In the Changsha town of Hunan provience, a 60-year old small grocery shop owner named Sun Meihua has kept her light on for 13 years now. Her shop glows every night! But why? The reason is simple. Women gets Women. Meihua leaves her shop lights on so that women walking home late at night can feel safe.
Sun Meihua opened her shop back in 2012. During the first month on business, many ladies told her that her shop lights made her feel safe during their walk back home. The stayed with Sun and she decided to keep her lights always on. “I just want to help those in need,” she said, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Since then. she is known as the ‘Street Light Auntie’.
Not Just a Light
She didn’t just leave her lights on but also adjusted her shop’s closing time to 2 AM, making it a late-night haven. Occasionally, she even accompanies girls home in case they feel unsafe.
She also installed her home landline phone in her shop and offered it free-of-charge to children without phones and people who don’t use mobile devices. She replaces the phone every year without fail, despite the frequent damage.
“Some neighbors also leave their only house keys with her when they go out, trusting her completely,” SCMP reported.
Kindness for Kindness
Sun and her husband have lived in the area for more than two decades and recieved support from the community people in the past. She says that she is simply returning the kindness.
Leaving the lights on, walking girls home, offering a landline service free of charge; all these thoughtful gestures have touched the heart of the neighborhood. Indeed we need a ‘Street Light Auntie’ in every town.
