CPC delegate is a shepherd to the herders

 

Aman started working at age 16 in her native Nagqu prefecture in northern Tibet.

This Nov 8, the 33-year-old will attend the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.

A total of 28 CPC delegates from the Tibet autonomous region were elected to attend the conference, which takes place every five years. Aman is one of seven women representatives.

The grassroots official has earned a reputation as a workaholic. Her career started as a township-level accountant, and she later worked in women's welfare.

Although Aman never went past junior high, she earned recognition with her dedication and resolve. In 2007, she was promoted as the administrative chief of Baqen county's namesake township.

In June 2011, she became the Party chief of Baqen county's Lhashi township.

Work has dominated her life and left little time for personal matters.

Aman's health has suffered from two C-sections and her heavy workload. She has a 4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter. "Like all mothers, I want to spend more time with my children," she says.

"They used to travel with me for work. They were picked up and put down like luggage. I was too occupied to tend to their needs.

"They also suffered because the severe conditions and high elevation in Nagqu prefecture were too much for them."

Her son began traveling with her at 3 months old. He caught high fevers that affected his brain development and made him a slow speaker. Now, both children stay at her sister's home.

Aman pushes back tears when she talks about her family.

The time she sacrificed with her kids was used to ensure more Tibetan children enjoy parental care, especially from their mothers.

Nagqu's herders traditionally live in big households. Because they don't know about family planning, women give birth to an average of seven children. Some get pregnant in their late 40s.

Pregnant and nursing women are given little care. "After giving birth, they must still do such chores as cooking and cleaning for the entire family."

Nagqu, where the average elevation is 4,500 meters, is a major source of caterpillar fungus, a form of traditional medicine that's an important source of local income.

When adults and older children harvested caterpillar fungus from May to June in previous years, they'd tether the younger kids to something at home until they returned. Some children didn't have proper clothes and ate insects.

Aman was initially bashful when visiting these families to advocate family planning. She was young and hadn't started dating.

She tackled these problems as well as high truancy and dropout rates. Fewer than 60 children attended Baqen township's primary school before 2007 because the transport system was underdeveloped and parents would keep their children home to help with chores and herding.

Aman first organized literacy classes to educate the parents. She visited more than 450 households and won the parents' support for sending their kids to school.

By 2009, 252 children attended primary school, which is 98 percent of the school-age children.

Locals have also changed their attitudes about raising families. Herder families now have four children at the most. Women know better how to protect their own health and understand their children will be neglected and the family plunged into deeper poverty if they have another child every year.

The nomadic women used to not care about their appearances but more are wearing makeup and brand-name clothes.

Caterpillar fungus can bring a family 100,000 yuan ($15,900) or more a year because of its rareness and perceived medicinal value.

Some gamble the money away, placing huge wagers on mahjong games. Aman has persuaded many to drop the habit and has organized anti-gambling events.

"At work, I almost forgot that I'm a woman," Aman says.

Many local people with prejudices seem to have forgotten, too, she says.

Aman feels fortunate to have been elected as a delegate to the 18th CPC National Congress in Beijing, she says, because the honor didn't go to many who "have sacrificed and achieved more".