Stitching small dreams in a big city

Zhao came to Shenzhen 10 years ago, leaving her husband and their three-year-old daughter back in Hubei. Working on a 10-hour shift, she was busy stitching clothes the whole time we were talking. Sometimes she would stop when talking about her little girl, look up, smile briefly for a moment, and again hunch back in front of her sewing machine and keep working.

Although she does not have health insurance, she makes 4,000 to 5,000 yuan per month. She prefers to work in manufacturing workshops like this one, where there's no contract and she can come and go whenever she wants. Many migrant workers like her bounce between workshops to do different jobs, trying to make some extra money.

"I need to make money for my daughter who I really miss", says Zhao. "I will go back to Hubei once she starts middle school and find something to do there."