Liu Li’s job as a foot masseuse may seem a lowly calling to some, but she says it not only provides her with food and clothing, but also keeps her in touch with the kind of people she represents as a National People’s Congress deputy.

The farmer’s daughter from Anhui province struggled from an early age to make her way in life, and this makes her an ideal advocate for the disadvantaged at the congress’s annual session.

Liu, 34, the eldest of five children, was forced to drop out of primary school when she was 14.

“My dream had been to become a teacher, but when I left school I had to give up that idea,” she said.

She held a number of jobs over the years, starting out as a seamstress in a clothing factory.

“Finally, after doing numerous jobs in several cities, including waitressing, I found myself a useful position as a foot masseuse.

“I know how difficult it is to find a job when you have nothing more to show than a basic primary school education. I know, too, how desperately short of knowledge I felt as I looked for a better job.”

In 2000, while working as a foot masseuse in Xiamen, Fujian province, she started sponsoring poor students, and 10 years later she was nominated as one of the country’s top 10 most inspirational people.

She has helped more than 100 students over the years with contributions from her salary, giving regular support to 53 of them.

On Dec 20, she launched a charity in Xiamen. Inspired by her efforts to help the students, more than 500 people from all walks of life have since joined the organization, and as a result more than 300 students are now receiving regular financial support.

Apart from donating money, the members are helping the students in other ways. Some have given school bags and teaching services, while others are working as volunteers to help run the organization.

Liu has started to speak up for farmers who turned their backs on the land to take jobs in factories and other businesses in the cities. They often do not know how to protect their legal rights.

She plans to present four suggestions at the annual session, including a proposal for an amendment to the Labor Contract Law.

“It will better protect the legal rights of millions of farmers’ families over back-pay settlements, as bosses in some areas still withhold their employees’ wages,” Liu said.

If adopted by the congress, the proposal will remove loopholes in the law and make it easier for workers to ensure they are paid, she said.