What they say

Editor's Note: The Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China invited some CPC members from the civil affairs sector to meet journalists and answer questions on serving the people recently.

The COVID-19 epidemic that suddenly hit Wuhan was a severe test for our community workers. My colleagues and I were living in the community for 74 days. ... We knocked on residents’ doors during the day to monitor their body temperatures and counted the lights at night to make sure of their safety. Though buildings were locked down during the epidemic, we insisted on not locking down our love.

Gui Xiaomei, community Party chief in Qingshan district, Wuhan, Hubei province

A child who was at our institute had lower limbs that were paralyzed. He loved to study, but he was unable to sit in the classroom and read like other children. He told me: “I want to go to school. I won’t drink water during class so that I won’t need to go to the bathroom after class.” I cried, and decided that however difficult it was, I had to help make his dream come true. With the help of multiple departments, the boy was finally able to come to school . ... For us, helping orphans and disabled children return to their families and integrate into society is our original aspiration.

Li Yan, Party chief and president of the Zhengzhou Institute for Children’s Welfare in Henan province

I have witnessed the progress of elderly care services in rural areas in my years of work in this field. In 2014, I set up the first rural service center for elderly care in the county, which opened vacant hospital beds to the public. Left-behind seniors, whose children have gone out to work, are welcomed at our nursing homes, and we take care of their problems. My team fulfilled filial duty for the elderly on behalf of these children, so that they can work and earn money without concerns.

Li Yinjiang, president of a nursing home in Xuyi county, Jiangsu province

When I was inspecting the ward during my first solo night shift in 2003, I found that a patient had wiped excrement on his body and the bed. I was stunned for half a minute before I remembered to give him a bath and clean up the bed . ... The following Monday when I went to work, I didn’t expect the patient to see me from a distance and shout at me happily: “Auntie is here, auntie!” I was immediately cheered up. As a Party member, dedication is a responsibility, while giving should be a habit of a nurse. We are the family of these “children” who will never grow up, so we should not only help them live well, but also help them live with dignity and feel the warmth of society.

Cheng Jing, deputy director of the nursery department at the Beijing Second Social Welfare Institution