He Yuanjing: Disabled Yet Prosperous, and an Enthusiastic Mediator
The winter melons He Yuanjing planted this year are all exceptionally large, and they have now all been pre-ordered by merchants.
In September this year, Yingde once held a meeting on rural grassroots Party building and grassroots governance. Wang Gengdong, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, pointed out that "the key to rural work lies in the leaders," and that attention should be paid to cultivating and developing Party members from among outstanding rural talents, making them "good people + capable people," leading the masses to develop and prosper, and becoming the backbone of rural grassroots organizations.
In fact, in recent years, batch after batch of skilled earners engaged in planting and breeding, processing, marketing, and even e-commerce and other industries have emerged in rural Yingde. While achieving prosperity for themselves, they play a significant radiating, demonstrative and driving role for surrounding farmers, and have already become or are becoming the most promising entrepreneurial resource in rural areas, the most dynamic market development force, and the most driving rural prosperity leaders. To this end, this newspaper has specially launched the "Discovering Rural Capable People" column, reporting on different types of rural capable people, recounting their experiences, giving voice to their views, and offering suggestions for rural development in Yingde.
Discovering Rural Capable People: "When there's a problem, find Uncle Jing."
At the Yinghuo Village Committee of Shigutang Town, Yingde City, there is a "star" praised by the villagers. For ten years as consistently as one day, he has voluntarily walked among the villagers, solving their problems and mediating nearly a thousand disputes of various kinds. At the same time, he is also one of the full-time commissioners for persons with disabilities in Yingde City, supporting himself and creating wealth through his own hands, serving as a role model for the disabled in the village and even the whole city, and actively serving persons with disabilities.
"I just want to do my best to do some practical things for the masses." He Yuanjing, now approaching sixty, only joined the Communist Party of China in 2012. He Yuanjing, who "joined the Party in his later years," said that as long as the Party committee and government and the village branch still trust him, he will keep doing this and do what he can for the masses.
Disabled in Body but Strong in Will, Prospering Through Labor
He Yuanjing, 59 this year, is from the Xiahe Village Group of Yinghuo Village, Shigutang Town. He suffered from polio in childhood, which left his left leg disabled. But He Yuanjing did not feel inferior because of this. From childhood to adulthood, he has always faced life positively. After graduating from high school, He Yuanjing worked for many years in automobile repair in Nanhai, Foshan, then returned to his hometown to farm and once served as village chief.
Farming life is very difficult. Because of his physical disability, He Yuanjing has had to put in far more hardship than ordinary people, but He Yuanjing has never complained about heaven or blamed others, and has always worked diligently. "Except that I can't outrun others and can't carry or lift more than 100 jin of heavy objects, everything else is fine." He Yuanjing said that although his left foot is disabled, he is just like a normal person, and after reaching the right age he married and had children. Now he has both a son and a daughter, and his family is happy.
In July this year, He Yuanjing used his family's 6 mu of land to plant black-skin winter melons and achieved a bumper harvest, with an estimated output of 80,000 jin, and these winter melons have already been fully pre-ordered by merchants. He Yuanjing said that calculated at the current market price of eight mao and three fen, after deducting the cost of seedlings, supports and so on, the net income is about 50,000 yuan.
The reporter saw in He Yuanjing's winter melon field that these winter melons are very large, about 1 m tall and weighing 30 to 40 jin, with the largest one weighing about more than 60 jin. He Yuanjing believes that this bumper harvest of melons is mainly related to the melon variety and planting techniques. "Unlike blindly planting melons before, this year I often went to the town agricultural science station to consult technicians, and whenever I didn't understand something I went to ask, so planting techniques are very important." He Yuanjing said.
10 Years of Volunteer Mediation for the People
In 2005, He Yuanjing joined the village committee mediation team and became a voluntary rural mediator. According to He Yuanjing's recollection, the village Party secretary came to him at that time, saying that he had a fairly good reputation among the villagers and hoping he could join the village committee mediation team to mediate disputes among villagers and maintain harmony and stability in the village. He Yuanjing agreed at once and became a member of the village committee mediation team, which then had only 8 members.
After becoming a mediator, He Yuanjing actively participated in local mediation work. For ten years, he has always upheld the idea of doing practical things for the villagers, carefully and patiently handling disputes of all sizes reported by villagers. Whether it was a large land dispute between villages, or a trivial matter as small as a neighbor's chicken or duck being stolen, He Yuanjing would personally verify, investigate and resolve it.
"Mediation work does not distinguish between day and night. We several mediators often run around all day and still have to go to villagers' homes at night to learn about the situation." He Yuanjing said. For example, not long ago, for one dispute case, he spent four days and four nights persuading both sides before they finally reached an agreement. In addition, as a mediator, his mobile phone must be kept on 24 hours a day to ensure he can receive calls from villagers. "Sometimes some small disputes can also be successfully mediated over the phone."
In ten years of mediation work, He Yuanjing has not taken a single cent, and only in recent years has the village committee provided a subsidy of a few hundred yuan for communication expenses. In his heart, as long as he can help the villagers and the villagers trust him, that is the greatest happiness, and suffering a little loss or hardship himself is nothing.
Enthusiastic About Disability Affairs: One Cannot "Wait, Rely, Ask"
Now, He Yuanjing has another identity, that of a full-time commissioner for persons with disabilities. As a full-time commissioner for persons with disabilities, in ordinary times he must frequently visit and contact persons with disabilities, understand their situations and those of their families, and promptly provide them with services. "Persons with disabilities better understand the needs of persons with disabilities, so I am willing to do my modest part to seek benefits for them."
"Persons with disabilities can also have a beautiful life; the key is that you must not always wait, rely, and ask." He Yuanjing said that now some persons with disabilities in rural areas give up on themselves early because of physical defects, every day just waiting for government or other people's assistance, with no ambition at all. In this regard, He Yuanjing believes that in addition to more care and guidance from the government and people in society, persons with disabilities must rely even more on themselves, and through their own efforts change their lives and escape poverty.
A relevant person in charge of the Yingde City Disabled Persons' Federation also said that He Yuanjing's bumper harvest of black-skin winter melons this year is a very good example and a role model for persons with disabilities throughout the city to learn from. Persons with disabilities can solve employment, support themselves, and create wealth through their own hands.