Lu Hong who was listed among the finalists for Touching China 2022 was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (脑瘫) when he as a child. His disabilities I meant that he spent his primary and middle school years in pain. Every time he had PE class, all his classmates could run and jump as they liked on the playground while he had to sit alone in the classroom.
After graduation he opened his photo shop. At first, most customers would turn away from Lu's shop because they doubted his skills and service. To get customers, Lu promised to take pictures for free if customers were not satisfied with his work. Thanks to his skills and hard work, Lu impressed his customers and his shop's business grew stronger.
In 2017, with the help of the Association for Disabled People in Suzhou, Lu Hong opened a photo factory and offered jobs to disabled people. In just a few years his factory has developed from a small workshop to a proper company.
There are over 40 workers in Lu's factory, more than 30 of whom are disabled. "It's not easy for people with disabilities to find work. I hope to provide them with an opportunity to realize their full ability and go for their life goals," he said.
During the epidemic, the factory was forced to close for a while, but he kept on paying salaries (工资) to the workers as he guarded the empty factory alone.
He bought machinery and equipment worth nearly 5 million yuan ($726,000) to make sure production when his staff could not come to work. Besides, Lu started exploring e-commerce (电子商务) opportunities to increase income.
Today, Lu Hong's factory is a celebrated company that has made a great contribution (贡献) to supporting the poor and providing jobs for the disabled. In the future, he hopes to change from being helped to helping and contributing to society.
