【China Daily(中国日报）】Social center helping migrant workers fit in
新闻地址： http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/china/2011-08/03/content_13038195.htm
Social center helping migrant workers fit in Updated: 2011-08-03 07:46
By Li Wenfang (China Daily) GUANGZHOU - Xu Pengzhen, an 8-year-old son of migrant workers, made a card wishing well to Xiang Weiyi, the 2-year-old who was the last survivor rescued from the recent train crash near Wenzhou. He worked on the gift last week in a Guangzhou service center that was recently opened in the Guangdong provincial capital for people like his parents. When his summer vacation approached, Xu, whose mother and father now work in Guangzhou businesses, decided it would be better to spend time with other children in the center than to be at home. "It's fun here," he said. "We make crafts and watch interesting TV programs." The center, which is called "Happy Workshop" and is aimed at providing help to migrant workers, was opened on Thursday. It is, according to some at least, the first social project of its kind in the country. Guangdong itself is the temporary home of the largest number of migrant workers in China. The Dongqu street community in Guangzhou's Luogang district, where the service center stands, has housed more than 100,000 migrant workers for more than three months, said Yang Hongxiao, Party chief of the community office. Employing eight social workers, the center helps migrants gain a sense of belonging in Guangzhou and assists them in various issues related to their work, said Wang Shenghu, chief of the Guangzhou Xiehe Social Work Service Center, which runs the "Happy Workshop". Wang said migrant workers are often more likely than others to be mistreated by their employers or by government agencies. Shi Xundong, who moved to Guangzhou from Henan province 11 years ago and now works at a foreign electroplating firm, said the service center is a place where migrants like him can easily make acquaintances. "People from other places need to assimilate into local life and the center may help us get to know more people," Shi said. He said one thing that will be particularly helpful is the care the center offers to elderly parents and children. Wang said migrant workers are also interested in the special rooms that the center is temporarily offering to married couples. The center was founded as part of a concerted push by local governments throughout China to improve the social services they provide. Wang, a migrant worker-turned-businessman, invested 600,000 yuan ($93,180) of his own money to establish the 400-square-meter center. He said he will continue to put about 1.5 million yuan into it each year. In the long run, he said, he would like to establish more centers of its kind. To pay for that and other work, he will sell various social services to businesses and the government.