An activity of aiding the disabled was launched in Nanjing, Jiangsu, on National Disability Day which fell on May 15.
Fifteen families of children with intellectual or mental disabilities and about 20 Christian families were invited to join in the activity held in Xuanwu Lake.
At the beginning of the activity, Professor Zhang Zhipeng from the Department of Social Work of Nanjing Institute of Technology gave a speech.
The main part of the event involved Christian families fulfilling wishes shared by disabled families. One mother shared that her child’s wish was to get 'wogan' (a type of orange), as he wanted to give it to those in the community who had helped him. Although the wishes of the disabled children were just some snacks and fruits, Christian families were still prepared.
Next were programs performed by these families. At the end of the event, teachers from Nanjing University of Arts distributed small gifts to them.
This kind of mutual help and interaction has been going on for almost two years, and many families have formed mutual aid groups.
According to the latest sample survey data in 2006, there were about 5.54 million mentally disabled people in China. By the end of 2017, the number of registered patients with severe mental disorders in my country reached 5.81 million. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, mental illness ranked first in the total burden of diseases in China, surpassing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory system diseases, and malignant tumors. Various mental problems account for about one-fifth of the total burden of diseases (including disability and loss of labor force due to trauma), and the proportion was expected to rise to one-fourth by 2020.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
