Officers take high road to guard nation's border

Change of life

The 35-year-old's parents both died in 2003 when he was in junior high school, leaving him introverted and with low self-esteem. Later, he was admitted to a high school in Lhasa, Tibet's capital, where he met Yang Hua, his adoptive mother.

"At one time I thought my life was over and I would have to become a farmer like many of my peers, but I was not reconciled to that and was eager to change my situation. Then, my adoptive mother appeared in my life," he said.

Yang adopted Sonam Daje in 2005 and introduced him to her family. She realized that the young man's biggest problem was that he was diffident and lacked confidence, so she urged him to change his life and embrace the world, saying she and her family would support him.

"My biological parents were great; they gave me life and raised me until junior high school. My adoptive mother and her family are great, too. I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart. They encouraged me when I was down, helping me feel the warmth of a family. I will never forget the day my adoptive mother introduced me to her relatives," Sonam Daje said.

As being surrounded by people had helped him overcome his problems, Sonam Daje was determined to try his best to help those in need.

After graduating from Southwest Minzu University in Sichuan province in 2009, he applied to join the immigration police, which he saw as a good way to serve society.

To help local residents improve their incomes, he guided herders to connect with supermarkets and sell beef, mutton, ghee and other agricultural products. He also funded two girls from impoverished families so they could finish junior high school, and helped 75 residents get new jobs.