China News Service, Fuzhou, March 6 (Ye Yilin) At 4 pm, the children have not finished school yet.
In the "Village Children and Mothers Club" in Chahui Community, Gushan Town, Jin'an District, Fuzhou City, the founder Zhang Jie is neatly sorting the books on the three-story low bookshelf.
"Children come here to read after school. Although there are more and more libraries now, this one in the community will be more convenient, especially for elderly families with children. They can't go too far, so they will come directly. .”
Warmth is the first impression of the "Village Children's Mothers Club". The photo wall recording the children's smiling faces and happy moments is eye-catching. The wooden platform and low tables and chairs, which are only a few centimeters above the ground, are convenient for children to sit on. Reading a book makes people feel very considerate.
This is a space for Zhang Jie to build after-school exchanges and learning for the children of migrant workers. It is also a haven for her and her team to nourish the children's hearts and subtly guide them to be good.
The picture shows the "Village Children's Mother" Club Tea Party Community Service Point, photographed by Li Nanxuan
It was also here that Zhang Jie told reporters the reason why she met a "social worker". She was deeply moved when talking about her 13 years of social work experience; she was also impressed by the fact that she won the "Most Beautiful Volunteer in the Country" and the "Fujian Youth May 4th Medal". "The most beautiful volunteer in Fujian Province" and many other honors, she is very humble; when talking about helping migrant children in the urban-rural fringe area, protecting migrant women, and helping more women improve their social status and personal value, her eyes are full of pride.
"I am still an executive committee member of the Women's Federation. I am the 'mother's family' of the women and should be their strongest support. I will fully combine my current work and conscientiously perform my duties to serve, protect, lead and contact women sisters." Zhang Jie said.
Get to know "social workers" through touching
Zhang Jie graduated from South China Normal University majoring in education management, and engaging in social work was not in her career plan at first.
"I originally wanted to be a teacher, so I went to a primary school in Chengdu, Sichuan for an internship in 2008 when I was a senior." That year, there was an earthquake in Wenchuan. The school collapsed in the earthquake, and the teachers and students who died were tragic scenes. The image had a huge impact on her.
Zhang Jie still remembers that Yingxiu Town, 78km away from Chengdu, was the epicenter and hardest-hit area.
On the third day after the earthquake, social workers from Hong Kong and Guangzhou, as well as Social Workers Without Borders, formed a team and stationed in Yingxiu Town.
"After they rescued the children, they took them to sit in a circle, and then kept teaching the children to clap their hands to help the frightened children relieve their emotions. At that moment, I realized that this is what I want to do. Things, I didn’t know what it was at that time, but I wanted to do it.” That was the first time Zhang Jie learned about an emerging profession like “social work”.
In order to respond to the inspiration deep in her heart, Zhang Jie returned to Guangzhou from Chengdu in 2009, officially became a social worker, and accumulated relevant service experience in Guangzhou.
When she learned about the development of social work in her hometown of Fuzhou and found that professional institutions were almost blank, Zhang Jie returned to her hometown in 2013 and started over, contributing to the social work cause in Fuzhou.
The picture shows Zhang Jie, the founder of the "Village Mothers" Club, sorting out books, photographed by Li Nanxuan
Don’t give up even after being “persuaded”
Recalling the time when she first returned to Fuzhou, Zhang Jie said bluntly, "Because many people don't understand social work affairs, it is particularly difficult to promote this matter. It is normal to be rejected and doubted by others. I am actually quite broken inside."
But she did not give up. Instead, she adopted what she called "the stupidest method" and took the trouble to promote and introduce social workers to everyone.
In order to make everyone understand social workers, she chose to start with children, especially migrant children, who ranked first in the social workers' service groups and fields. According to the official website data released by the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics that year, Jin'an District and Cangcang District, which had the largest migrant population, were Mountainous areas were used as pilot areas for investigation.
Carrying a stack of information such as a university diploma, teacher qualification certificate, social work certificate, psychological counselor certificate, ID card, service plan, etc., she went to a private school that specializes in accepting foreign children and said that she could provide psychological and emotional care for the children for free. , social interaction deviation behavior correction, establishing good social relationships and other services.
