Wang Rongrong is a senior training instructor with Shaanxi Kang Sisters Domestic Services Company, in Ankang, in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Wang has not only made an effort to live a meaningful life, she has also inspired women in her hometown, especially young women, to improve their lives and realize their own value through working in the domestic-service sector. 

Wang was born in Wutai, a village in Guanmiao Town, Ankang, and her early life was not easy. She quit school, after she completed middle school, to work in various low-skilled posts to support her family. She never established a stable foothold in the workforce. 

Life was always difficult; for example, her husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, when their child was only two years old. To pay for her husband's medical treatments, Wang sold their property and borrowed money. Still, her husband succumbed to the cancer. In the end, Wang was left heavily in debt. 

In 2018, her fortunes began to change. Wang learned, by chance, Ankang Women's Federation, in collaboration with Shaanxi Kang Sisters Domestic Services Company, was offering free domestic-service-skills training to women in poverty. She enrolled. 

After she completed the training, with excellent performance, the company hired Wang as a maternity matron. At that time, Wang was 32, while most of the experienced maternity matrons were generally in their 40s or 50s. 

To dispel customers' concerns about her ability to provide quality services, Wang proposed a three-day trial, and she promised to perform the services for free if she failed to meet expectations. She quickly won over her clients with her professional skills and heartfelt service. She became one of the company's most popular maternity matrons within two years. 

Wang's career reached its pinnacle in 2020, when she represented Shaanxi during the National Poverty Alleviation Vocational Skills Competition. She won the gold medal in the domestic-service category. This achievement earned her the title of national skills talent, which strengthened her sense of pride as a domestic worker. 

Impressed, a domestic-service agency in Beijing offered Wang a high-paying job. She declined. "My hometown needs me. I hope I can lead more women, particularly young women, in creating better lives through working in the domestic-service industry, and I hope to contribute to rural revitalization," she says. 

In 2021, Wang stopped working as a maternity matron and became the company's training instructor. She has since been training newcomers to the domestic-service sector. "I see myself in them. I used to lack confidence. But, now, I can surely influence them with my experience and professional skills," she says. 

During the past two years, the company has trained nearly 6,000 rural women. Jiang Yunfang is one of those women. "My income has greatly increased since I began working as a maternity matron. Life is much better than before," Jiang says. 

In 2022, Wang received the National May 1 Labor Medal for her excellent work in the domestic-service sector. In October 2023, she attended the 13th National Women's Congress of China, in Beijing. 

"The moment I stood in the Great Hall of the People and sang the national anthem, tears came to my eyes. It is the new opportunity in the new era that allows me to achieve development in my life. My experience proves that skills change lives. Always having a grateful heart, I will lead more women in changing their lives through skills," Wang says. 

As she looks to the future, Wang is full of confidence. "This industry needs more professionals, of high quality and with a rich knowledge reserve. I hope I can attract more talented women to join in the domestic-service sector, and advance the high-quality development of the industry," she says.

Photos from Interviewee 

(Women of China English Monthly July 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha