Mansoor Alam, a volunteer from Pakistan, takes the temperature of a resident returning to Shanghai. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
Having his goggles, mask and rubber gloves ready, Mansoor Alam, a 26-year-old Pakistani young man living in Waigang, Jiading and fluent in Chinese, has been volunteering at his local Shanghai Zhuangyuan residential community.
He has been handing out brochures door-to-door to local residents and informing them of basic medical tips, such as going to designated hospitals promptly if they have any fever, coughing or other symptoms.
Mansoor has also worked at the service hall of the residential community and at an exit of a national highway, taking the temperatures and registering personal details of people returning to Shanghai.
His bilingual skills won a thumbs-up from the community, one of the most concentrated residential areas for foreigners in Waigang, where over 20 foreigners from Australia, Canada and South Korea have been living.
Mansoor is not new to China. He was a postgraduate student from Xi'an in Northwest China, and has been working at an equipment technology company and living in Waigang for two years. He is well adjusted to life in China and was eager to help local and foreign residents at this difficult time.
"China and Pakistan have always been good friends and we should help our friends when they are in need," Mansoor said. "The Spring Festival is special and meaningful for me. I hope everyone can get together and overcome the virus."