Stitched with love: 20 years of 'Model Mothers' weaving dreams

On Mother's Day, dozens of exquisite woolen weavings and cloisonne works were on display in Beijing, all created by women who share a common name: Modou Mama, or Model Mothers. The charity project, launched by the Red Cross Society of China and Alibaba Group, held its 20th anniversary celebration with an event themed "Model Mothers Bloom, Beautiful Journey Together."

The initiative traces its roots back 20 years to Zhou Lihong, an elementary school teacher in Suzhou who was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. Despite her illness, she insisted on running an online store named "Model Baby Hut" on Taobao to save money for her young daughter. Her story touched millions of netizens across China, and more than 2,000 volunteers have kept the store running continuously for 20 years, using the proceeds to raise her daughter to adulthood.

This extraordinary act of maternal love gave birth to a national charity project. In 2006, the Red Cross Society of China and Taobao officially launched the "Model Mother" project, providing systematic training, financial support, and business guidance to help disadvantaged mothers achieve self-reliance through e-commerce.

"This is not a fairy tale, but a reality woven stitch by stitch," said Zhang Yue, a former CCTV host, at the anniversary event.

Over the past two decades, the project has evolved significantly from its initial focus on e-commerce entrepreneurship training to encompass handicraft empowerment and employment-matching services. In 2009, Taobao launched the "charity baby" program, where participating merchants donate 0.1 yuan for every item sold on the platform. This sustainable funding mechanism has provided the project with a stable financial foundation.

By the end of 2025, the project had recruited 37,855 participants across 12 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, trained 26,158 people, and helped nearly 30,000 disadvantaged women find employment or start their own businesses. They include single mothers disabled in car accidents, women born with spina bifida, and armless paper-cutting artists who have turned their talents into livelihoods.

"My mission is to make sure they never have to worry about not being able to afford a one-yuan popsicle for their children," said Tang Zhanxin, a national model of self-improvement. She shared the story of a rural mother who could not afford a simple frozen treat for her child one summer.

"Watching them go from having no income to being able to buy snacks for their kids and groceries for their families is incredibly moving," Tang said. "It means their labor is seen, their value is recognized, and they are no longer a burden to their families but a source of pride for their children."

"I will use my own hands to weave a blue sky for my child," said Chen Fengjin from Hebei province. A 2008 car accident left her disabled, and she can only work by pressing the fabric against her leg with one hand while crocheting with the other. With the project's help, she learned to make pet clothing that is now sold on Taobao.

"Being able to work, to have worries, and to be tired like any other people is also a kind of happiness," said Yuanyuan, a Model Mother who was confined to her mountain village for over 30 years due to congenital spina bifida. She learned woolen knitting through the project and even participated in making the glory flowers award bouquets for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.

In recent years, the project's influence has gone global. Their handicrafts have been showcased at international events including the Paris 2024 Paralympics and the United Nations headquarters in New York, demonstrating the resilience and talent of Chinese women with disabilities to the world.

"When these women's works are held in the hands of people from other countries, they truly feel the joy of being seen by the world," Tang said. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Sustainable income is the best and most long-term solution."