In March 2013, Zhang Jie launched the first school-based social work station in Fujian Province at Hongguangyuan Primary School in Jin'an District, which effectively relieved teachers' classroom management pressure and reduced the school's student attrition rate.
At the same time, she also discovered a new problem. Parents of migrant children generally have a low level of education. They mainly work part-time jobs and informal employment, with low stability. Most of them are families with many children and pay little attention to raising children.
“Because my service scope is in primary schools, when the children graduate from sixth grade and leave school and leave our shelter, I don’t know what happens to them.” Because of this, Zhang Jie began to extend his service to the families of migrant children. Go and better help children by helping their families.
In 2017, with the support of the Gushan Town Party Committee and Government, Zhang Jie and her team built the "Village Mothers Club" platform. Based on the platform, she began to provide regular free skills training classes for migrant women.
The picture shows Zhang Jie making a video call with a supporting family, photo by Li Nanxuan
Helping “village child” families from the source
"When the 'Village Children's Mothers Club' was established, our slogan was that mothers have hope and children have a future. Moreover, our club is not a 'club' for single people, but a 'gathering' for gatherings." This is not only the original intention of the establishment of the Club, but also a good expectation for the future.
Zhang Jie said, "Everyone comes from other provinces. It is very important to find fellow villagers and integrate into the city of Fuzhou. We need to gather together and help each other to live a better life." From the beginning of the club's establishment, Zhang Jie identified the service targets as migrant women and their children, and helped them integrate into Fuzhou and develop with the city through free skills training classes, various special lectures, parent-child education workshops and other activities.
It is reported that since the "Village Children's Mothers Club" received support from Fuzhou City's "Three Social Clubs Linkage" project in 2020 and launched a free skills training volunteer service project, it has accurately linked local women's federations, communities and social resources, and has successively helped unemployed or underemployed people. Multiple periods of free vocational skills training for migrant women in urban areas, involving housekeeping, beauticians, electricians, massage and other professional occupations, have attracted more than 2,000 people to participate. Among them, 58 unemployed people have obtained professional qualification certificates recognized by the human resources and social security department and passed the "Village Children's Mothers Club" recommends corresponding companies and studios.
The "Village Children's Mothers Club" tea party site was also rated as one of Fuzhou's "Top Ten Outstanding Sites for Women's Volunteer Services" by the Fuzhou Women's Federation, and was recommended to be selected as an outstanding project in the 2021 Fujian Province Volunteer Service Innovation Competition.
Perform duties with due diligence and link more power
"Social organizations are ultimately limited in terms of strength and capabilities. After becoming an executive committee member of the Women's Federation, I have a different understanding of helping women and children. Leading and connecting with women are the three most important things for us as an executive committee member of the Women's Federation. "From becoming a member of the Jin'an District Women's Federation in 2017 to becoming the executive committee member of the 15th Fuzhou Women's Federation in 2023, Zhang Jie deeply feels that she must play a good role as a bridge and link between Women's Federation organizations, government departments and women in need. Children are closely connected.
Zhang Jie told reporters that her status as an executive committee member also gives her a higher position and a deeper exploration of a more scientific and systematic work.
Based on her work, she wrote proposals focusing on women and children, and constructively put forward many welfare systems, measures, and suggestions that could better help migrant women.
In June 2022, Jin'an District officially promulgated the "Fuzhou City Jin'an District Women's Development Program (2021-2030)" and the "Fuzhou City Jin'an District Children's Development Program (2021-2030)". Among them, regarding "adopting policies The content of "increasing the use of funds to purchase funds to help these migrant women in marginal difficulties and providing them with more assistance" was proposed by Zhang Jie and adopted.
"When these suggestions are written into the outline and become a policy document, it will benefit more female compatriots." Zhang Jie said happily.
Zhang Jie said that she will continue to pay attention to women's health rights and growth space, and continue to work hard at the policy advocacy level to help migrant women and children speak out, so that more "mobile flowers" can grow against the wind and bloom quietly.
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