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Heroes and their families live in poverty
Source: Xinhua |
February 22, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TWELVE years after Jiang Liangyi died a hero, putting out a fire in his village, his wife Wang Caixia is still struggling to repay the 50,000-yuan (US$7,590) debt he had taken out.
Jiang's family received 26,000 yuan from the government as death compensation, most of which went into repaying the debt.
However, the outstanding 24,000-yuan debt remains insurmountable to the middle-aged woman in Zhejiang Province.
Wang later moved from her village in Chun'an County to the County seat, and scratched out a living doing chores for others. Wang earns about 1,000 yuan each month, which barely covers rent and supports her school age daughter.
Owning an apartment in the county town is Wang's dream. However, the exorbitant housing price makes it impossible.
"If only my husband were still alive, we would have bought our own house," Wang said.
Wang's case is not unique, and such woes are shared by many other forgotten heroes and their families.
These heroes sacrificed their health or even lives to help others but received insufficient support due to lack of a good assistance program.
Among the courageous citizens who are called "heroes" in the province, about 70 percent are farmers and migrant workers, whose families are vulnerable when they are injured or die, according to a survey conducted among 389 courageous citizens. The survey by Zhejiang Courageous Citizens Foundation (ZCCF) also found that more than 70 percent of the "heroes" or their families are now living in hardship.
Bao Qinghe, vice president of the Zhejiang Courageous Citizens Foundation, said that most heroes are young men aged between 20 and 45, and are their family bread winner. "If they are disabled or killed, their families will plunge into financial chaos," Bao said.
According to the ZCCF survey, of 389 courageous citizens, 84 died while 134 suffered serious injury that had major impact on their daily lives. More than 70 percent of their families need assistance in employment, education or medical services. "The psychological and physical sufferings of courageous citizens and the burdens on their family members are hard to imagine," Bao said.
Low awards
Most courageous citizens use whatever financial compensation they get to pay their medical expenses. However, the financial awards are still low.
The family of a "hero" who sacrificed his life could be awarded 70,000 yuan at most, according to a staff member with the ZCCF who requested anonymity.
"This sum of money is far less than the compensation for someone killed in a road accident," he said.
Nearly half of the province's prefecture-level cities have no funds to support courageous citizens, definitely no sustainable support for heroes and their families.
According to the ZCCF survey, only nine out of 389 families are covered by social security while 25 others received meager financial subsidies from the government or employers.
"It is urgent that the government set up a mechanism that comprises government compensation and social security to ensure that courageous citizens are not only morally praised but also financially assisted," Bao said. To Bao's delight, more and more companies in the province are joining in funding courageous citizens.
At the end of 2010, a Huzhou-based business, Jinzhou Group, donated 500,000 yuan to the city's fund for courageous citizens.
The initiative had already received more than 10 million yuan from 35 local companies.
As a result, courageous citizens are now receiving more funds than before.
On February 5, six villagers from Chun'an County died while putting out a forest fire, and were declared "Courageous Citizens of Hangzhou." Along with the honor came an award of 150,000 yuan for each of them.
Jiang's family received 26,000 yuan from the government as death compensation, most of which went into repaying the debt.
However, the outstanding 24,000-yuan debt remains insurmountable to the middle-aged woman in Zhejiang Province.
Wang later moved from her village in Chun'an County to the County seat, and scratched out a living doing chores for others. Wang earns about 1,000 yuan each month, which barely covers rent and supports her school age daughter.
Owning an apartment in the county town is Wang's dream. However, the exorbitant housing price makes it impossible.
"If only my husband were still alive, we would have bought our own house," Wang said.
Wang's case is not unique, and such woes are shared by many other forgotten heroes and their families.
These heroes sacrificed their health or even lives to help others but received insufficient support due to lack of a good assistance program.
Among the courageous citizens who are called "heroes" in the province, about 70 percent are farmers and migrant workers, whose families are vulnerable when they are injured or die, according to a survey conducted among 389 courageous citizens. The survey by Zhejiang Courageous Citizens Foundation (ZCCF) also found that more than 70 percent of the "heroes" or their families are now living in hardship.
Bao Qinghe, vice president of the Zhejiang Courageous Citizens Foundation, said that most heroes are young men aged between 20 and 45, and are their family bread winner. "If they are disabled or killed, their families will plunge into financial chaos," Bao said.
According to the ZCCF survey, of 389 courageous citizens, 84 died while 134 suffered serious injury that had major impact on their daily lives. More than 70 percent of their families need assistance in employment, education or medical services. "The psychological and physical sufferings of courageous citizens and the burdens on their family members are hard to imagine," Bao said.
Low awards
Most courageous citizens use whatever financial compensation they get to pay their medical expenses. However, the financial awards are still low.
The family of a "hero" who sacrificed his life could be awarded 70,000 yuan at most, according to a staff member with the ZCCF who requested anonymity.
"This sum of money is far less than the compensation for someone killed in a road accident," he said.
Nearly half of the province's prefecture-level cities have no funds to support courageous citizens, definitely no sustainable support for heroes and their families.
According to the ZCCF survey, only nine out of 389 families are covered by social security while 25 others received meager financial subsidies from the government or employers.
"It is urgent that the government set up a mechanism that comprises government compensation and social security to ensure that courageous citizens are not only morally praised but also financially assisted," Bao said. To Bao's delight, more and more companies in the province are joining in funding courageous citizens.
At the end of 2010, a Huzhou-based business, Jinzhou Group, donated 500,000 yuan to the city's fund for courageous citizens.
The initiative had already received more than 10 million yuan from 35 local companies.
As a result, courageous citizens are now receiving more funds than before.
On February 5, six villagers from Chun'an County died while putting out a forest fire, and were declared "Courageous Citizens of Hangzhou." Along with the honor came an award of 150,000 yuan for each of them.
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