Part of our routine check-ups is to visit our Pig Farming Program beneficiaries to see how effective our efforts are in helping mothers improve their quality of life in rural China. Recently, we journeyed through the winding mountain roads to visit Emu Yiwei’s (44) home.
When we arrived at her home, Emu was not there. Instead of her welcoming us at the door, her kind son let us know that she was working in the fields, unaware of our arrival. After we called her, she rushed back on a motorbike within 10 minutes and apologized for making us wait in her local language. She kept her son in the room with us to help translate from their local language to Mandarin.
We first asked her questions about her family life, and we learned that there are five members in their household: she, her husband, and their three children—all in school. While they have high hopes for their children, they only rely on her husband’s salary as a security guard. As much as she wants to make more money, she cannot engage in heavy labor due to her heart condition. All she can do is work at their communally-owned plot of land and household chores. Her husband is not in his best shape, either. He suffers from fatty liver disease, yet tries his best to still provide.
Their illnesses are not only a burden to their everyday lives, but also to their financial health. To afford treatments, they had to borrow money from relatives, making them CNY 10,000 (USD 1414) deep in debt. Emu feels like her illnesses and lack of a job make her a burden to her family. As she said this, our hearts broke a little. All the hard work she put into maintaining a home and making sure everyone in the house is looked after is more than enough work that we are sure her family is thankful for. Women’s domestic labor is typically disregarded because they do not receive paychecks for their care.
We then asked her about her pig farming experience. When talking about the support received from the project, she expressed her joy and gratitude. In the past, she only dared raise one pig for New Year celebrations due to her lack of confidence in raising them. She was afraid that she would lose the pigs if she took care of more. Thanks to our pig farming program, she not only received two piglets but also training on raising them. This helped her realize that pigs can generate income and ease the family’s financial strain even as she stays at home!
When we asked her what she learned from the training, we caught a sparkle of excitement in her eye. She happily told us how to properly mix pig feed and cornmeal, clean the pigsty, and provide more water during hot days. She told us that she religiously follows the feeding routine taught in the training: feed them three times a day, just like humans have breakfast, lunch and dinner. In just over two months, the piglets who weighed 30 jin (15 kg) have grown to over 50 jin (25 kg). They say confidence comes from experience, and this newfound learning and experience for Emu brings her pride that she can also help her husband bring income to their family.
No dream is too crazy for devoted parents like her and her husband. When we asked her son (the translator) what he dreams of becoming, he said he wanted to be a police officer to protect people and his family. Although Emu is illiterate and cannot even count from 1 to hundred, she does a great job raising good and ambitious children. She does not want her kids to be like her and dream of more opportunities for them.
We parted ways, knowing that her dreams would come true. Despite her simplicity, her big heart makes nothing impossible for her children’s ideals.
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