According to statistics, more than 10 million babies are born in China every year. Many mothers choose to take care of their babies at home full-time after the birth of their children. "Bao Ma" has become a huge group. In all kinds of news about Bao Ma on the Internet, "Bao Ma Factory" has attracted our attention.
This is a garment factory on the outskirts of Wuhan, and there are more than 200 female workers in the factory. We can't help but wonder, what does the "Bao Ma Factory" look like? How do mothers balance the two "heavy physical" labors of assembly line and baby-raising? What is the story behind the "Bao Ma Factory"?
"Bao Ma Factory"
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the children after school all gathered at the factory, some played outdoors and waited for their mothers to get off work, some found a corner on the assembly line to do their homework, and some simply helped their mothers to work. This scene made us even feel in a trance, and we couldn't tell whether this was a factory or a childcare class.
According to the mothers, the factory implements a flexible work system, and the mothers do not have to work overtime and can pick up and drop off their children to and from school on time. For those mothers who can't leave home, the factory also allows them to bring sewing pieces to their homes, so that they can work at home. This allows the mother to better balance taking care of the baby and work. 35-year-old Peng Ting is such a mother.
Peng Ting and her daughter
Peng Ting's youngest daughter is not yet 3 years old, and she can only take it with herself. Because her daughter was too young to bring her to the factory, in order to be able to take care of the baby while working, Peng Ting and two other mothers in similar situations rented a "studio" near their home, purchased a sewing machine, and brought fabrics from the factory to work here.
"The three of us have known each other for many years, my children are younger and their children are older. She's naughty sometimes, and I'm going to coax the kids, so I don't sit here like they do. So they usually take care of me a little more. Peng Ting said.
It is not wrong to work with a baby, and there is hope for life
Xu Bin, a post-90s mother, has been working here for more than three years. Every morning at 7 a.m., Xu Bin rides an electric scooter to the Wangjiahe Primary School near the factory. Before 7:30 a.m., she would sit in front of the sewing machine in the factory on time to start her day's work. When the children get out of school in the afternoon, the mother and son meet again in the factory, and their lives are busy and regular.
Xu Bin is working in front of a sewing machine
Before getting married, Xu Bin worked in other places, skated, chased stars, and went shopping, and she has always been a girl who is at the forefront of the trend. "Before I got married, I liked to wear 10 cm high heels, even if my feet were blistered. But after having a child, I stopped wearing it for fear of falling the child. Xu Bin said.
After school, his son will do his homework next to Xu Bin
The change in life came after getting married and having children. In terms of children and employment, Xu Bin chose the former, she quit her job and returned to her hometown, but her life was trapped between home and school, and her life became more and more closed. She has been on this unplanned path for 3 years, but after all, she still can't suppress her pursuit of work and her desire for self-worth. At the recommendation of the parents of her son's classmates, Xu Bin became a garment worker in the "Bao Ma Factory". Although the days are tiring, in this place where she can see her children and work at the same time, she feels that there is hope in life.
They also have ambitions and ideals
Since the opening of the factory in 2018, this factory has only recruited for mothers, and even the boss herself, Xiang Jingyan, is also a mother. As a mother of two children, Xiang Jingyan, who is nearly 50 years old, understands the difficulties of every mother. Now that she is on her own, she has also briefly given up pursuing the life she wants because of her children.
Introduce the work arrangement to Jingyan for the new mother
Before conceiving her second child, Xiang Jingyan and her husband opened a gas station in other places. The husband is in charge of peripheral affairs, and Xiang Jingyan is in charge of managing all the money transactions at the gas station.
"At that time, I was in charge of the money, and all the money for incoming and outgoing goods was in my hands. I feel very satisfied, quite confident. Xiang Jingyan said.
In 2010, after the birth of their youngest daughter, Xiang Jingyan and his wife had to close the gas station in order to take care of the child. Her husband started a new business alone, while Xiang Jingyan stayed at home and changed from a money-managing boss to a full-time mother.
There are a lot of banners in the factory to encourage Bao Ma
"It was very frustrating and it hit hard. All day long with children in their eyes and heads. I wake up in the morning and think about the child, at noon I am the child, and at night I am still the child. All day long I have children in my life, and I can't see where I am. My husband started a business, and I didn't get involved. You want me to reach out to him for living expenses, but I can't open my mouth. I still have a lot of ambitions, I still have ideals. I can't accept this kind of life. Xiang Jingyan said.
In order to change his situation, after the child was 2 years old, he opened an online store with Jingyan's self-study course and embarked on the road of entrepreneurship. With business acumen and hard work, Xiang Jingyan's business grew bigger and bigger, and she walked all the way to the podium of Alibaba. This gave her great encouragement, and she began to think about whether she could create greater value for society.
The workshop of the "Bao Ma Factory".
Because she used to be a full-time mother, it is difficult for Xiang Jingyan to ignore the plight of her peers. Compared with Xiang Jingyan, the situation of the small town Bao Ma is even more difficult. They are generally not highly educated, lack professional skills, and are trapped at home all day long, and have long been out of touch with society. Even if you want to look for a job, it's not easy to get back into the workforce. Xiang Jingyan made up her mind to open a factory that provided jobs for this group of mothers. In this way, in 2018, the "Bao Ma Factory" opened.
Work is also a kind of hope
Gu Dongping, who is in her early fifties, is the oldest tail worker in the factory, and her daughter is only 13 years old. This is Gu Dongping's first job since she got married. As one of the oldest mothers, the female workers call Gu Dongping "Sister Gu". Everyone's evaluation of her is cheerful, optimistic and generous, and she can always get along with a group of young sisters.
Gu Dongping is sorting out the costumes
But outside of work, Gu Dongping's life is actually not easy. Before giving birth to her daughter, Gu Dongping once had a son with cerebral palsy, who unfortunately left this world at the age of 11. When people reach middle age, the blow of the pain of losing independence once made Gu Dongping lose hope in life.
After 2 years of muddy days, 38-year-old Gu Dongping gave birth to a new life again - a daughter. "My husband has always said that his brother has boys, but he doesn't. I said that I didn't have a boy, and I also wanted the child to be healthy, how could I blame it? He said that if I don't go out to make money to support you, you two will have to drink the northwest wind together. I said that although I didn't go out to make money, I didn't eat and cook at home, and I was also taking care of the children, doing laundry and cooking! ”
In her spare time, Gu Dongping always buys some of her favorite dishes for her daughter
She devoted all her efforts to family management, but she did not win her husband's respect and recognition. Gu Dongping is getting more and more tired of the days of a full-time housewife. Unwilling to be trapped at home for the rest of her life, after being a housewife for 22 years, Gu Dongping joined the "Bao Ma Factory" under the introduction of her sister-in-law. At the age of 46, she started a new life.
"I don't have a lot of ambitions, you could just say I'm just an ordinary person. As long as I live a good life, I don't mean that I live as well as others, but at least it is more than what is lacking than the bottom. Gu Dongping said.
Gu Dongping accompanied her daughter to take a walk by the river
After leaving the "Bao Ma Factory", we felt the weight of the word "Bao Ma" even more. Every mother is unique. Before every woman has the identity of "mother", she also has her own dreams, yearning for life, the career she strives for, and the courage and curiosity to explore the world.
I hope that every mother can see a broader life in addition to firewood, rice, oil, salt and work. Happy holidays to every ordinary and great mother!
Source: Cold and Warm Life
Editors: Jiang Hanqi, Zhao Juexi, Wang Dejiang