Mama Chen's Printing Press China Close Up

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Zhu Zhenghui is one of China's 60 million disabled people.

He and more than a dozen others in his village suffer from restricted growth.

Determined to get a job and a better life,

Zhu longed to escape to the city.

By chance, he met a journalist who put him in touch with a factory

employing disabled people in Chengdu.

It was the start of a new life.

Today Zhu is a unit manager at the White Horse Printing Press.

The factory produces every kind of print product

- documents, tickets, books and magazines.

The majority of workers are disabled.

Zhu's job is quality control,

and when there are deadlines to meet his disability is an added pressure.

Director of the printing press is Chen Si Ming.

She's known to everyone as Mama Chen,

and the factory is her life's work.

In the early 1980s, the White Horse Press

was a tiny state collective on the edge of collapse.

It already employed some disabled people.

Mrs Chen, a staunch supporter of disability rights,

saw the chance to take it over, and bring in even more disabled workers.

And proved it they have.

The factory has grown from little more than a shed

to 3,000 square metres of workshops with some 60 modern machines.

And its greatest achievement, - a satisfied workforce.

But these workers are the lucky ones.

In many ways, the Whitehorse Press is a survivor from a previous era.

China's rapid changeover to a market-driven economy with market-driven values

has left hundreds of thousands of disabled people jobless - forced to scratch a living.

New training schemes are being set up

but millions miss out and have no income at all.

In towns and cities everywhere, begging is a common sight.

These young people have no future.

The government is now trying to force all companies

to take on and train a small percentage of disabled people.

But at the same time, state-run factories,

struggling to make a profit have been making workers redundant.

The White Horse Press owes its survival to Mama Chen's fighting spirit.

Monday morning at the printing press - and a general meeting.

A Communist anthem kicks off proceedings,

something of a rarity in factories these days.

THEY SING

This morning Mrs Chen reminds her workers of their production targets.

Just recently they've been falling behind.

Over the years the printing press has been showered with awards

for its contribution to the cause of the disabled.

It's a model of old-fashioned Communist values -

strong leadership from the top and a commitment to caring for the workers.

Mama Chen tries to create a sense of family in the factory, but it isn't easy.

Cai Zhiying has been employed here for more than ten years

and supervises the work of the deaf group.

Xiao Xia is one of a dozen deaf employees at the factory.

She's in her early 30s and with Mama Chen's encouragement

she's worked her way up to a good position in the firm.

She says one day she'd like to manage

a big supermarket like Carrefour.

She knows it's just a dream.

But taking on more responsibility has boosted her confidence,

and she's also found herself a partner.

Her husband, Xiao Feng, who's also deaf,

works with a small team in one of the workshops.

Initially Xiao Xia's parents were against the marriage,

but Mrs Chen managed to win them over.

Working at the factory has given the couple the means to an independent life.

Between them they can earn about £150 a month,

a good wage by local standards.

They've got a flat in one of Chengdu's older compounds.

Once railway-workers lived here, like Xiao Feng's parents.

When they were given the opportunity to buy their flat

they decided to pass it on to the newly-weds.

Tonight Xiao Feng's parents have been invited to dinner.

Xiao Feng's mother is delighted with her son's progress at the printing press,

but fearful lest one day it's forced to close.

Xiao Feng's mother is right to be concerned.

Mama Chen is struggling to stay ahead of the growing competition from private firms.

It's forced her to invest in a costly new colour printer

that can achieve the results that her clients now expect.

She does have some satisfied customers.

But to make the machine pay for itself, they need to win new business.

Cash-flow problems or not, Mrs Chen refuses to compromise her ideals.

Especially when it comes to enriching the lives of her flock.

It's October 1st, China's National Day,

and a chance for a rather special treat.

This is Chengdu's brand-new Panda Theme Park.

Giant pandas are bred here

and massive government investment has been poured into the park

with the aim of turning it into the city's top tourist attraction.

But amongst all the good spirits,

there's a general feeling of concern for Mrs Chen.

She's been seriously ill, and she's been talking of retirement.

For today the firm's financial problems, and Mrs Chen's retirement,

recede into the background.

Yet the reality is that a downturn in the factory's fortunes

could affect everyone's future.

Xiao Feng wants to continue at the factory and learn new skills.

Xiao Xia is keen to take on more administrative work.

Cai Zhiying has a heart condition

and relies on being able to work flexible hours.

Zhu plans to stay at the factory as long as he can,

and use his savings to move back to his village.

Since he's been at the printing press

Zhu's been sending money home regularly.

His ties with his family, especially his two nieces, have strengthened.

When he was young he was ridiculed and bullied.

But now he's local boy made good, and he has a dream for the future.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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