Wang Bailing: To Care for the Elderly Is to Revere Life

Wang Bailing: To Care for the Elderly Is to Revere Life

By CHEN RONG

Wang Bailing (second right) with community workers in the U.S. in October 2009.

As founder of the “99 Life Care Fund,” Wang Bailing’s schedule is jam-packed every day. It might involve talking to Apple Inc. about producing cell phones for the elderly, flying to Cambodia to attend charity events and share experience with local charities, or fund raising events in Beijing.

As Wang Bailing sees things, keeping China’s 1.3 billion population fed is a big issue. Care for China’s old folks is even bigger. The quality of life over the last 20 years of a person’s lifespan reflects the economic strength and moral values of the society as a whole.

From the Personal to the General

The Fund, attached to China Foundation for Human Rights Development, was officially launched on May 12 this year, and is a globally oriented public offer fund. Thus far it is China’s only public fund focusing on the elderly, dedicated to promoting the Chinese traditional virtues of “respecting, loving, and helping the elderly” and a platform for raising public awareness of the cause.

Wang Bailing has had a varied career: she was a medical doctor, started her own company, and worked for over a decade in the insurance industry. Among her friends she is seen as an energetic woman with pioneering spirit. Her various experiences have coalesced into a professional focus on the elderly, finally propelling her to take up their cause.

“When I saw my mom, sick and confined to a wheel chair, I projected from this personal experience to other families and how they coped. I became more and more aware of how vitally care is needed by old people in our society,” Wang Bailing said. “Life is so fragile, and we will all get old. Their today is our tomorrow. Devoting myself to the cause of the elderly has a soul cleansing effect.”

No matter how busy Wang is, at 6:15 every morning she forwards to her dad the text message of that day’s weather forecast. If it predicts lower temperatures she will add the words “dress up warm.” Her father won’t reply but Wang Bailing knows he’s very happy to get the message.

Devoting herself to serving the elderly has given her a sense of fulfillment as never before. “A doctor solves an individual’s health problems; insurance only underwrites financial security; but service for the elderly is multifaceted in its scope. We can put those strengths together to help those in greatest need.”