'Always ready to help'

When Rinchen arrived in Ger Dengma, his monthly salary was just 800 yuan ($135). By the time he died, he was earning 1,900 yuan a month, but he cared little about money and spent most of his earnings on clothing and medicines for the children and disabled villagers.

When his parents cleaned out his room-cum-office, all they found was a basketball and a set of clean clothes that had been washed and pressed by Nagapan when she last visited Rinchen, about a month before his death.

Serthar, a blind, childless widower who used to work as a herder, said the young official always made time for the villagers. "Rinchen was always ready to help needy people, even with quite trivial things. His sympathy and education meant he was the most capable person in the village. We regard them (the graduates officials) as our own sons, daughters and grandchildren," he said, adding that he was lonely after Rinchen died because the young official often visited him to bring food and to chat.

"I think his soul has become one with the mountains and rivers around us. I hope we will meet him in the future life," Serthar said.

Tadrin Tso, a 29-year-old official in Mongu village in Aba who worked with Rinchen, said life is equally tough for the graduates and the villagers. "I was almost buried in a landslide in August last year on my way back to the village. Our salaries are much lower than those of civil servants, even though our work is no easier than theirs. Next year, I will take an entrance exam for postgraduate studies and look for a better future," the Sichuan Normal University graduate said, adding that she has only seen her boyfriend twice this year, even though he only lives 300 km away.

Wolves, wild dogs, snow and floods are among the potential dangers the young officials face, because they frequently shuttle between the remote villages and the county seat, often stopping at places where they can make a call to the outside world.

Official data show that the program has brought 400,000 college graduates since 2008, but nearly 70 percent quit after just two or three years.

Kalzang, a 27-year-old graduate official who was friendly with Rinchen, said he's preparing to take an entrance exam for teacher training college. "Rinchen was really exceptional because he hadn't considered leaving the village. Most people only take the job as a stopgap while they look for a better job."

Palden Nyima contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at liyang@chinadaily.com.cn