Wokai Blog: A day in the life of Qilimuge: Loan Officer in Inner Mongolia: Wokai China Microfinance Blog

This post was written by Qilimuge, a loan officer who works for our field partner in Inner Mongolia. She describes what it is that motivates her to do her job.

My name is Qilimuge, which means 'sunny skies'. I am a loan officer [at Chifeng, Wokai's Inner Mongolian field partner]. I've worked here for nine years and it has been an honor to be a member of this extraordinary organization, working towards the alleviation of poverty.

Nine years may not sound very long, but we really are on the frontline of a battle and the stories of hardship and bitterness are endless. From my years of working with microloans, I can tell you that this job is hard, and trying to alleviate poverty is a long term effort; the challenge is more difficult than anyone could imagine. This job has made me more aware and more understanding of all the different types of people in this world and has also given my life much more meaning… it has enriched my monotonous life and helped me think more for the community, especially minority groups. I do my best to help my poorer neighbors who live on the grasslands, by trying to help them get through times of crisis, helping them change their poor living conditions and improve their lives. My aim is to give them dignity in their lives.

Suolingaowa means 'beautiful rainbow'. This woman, who will be 28 years old this year, is a Wokai client. She has young twins, a boy and a girl named Ayan and Lusia. It is clear that their family has put a lot of hope in the twins, in terms of the family’s future. The mother and grandmother are long-term borrowers of microloans. Every time I go to their village to collect loan repayments, I almost always saw them hanging out together, having fun. When the twins see me, they happily shout: “Auntie is here!” Through my work and frequent contact with the borrowers, I have developed profound friendships with some people, and this family is no exception. I love how cute and smart their family is. I got to thinking, besides microcredit, what else can I do to help this family in their hardship? My daughter is quite a bit older than the twins and we have a lot of clothes that are too small for her that the twins could wear…[this would mean that] the family can put aside the money to be spent on other things. So, when I next go to a meeting [in the village], I will have my daughter give all her old clothes away.

Hasigaowa (meaning 'beautiful jade), 48 years old, is also a Wokai client of mine. She lives, with her family of four, ninety miles from the county capital, which means it's quite difficult for me to get there and back… it's very remote. Hasigaowa has two daughters who are studying at university and, in order for them to continue their education without a problem, and to be able to afford the school fees, the husband and wife have worked and worried so hard that all their hair has turned white. Their second daughter was almost forced to drop out of school to start helping round the house. The child, however, who had earned herself a certificate, pleaded to continue, and her parents were very reluctant to abandon their child’s progress in school. The family’s impoverished financial situation will not change unless their daughters are well educated- in fact education for their children is the greatest hope the couple could have. It is barely possible to make a living from raising ten sheep and a few cows and it is easy [for these people] to fall prey to loan sharks, whose high interest loans leave barely enough money to pay for a child’s tuition. All of these are things that I see with my eyes and remember in my heart.

After almost two years of knowing Hasigaowa, I have grown to understand that she is a very kind-hearted, simple, honest and capable person with a strong sense of responsibility. There is only one bus that goes from the county town to the village, and that is in the afternoon. When we have meetings in the village, they don't finish until the evening and so I used to stay with Hasigaowa's family overnight and then take a bus back to the county capital, first thing the next morning. Worried about my safety and comfort, Hasigaowa found an acquaintance for me last summer who was building a kind of heatable brick bed, which when winter comes, helps me to sleep soundly. And when I leave early in the morning I still feel warm!

Of course, in order to not increase their family’s burden, every time I go to collect their loan repayments, I bring rations and dry food to give to them. Sometimes, I help pay for their cell phone bill, or help them buy rice, tea, vegetables or dry food which I give them next time I go back. The daughter is about the same height as me but she is thinner than I am, so I can [also]pass on any clothes that are too small for me. In addition, I can also encourage her to help her mother with the housework.

Happiness is restoring sight to a blind person, or seeing a paralyzed person being able to stand up once again. People don't find happiness through fighting for luxurious homes, driving fancy cars, or through living a materialistic life. A person’s life goal should be to be happy, not to chase wealth. Happiness is good for your health and leaves a great feeling in the heart, a kind of abstract feeling…A person's mental health and happiness are directly related. I feel a heavy burden of responsibility working as a loan officer, you always feel a sense of purpose, of mission. How many people in this world can there be who need a microloan to be able to support themselves?!

The people who benefit most from microloans are impoverished women. My goal is to cross mountains and ford rivers to give them the service they need and to satisfy their needs. Our greatest reward is to see the success of a woman, to see them smile with satisfaction. I think this is what my work is about- making people happy!

巴林右旗办事处 社区工作队员 其力木格

2010年8月10日