Village carrying an army style backpack, wearing camouflage style clothes and tramping in a pair of Liberation-style boots.” When she first came to Changming Village, Yanfei was still a naive young scholar who had not yet experienced the world. Her small, slim stature led people to question whether she’d be able to manage her heavy responsibilities. Nevertheless, this small, skinny girl, born after 1990, has proven her abilities and value through all the practical things that she has done.
After only about three months in that role, Yanfei, along with other village workers, went by foot to ascertain the situations of all 4663 people living in 1206 households throughout the 14 village groups which comprise Changming Village, tailor-making appropriate strategies for assisting each household.
“There are three people living in Mrs Qin’s home. Her husband died from an illness a few years ago, leaving an older son and a younger daughter depending only on her.” This was one of the households that Yanfei was assigned to assist when she first came to this work unit. When Yanfei visited Mrs Qin, she took careful note of a number of rashes on her arms and neck that had been scratched to the point of bleeding. Yanfei photographed the symptoms and asked a doctor for a diagnosis, which is when they realised that she had shingles. After that, Yanfei helped Mrs Qin apply for assistance from the Department of Civil Affairs to alleviate the economic pressure brought about in part by treating the illness. “Mrs Qin was very grateful to me. She said that she can’t read or write and she doesn’t understand the policies, so even though the national policies are good, if nobody had told her about them and guided her through the process, she couldn’t have taken advantage of them,” Yanfei explained.
After that, Yanfei helped Mrs Qin apply for assistance from the Department of Civil Affairs to alleviate the economic pressure brought about in part by treating the illness. “Mrs Qin was very grateful to me. She said that she can’t read or write and she doesn’t understand the policies, so even though the national policies are good, if nobody had told her about them and guided her through the process, she couldn’t have taken advantage of them,” Yanfei explained.
“There are three people living in Mrs Qin’s home. Her husband died from an illness a few years ago, leaving an older son and a younger daughter depending only on her.” This was one of the households that Yanfei was assigned to assist when she first came to this work unit. When Yanfei visited Mrs Qin, she took careful note of a number of rashes on her arms and neck that had been scratched to the point of bleeding. Yanfei photographed the symptoms and asked a doctor for a diagnosis, which is when they realised that she had shingles. After that, Yanfei helped Mrs Qin apply for assistance from the Department of Civil Affairs to alleviate the economic pressure brought about in part by treating the illness.
“Mrs Qin was very grateful to me. She said that she can’t read or write and she doesn’t understand the policies, so even though the national policies are good, if nobody had told her about them and guided her through the process, she couldn’t have taken advantage of them,” Yanfei explained.
It has now been more than four years since Yanfei came to Changming Village. During that time, she has witnessed the building of a road linking the communities that comprise the village – it didn’t even exist when she first came. The muddy roads which connected homes have been replaced by cement roads. Dangerous old wood-shingled homes have been turned into solid, bright, large single-level dwellings. Students have tested into universities that they had long admired thanks to poverty alleviation assistance and educational support. Sick people have received medical treatment, which has alleviated difficulties for families. The faces of everyday people light up with smiles of gratitude…… Four years have passed. Yanfei has also grown up a lot and gained a great deal too.
