Mubua Mununu Jeremie Dada, right, serves as a volunteer at the community service station for foreigners on Dengfeng subdistrict in Guangzhou's Yuexiu district. [Photo by Li Wenfang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Mubua Mununu Jeremie Dada has been helping foreigners with residence registration and learning the Chinese language as a volunteer in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo as a medical school graduate to study traditional Chinese medicine eight years ago, Mubua has served as a volunteer translator for a police station in Guangzhou.

"Some friends came from our country, and the police station called me for help with French translation. I have been doing it for six years, sometimes three to four times a week, and I'm still doing it," Mubua said in Chinese.

"I help them with residence registration. They may have something to tell the police or something they don't understand. Sometimes I go to the entry and exit administration office with them to help deal with visa issues."

Mubua has also been working as a volunteer three times a week at the community service station for foreigners of Dengfeng subdistrict in Yuexiu district to help with residence registration and Chinese language.

"Sometimes I receive 50 to 60 foreigners a week for residence registration. I learned medicine and I love to help people," he said.

Simonov A Varvara dons protective gear for volunteer translation work at a hotel in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"I have about 30 students in my Chinese class. Some have just come to Guangzhou. Some have been here for a long time but can't speak Chinese well. They speak English or French and want to learn Chinese. They come from countries like Guinea, Angola, Mali and my country. Teaching Chinese here is very interesting."

Mubua has been studying business Chinese at schools in Guangzhou for four years.

Simonov A Varvara, a Russian who has been engaged in the garment trade in Guangzhou for about 18 months, has been working as a volunteer doing Russian and English translation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Varvara came to Guangzhou, where foreign trade is highly developed, after studying Chinese and logistics in Beijing for six years.

At the height of the pandemic, "many people needed my help so I applied for a volunteer post. Some foreigners came in March and April", she said.

Varvara has helped more than 30 foreigners since then, sometimes face-to-face and sometimes through phone calls or WeChat.

"The job may take a few minutes or a few hours. Some people wanted to move to another hotel, and it took me two hours. Now they contact me sometimes for translation," Varvara said.

Students take a Chinese language class at the community service station for foreigners on Dengfeng subdistrict in Guangzhou's Yuexiu District. [Photo by Li Wenfang/chinadaily.com.cn]

"When there is an opportunity for helping others, I will do it. Chinese people have been so nice to me. They have provided me with good conditions. They have a very nice attitude. Why not help them? It was a difficult time. Many Chinese staff worked overtime and very hard. If my help could relieve some of their difficulty I would help them."

Yuexiu district in central Guangzhou has a team of 49 foreign volunteers from countries including Mali, Germany, Britain, India and Yemen, said Cao Xin, an official with the district's migrant services bureau. In Dengfeng subdistrict, the largest subdistrict in Yuexiu, 28 foreign volunteers are in place.

They help promote knowledge of policies and regulations and guide foreigners in self-service and management, which helps enhance the service and management of foreigners, Cao said, adding that foreign volunteers have played an indispensable role during the pandemic.

Community service stations for foreigners have been established in all 18 subdistricts in Yuexiu, Cao said.

To help foreigners better integrate into the local community, the district government has been procuring services from social work organizations, such as classes in Chinese language and community integration.

Socializing platforms have been arranged, such as youth soccer teams and cultural and children events, with foreigners also invited to tours to local sites and events.

Chinese and foreign volunteers have been serving communities with significant foreign populations.