Celebrating 100th anniversary of CPC | A poem by blind lady Leýla from Turkmenistan

Hour hand flies. Minute hand flies.

Weeks fly. Months fly.

Day after day, year after year.

No beginning, and no ending. 

No one knows since when,

Where time and tide will take us,

Where swirls will take us. 

Please, don't rush time,

Don't haste life.

Let it flow in our veins,

With its own rhyme. 

The beautiful poem is written by Ataýewa Leýla, a blind woman from Turkmenistan, who was inspired by her experience from the China-aided poverty reduction training program she participated in.

As one of the driest regions in the world, Turkmenistan has suffered greatly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced many challenges, including food shortages. 

To secure equal employment for people with disabilities in Turkmenistan, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and under the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, the Chinese government carried out a six-day online poverty reduction training program for disabled people in Turkmenistan in June 2021. Leýla attended the training as one of six trainees recommended by the Blind and Deaf Society of Turkmenistan.

A tailored training plan was formulated for Leýla and other trainees. Experiences from China's work in social security, barrier-free policies, overall employment of people with disabilities (specifically blind people), and inclusive employment were shared via seminars and workshops. Practical suggestions were given regarding exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in poverty reduction. All of the attendees were inspired and look forward to future cooperation with China.

During the training, Leýla displayed her self-made aromatherapy candle, a traditional handicraft in Turkmenistan. At the program's commencement ceremony, she recited a poem that she wrote based on the inspiration she got from the training. 

Leýla displays her self-made aromatherapy candle. [Photo/cidca.gov.cn]