Woman ties destiny to Party, serves people all the way

As the sun reflects off the summits of distant snowcapped mountains, Mongo takes a final sip of hot butter tea from her silver-plated wooden bowl and heads out to the cowshed to begin milking.

It is early spring in the valley. The peach trees fringing the fields are already in full bloom, and the birds are singing more loudly now that the grass is growing and leaves are on the trees.

Although it is May, the air is still chilly in Bomi county in the Tibet autonomous region, where summer arrives late and leaves early each year.

Dressed in a nice Tibetan winter robe, Mongo's youthful appearance belies her age. The fair faced woman is 70, but she has the energy of someone many years her junior.

A Tibetan from Ashi in Bomi, she is also one of the few members of the Communist Party of China in her village.

The Party was founded in Shanghai in 1921, and this year it celebrates its centenary. Mongo became a Party member when she was 19 and has been growing with the CPC for the last five decades. She cherishes life in its care, and true to the Party's mission to serve the people, she has dedicated her life to helping less well-off villagers.

"Right from the start, I learned that the Party's mission was to serve the people, and I have been living as a true follower for the last few decades," she said, adding that following the Party had always been the right choice for her.

The year 1959 marked a turning point in Tibet's history, as the reactionary ruling class failed in its attempts at an armed rebellion to perpetuate serfdom and the existing political regime. The central government publicly announced the dismissal of the Tibetan government later that year.

Ashi village was one of several places in Tibet where People's Liberation Army troops fought with the rebels of the Tibetan government.

During the rebellion, some 60 people, including PLA troops, village residents, upper class patriots and government officials, were surrounded by more than 2,000 rebels.

They fought tenaciously for 10 days until the arrival of reinforcements put an end to the rebellion. The rebels were eventually defeated in Zhamu, the Bomi town that is home to the Red Building.

Named for its Soviet Russian style architecture, the Red Building was built by the Kham-Tibet Road Management Bureau in 1953 and was later used as an office and dormitory building by the Bomi government. Mongo's home was close to the building, and during the rebellion, her family supported PLA troops.

Mongo has been village Party secretary for nine years. She was inspired by her selection as a village official to work hard for villagers, and help them improve their lives.

As one of the older members of the CPC in the village, Mongo always remembers to help the most vulnerable. In the case of one elderly couple who do not have children to take care of them, she has been the first to lend a hand. She helps them with harvests and other jobs throughout the year.

"Sometimes in the winter, I organize villagers to collect firewood for them, and I make sure they are given more if their supplies run low," she said. "In addition, I often bring them vegetables."

"Because I am motivated by being a Party member, I am never afraid of encountering setbacks or difficulties. I am always ready to support the Party and my fellow villagers," she continued. "My heart is forever tied to the destiny of our nation."

Mongo lives with her eldest daughter and her two grandchildren. Despite her age, she still works hard to help with household chores.

While her daughter does most of the work, Mongo milks and herds and looks after the household when her daughter goes to the mountain to gather mushrooms every summer.

Mongo's family was made eligible for targeted poverty relief in 2015, but she encouraged her children to work hard so that they would not need to rely on government help.

Encouraged by his mother, Mongo's son, Chime Dorje, bought a small truck and began to work in haulage. Her daughter also found a job in Lhasa, capital of Tibet, and receives a regular salary every month. As a result, the family's fortunes have dramatically improved in the last few years.

"I always encouraged my children not to rely on the government too much. They need to make a living with their own hands," Mongo said, adding that her family was officially lifted out of poverty in 2018, two years earlier than expected.

As a committed Party member, she participates in Party activities and also encourages more villagers to become members.

"I always tell them that the CPC is our compass. It provides us a better life, and we should obey it, just as we obey our parents," she said. "This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and we can all see and feel the Party's achievements. I sincerely hope that it will continue to prosper, and I would like to offer the Party my heartfelt thanks."