YINCHUAN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the Spring Festival approaches, workers at a textile factory at the foot of Helan Mountain in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region keep the wheels spinning at full speed to complete orders.
Han, 30, is one of the over 1,000 workers in the factory, which was set up eight years ago by a Shandong Province-based textile company as a poverty alleviation project in the city of Shizuishan in Ningxia.
With an output value of over 500 million yuan (about 74 million U.S. dollars) in 2022, the company mainly exports to international markets.
"We plan to employ another 200 workers as orders are increasing from both home and abroad," said Fu Sheng, in charge of the factory. "The workers are mainly from nearby villages, and many have disabilities. They are hard-working and have greatly improved their life by earning a stable salary."
Like Han, many factory workers moved to Shizuishan a few years ago due to the government's relocation policy for poverty alleviation. To help the female migrants better balance their work and families, the government attracted investment and built a textile factory near the migrant communities.
"When I decided to work in the factory in 2015, my husband was surprised. I just gave birth to a baby then and had no professional skills or experience working in a factory," she said.
After training at the company's headquarters in the city of Dezhou in Shandong Province, she quickly learned how to handle machines independently.
"I never thought of giving up. In the beginning, I could only operate one machine, but slowly I became skilled and can now operate six machines at once," said Han.
In just one year, Han obtained an advanced worker certificate and became a "teacher" of many other novice workers.
"There are many workers with disabilities in the factory, many of whom have limited learning ability. I often encourage them not to give up," said Han. "I have helped train over 400 workers over the past years."
To better communicate with disabled workers, Han learned sign language online and often used simple gestures to encourage them.
"After three months of study, the disabled employees can work independently. The scene when they begin to work independently is unforgettable for me," she said.
In 2017, Han joined the Communist Party of China and was elected a deputy of the 12th People's Congress of Ningxia. In 2020, Han was awarded the title of "national excellent migrant worker."
"From a novice worker to a model worker, my experience epitomizes the life improvement of hundreds of my fellow workers in recent years," said Han.
Despite the impact of COVID-19 in the past three years, the textile factory never suspended production. "For the new year, I hope the factory will have more orders and we workers have stable jobs and more income," she said. ■
