While Izzetgul.Eli, 25, studied at university in Beijing, she also volunteered as a Uygur translator for police when they arrested Uygurs on suspicion of stealing or drug addiction, the same people she is now trying to help as project manager for Beijing-based NGO Aizhixing.
What did you do before you joined Aizhixing?
I grew up in an area populated by Han Chinese in Xinjiang's Shihezi city and went to Mandarin-language schools. So I couldn't read and write Uygur before I came to study at Minzu University of China in Beijing in 2002 to major in Uygur, English and Chinese translation. I spent five years instead of the normal four years on the degree as I needed one extra year to learn Uygur. After graduation in 2007, I went back home to sit the civil service qualification, without success. Early in 2008 I was back in Beijing and found a job with Aizhixing.
How big is Beijing's Uygur community?
It is difficult to say, but there are a lot of students of Uygur origin. Many others have lived in Beijing for a long time and young Uygurs like me come to work in Beijing. There are also Uygurs living on the margins, those without a full-time jobs, regular incomes or permanent residence, who are widely regarded as Uygurs with quotation marks because they are often seen as Uygur thieves, drug addicts and dealers. The HIV/Aids prevalence in the Uygur community is higher due to drug abuse. Most came to Beijing to make a living but things did not go in their favour.
What has been the biggest challenge you've encountered so far?