Mai Qiongfang (R) does volunteer work.

Mai Qiongfang is well-known in Baise, a city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Since 1979, Mai has been providing volunteer services, such as taking care of elderly locals, who live alone, and supporting children so they can receive an education. Mai often uses a shoulder pole to carry donations (food and clothing) she has collected when she visits people living deep in the mountain. As such, netizens like to call her by a nickname, "Sister Shoulder-pole."

Mai remembers clearly something her mother taught her when she was a little girl. "Mom said a person is generally born with two hands, one for helping others, and the other for supporting him/herself. If we lend a helping hand to people in need, we will feel happy ourselves." Mai says her warmheartedness is the result of her mother's positive influence.

In 1979, then-19-year-old Mai worked at People's Hospital of Baise. She met an ethnic Yao woman, who was hospitalized, but who did not have a relative looking in on her. Mai volunteered to deliver meals to the woman every day. She visited the patient after she recovered and returned to her hometown, in a village on a mountain. Mai noticed many of the elderly people and children in that village did not have adequate clothes or shoes to wear in winter. She asked her family members and friends to help her collect donations of clothes and food. Then, Mai used a shoulder pole to carry the donations up the mountain and into the village.

Using the simple shoulder pole, Mai carried two big bags, filled with goods, each time she entered a village hidden deep in the mountain. In addition to delivering the donations, Mai invited children from impoverished families to live with her, so it was easier for the children to attend school. During the past 40 years, Mai has supported more than 100 children, and she has helped look after 40-plus elderly people. Since a photo of Mai using the shoulder pole to carry goods up the mountain went viral, netizens have referred to Mai as "Sister Shoulder-pole."

Mai established a WeChat group to help children from poor families. She tells the group's members when she is about to visit a village on the mountain. Members in other regions send clothing and/or other goods to Mai in advance; someone offers to drive, to help Mai deliver the goods; and, food vendors offer her the "best price," so she can purchase more foods. Mai is happy so many of the children, whom she has helped, have grown up to become volunteers.

Ethnic Zhuang people, who live in Baise, like handmade craft known as "mo mie" (麽乜). It is an ornament that has the auspicious meaning of "safeguarding the sun and embracing hope." In 2007, Mai established a team of 20-plus women in Baise to inherit the traditional mo mie hand-making skills. By organizing training sessions, teaching the skills and looking for orders to guarantee good sales, Mai has encouraged more than 300 women to participate in production of the craft. She has helped women from 84 impoverished families increase their incomes — and shake off poverty. Mai also does her best to raise the younger generation's awareness of inheriting the culture of their nation. She volunteers to "teach special lessons" at the city's library, during which she demonstrates to primary school students the various methods of making traditional snacks and crafts.

Under the guidance of the local women's federation, Mai in 2020 established a women volunteers' team. She has since organized women volunteers to provide training sessions in villages to teach traditional mo mie hand-making skills.

Photo Supplied by  the Interviewee

(Women of China English Monthly December 2021 issue)