Eight foreigners team up as volunteer patrolmen in Tongzilin of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, to provide community services in their neighborhood. (Photo/Chengdu Business Daily)
(ECNS) -- Wearing unique red armbands, eight foreigners attracted attention for teaming up as volunteer patrolmen in Tongzilin of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, to provide community services in their neighborhood.
Coming from five different countries including the U.S., New Zealand and Ghana, most of them are teachers at local international schools or foreign enterprise employees, according to Chengdu Business Daily.
"Some foreigners have trouble when renting houses, looking for part-time jobs or applying for residence permits due to the language barrier. We are here to help," said team leader Chrisrui from Ghana.
Chrisrui's Chinese is the best in the group. Having finished his postgraduate degree in Lanzhou, west China's Gansu Province, the young man is doing a PhD at the University of Electronic Science and Technology. He by the Chinese name, Zhang Rui.
When asked about the red armbands, Chrisrui said, "I've seen people who assist in directing traffic wearing red armbands, which made me think it must represent a sign of help, as with what we do in volunteering."
"Plus, everyone is acquainted with the red armband's meaning. If people present us with a red armband on social media, we can become better known and truly help,?" he added.
At present, over 2,600 foreigners live in the Tongzilin community, which is said to be the most foreigner populated area in Chengdu.
A woman surnamed Hu said, "I would never have known so many foreigners living here if this patrol team was not set up."
Accordingly, the foreign group will conduct a patrol once a week along with the two existing Chinese teams.
