Volunteer Group Helps People Solve Their Problems “兰花芬芳”志愿服务暖人心

2022-02-25赵伊梦胡冬梅译/崔佳艳审订/任东升

英语世界 2022年2期

赵伊梦胡冬梅译/崔佳艳审订/任东升

The Wang Lanhua Volunteer Group in Wuzhong， Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region， has helped thousands of people in the city.

This community service team assists residents in resolving problems， mediates disputes， and promotes policies for people of all ethnic groups. Volunteers strive to create a comfortable environment for people from Han and Hui ethnic groups living and working together in the community.

The group， with nearly 500 registered volunteers， was founded in 2005 by Wang Lanhua， who is now 71 years old， and is named after her.

Before retiring as director of a community in Litong District in 2004， Wang was well-known for her concern for residents in the neighborhood. She wasn’t able to get used to retirement， so she founded the volunteer group to keep serving.

Though the 3，000 households in the community were not closely connected to her， she said she “still cared about their unsolved problems”.

In the first years after retirement， Wang’s only income was a meager insurance fund. She set up an office in her 70-square-meter house. “So many people came to ask for help， and sometimes they couldn’t all squeeze inside，” she said.

Wang and her team often helped vulnerable people with difficulties. She went to the homes of lonely seniors to help them shower， cut their nails and wash windows， and she bought food and medicine for the elderly.

Wang has known 91-year-old He Xiuying for 30 years. “It was not easy for her as a widow to raise her oldest son， who suffered from polio. It was sad when he died， and she was too ill to leave the house，” Wang said， talking about the resident she often cares for.

“Whether trivial or major， ignoring a problem or failing to resolve it means different things. I should not break their trust，” she said， adding that sometimes residents weren’t able to reach a consensus despite mediation.

Now， the community organizes activities throughout the week， such as a flag-raising ceremony every Monday to enhance patriotic awareness， and a concert with various ethnic groups every Tuesday.

“Ningxia is our lovely home， it is united and socially stable，” Wang said. “Here， the Hui and the Han cannot live without each other. As President Xi Jinping said， people of all ethnic groups are tightly bound together like pomegranate seeds. Everyone respects each other， understands each other and cares for each other.”

Shu Hongyong and his younger brother， both Han， had a difficult life due to family changes.

After Wang learned about their situation， she insisted on taking care of them， frequently bringing them food， washing their clothes， and contacting the school to reduce their tuition fees.

Now Shu has opened a plumbing repair shop and is also an important member of the volunteer group.

Named as a National Moral Model， Wang has inspired many people with her selfless deeds. So far， Litong district has 60，000 registered volunteers， nearly 90 percent of them women.

Wang has moved her office from her house to a 1，400-square-meter volunteer service center.

“The more volunteers there are， the fewer difficulties residents will face. I will keep enriching volunteer activities，” Wang said.

（from China Daily， Global Edition， June 15， 2021）

在寧夏回族自治区吴忠市，“王兰花热心小组”志愿帮扶了数以千计的人。

这支社区志愿服务队帮居民解决难事，调解纠纷，而且为各民族群众宣讲政策，营造汉回两族人民共同生活和工作的和谐环境。

志愿服务小组成立于2005年，注册志愿者近500人，由现年71岁的王兰花发起并冠名。

王兰花2004年从利通区某社区居委会主任的岗位上退休以前，就因心里装着街坊四邻有口皆碑。她不满足空闲的退休生活，于是成立了志愿服务小组，继续为邻里服务。

尽管社区3000户居民跟她不沾亲也不带故，可她说自己“依然惦记着他们还没解决的问题”。

王兰花刚退休那几年，收入只有微薄的养老金。她在自己面积70平米的家设了办公室。“前来寻求帮助的人真多，有时屋里都挤不下。”她说。

王兰花和她的“热心小组”经常帮弱扶困，到孤寡老人家给他们洗澡、剪指甲、擦窗户，还为上岁数的老人买菜买药。

王兰花与91岁高龄的何秀英相识30年了。“她一个寡妇拉扯患小儿麻痹症的大儿子不容易。可怜的是大儿子没了，自己也病得厉害，出不了门。”王兰花说着这位她时常照顾的老人。

“不论大事小事，帮成帮不成是一回事，帮不帮又是另外一回事。不能辜负大家的信任。”她还说，有些时候即便调解，双方意见也达不成一致。