In a nondescript building near Changban metro station in Guangzhou, the sound of sewing machines runs from morning until night. On the third floor is a dialysis centre. On the fourth floor is a clothing factory.
The factory employs 71 workers. Fifty-six of them have kidney failure.
They came from across the country. Some had spent years struggling with illness, unable to work. Now they have found a place where they can earn a living and receive treatment under the same roof. For many, it is the first time since their diagnosis that they have had both a regular income and a reason to get up in the morning.
The youngest worker
Li Li (pseudonym) was diagnosed with kidney failure at 15 in July 2023 and arrived at the Guangzhou factory in March 2025. She is from Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Before her illness, she loved running, placing first in the 800 metres in seventh grade and third in ninth grade.
"Kidney failure affected my performance," she said. "Now I can't run. Even walking is hard."
After lunch, she stands outside the hospital entrance, eating fruit sent from home and sharing slices of sour papaya with colleagues. "It's from Yunnan," she said. "We eat it with chilli."
She earns 1,000 to 2,000 yuan a month, while each dialysis session costs just over 800 yuan. The factory provides meals and accommodation.
"Better to come out and try"
A Hui (pseudonym), 46, arrived in Guangzhou from Jiangxi Province two years ago after spending over a year at home unable to work. He found the factory through a short-video platform. Since then, his condition has improved with adjusted medication and treatment.
"Since I have the illness, I have to face it," he said. "Life is only once. If you can hold on, there is hope."
He rents a nearby room, receiving a 300-yuan monthly subsidy from the factory and contributing an additional 500 yuan for rent and utilities.
"A small candle"
Xie Qiang, a former oncologist at a tertiary hospital, founded the factory and set up its dialysis centre in 2019.
"I wasn't a kidney specialist," he said. "But once I saw the need, I felt we should act."
He now runs both operations. Workers are paid by piece rate, earning about 2,000–3,000 yuan a month at the low end and up to 5,000–6,000 at the high end.
He has also proposed that Guangzhou pilot subsistence allowances for dialysis patients, allowing them to work part-time while receiving treatment.
"Giving them work isn't just about income," he said. "It gives them purpose. Otherwise, staying home can lead to anxiety and depression—for them and their families."
When praised, Xie downplays his role.
"I don't have great ideals," he said. "It's a business that happens to do some good. If more business owners join in, that would be something meaningful. I'm just a small candle."
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Guangzhou Daily
