Xinhua
09 May 2025

CHENGDU, May 9 (Xinhua) -- As she boarded her flight back to Britain, drawing the curtain on decades of global travels, Rachel Grace Pinniger carried a lifetime of memories with her.

From "doctor Rachel" to beloved "grandmother Rachel," the soon-to-be octogenarian's extraordinary journey -- defined by selfless devotion to helping others -- had left an indelible mark across continents. The gratitude of those she touched would forever warm her heart.

Born in 1945 in Shaftesbury, England, to a medical family, Rachel was the youngest daughter. She graduated from the University of Bristol in 1968 and began her odyssey in Nepal. For decades, she traversed conflict zones and disaster areas across Asia and Africa, pursuing a medical career for healthcare work and education in 15 developing countries.

COMPASSION TAKES ROOT ON ROOF OF THE WORLD

Rachel first arrived in China in 1989. During seven years of volunteer work in Tsethang Township in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, she trained 250 village doctors with government support, bringing medical expertise to the rural communities.

Rachel visited Tibetan families one by one to treat the sick. She noticed that many skilled villagers could create exquisite crafts but struggled to find markets for those goods.

In May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake violently jolted Wenchuan, Sichuan Province, which neighbors Xizang. Rachel threw herself wholeheartedly into relief efforts and later vocational training programs for disabled survivors.

During that time, she conceived an idea: she was determined to create sustainable sales channels for craftsmen with disabilities.

MORE THAN A SHOP BUT A BEACON OF HOPE

In 2013, Rachel moved to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan, and founded a handicrafts shop called Blue Sheep -- named after the Himalayan mountain goats that thrive in the plateau's harsh natural environment.

The 100-square-meter store displays about 20,000 handicrafts from 13 ethnic groups, including yak wool items from Tibetan herders, Yi ethnic minority embroidery, and leather carvings by disabled artisans. Each product carries a story card from its maker. Rachel insists on paying these makers in advance for their work, and all profits are used to assist people in need.

In Rachel's eyes, the makers are like blue sheep clinging to Himalayan cliffs, crafting hope with deft fingers and steadfast hearts, thriving against all odds.

Over the past decade, the shop has supported more than 1,000 disadvantaged individuals in Sichuan.

"People think charity means giving things for free," Rachel said, "But what they truly need is dignity, to be seen as capable, not pitied," she said, adding that watching people gain self-worth through acceptance and seeing them blossom when valued for who they are is what truly changes lives.

With Rachel's help, Xiaoting (pseudonym), paralyzed at 19, transformed from a bedridden patient into a wheelchair marathon runner and accessibility advocate after learning Thangka painting through the program.

PASSING THE TORCH

Though her heart ached at parting, Rachel passed the baton of Blue Sheep to Kuang Xia before returning to her homeland. Now leading a team of four staff members, Kuang will carry forward its legacy.

They plan to expand e-commerce platforms and collaborate with designers to create trendier products, while adapting the crafts to suit the makers' physical conditions, aiming to increase the makers' incomes as well as broaden their market channels.

In her farewell letter, Rachel quoted Mother Teresa: "We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love." For the thousands whose lives she touched, those "small things" were everything.

This is not an ending but a new beginning for Blue Sheep's mission of turning compassion into sustainable change -- one handcrafted item at a time. She expressed confidence in her local team's ability to sustain this legacy.

"My time in Chengdu has been the most precious part of this 80-year journey around the world," Rachel said. "Though I couldn't say goodbye to everyone individually, the warmth and memories you've given me will stay with me forever."