Late Poverty-Relief Official Wins High Praise

A file photo of Zhang Xiaojuan, a poverty-relief worker in Zhouqu County, in Northwest China's Gansu Province [China Women's News]

Zhang Xiaojuan, 34, formerly deputy-director of the Poverty Alleviation Office of Zhouqu County, was unfortunately among the victims of a car accident in Zhouqu, a county in Northwest China's Gansu Province, on October 7, in which three people died and two others disappeared. 

On that day, shortly after finishing her inspection tour of poverty alleviation in a village, Zhang was involved in the deadly car accident on her way back to Zhouqu. 

Zhang was born to a Tibetan family in Chengma Village in Zhouqu County in April 1985.

In 2003, she was enrolled by the Minzu University of China with excellent academic performance, majoring in history and tourism management. 

Her classmates still have impressive memories of Zhang. Fu Liyuan, Zhang's roommate, recalled that she liked reading books, writing articles and painting.

In 2006, many students of the university went on an internship to Fenghuang County, in Central China's Hunan Province, for field investigation and practice to learn about development of the local planting, breeding and tourism industries.

Zhang Xinyu, a friend of Zhang, recalled that she had begun to make preparations, including collecting materials and designing investigation topics, before the internship.

After completing the internship, many students went home for summer holidays, but Zhang immediately involved herself in the next investigation.  

Students and teachers remember Zhang as an optimistic person whose positive attitude influenced others around her and made them happy. She was very dedicated and liked to help others.

In 2007, Zhang graduated from the university, and found work at a hotel in Beijing. However, a year later, because of her affection for her hometown, she returned to her village and became a grassroots civil servant.

Over the next decade, she spent at least half of every year shuttling between villages, and most of her weekends were spent working overtime. She was a "moveable database" of the poverty alleviation work in the county as well as its 24-hour contact person for village and government department affairs.

Whether as a village official or poverty-alleviation official, Zhang always wholeheartedly served the people, which made her well received by villagers and a model for young grassroots civil servants.

Ren Xiuhong, President of the Women's Federation of Zhouqu County, said that she was deeply impressed by Zhang when Zhang served as the deputy-director of the Poverty Alleviation Office of the county. At a poverty alleviation meeting, Zhang made detailed and accurate policy interpretations on poverty alleviation, winning high appraisal from the attendants.

"She was proficient in her work and treated work without any delay. She could always offer solutions to work-related problems," Ren added.

"We have to learn the real situation of poverty through door-to-door investigation day after day, analyze the poverty-stricken population structure, difficulties and problems of lifting people out of poverty. We must ensure the accuracy of the targeted poverty relief work," said Zhang Xiaojuan about her daily work in one of her articles.

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)