Habib-ur-Rehman (middle) becomes a community safety volunteer in Changning District in August 2016.

Habib-ur-Rehman(right) on his first community patrol with a police of

Habib-ur-Rehman

Habib-ur-Rehman and his family have been readers of Shanghai Daily ever since they moved to Shanghai. He shows a preserved Shanghai Daily page from 2006 in which his family business has an advertisement.

Habib-ur-Rehman, 29, a Pakistani carpet businessman, said he was raised in a culture of helping other people. No reason to change ingrained habits when he moved to Shanghai about 10 years ago.

He is now a community safety volunteer inChangning District.

“Back home, being a volunteer is nothing official, but here the government officially appreciates, recognizes, commemorates and encourages volunteering,” he said.

Habib-ur-Rehman was one of 58 foreigners honored with a Magnolia Silver Award this year in recognition of their contributions to Shanghai’s development.

The Pakistani, whose father opened a carpet shop in the city in 2006, enrolled in Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in 2009. His academic performance was impeccable. At graduation, he was one of two overseas students who received an excellence award, standing out from the 120 foreign students graduating the same year.

Apart from his academic achievements, he was also honored for his contribution to campus life, including his initiative in organizing volunteer bazaars at the university.

Habib-ur-Rehman said he was inspired by seeing Chinese community volunteers in the streets, wearing badges and waving small flags as they keep pedestrians from jaywalking.

“When I first saw such people by the roadsides and most of them were older people, I was confused and thought they were law enforcement officials,” he said. “Only after two years did I come to realize that they were volunteers helping society.”

After graduation, Habib-ur-Rehman took up his family’s carpet business.

But business matters didn’t damp his volunteering spirit. He always stood ready to help others. For example, he assisted Chinese merchants in the mall where the family carpet business is located to use laptops. He also helps foreign customers in understanding Shanghai rules on matters such as visas.

In 2016, Habib-ur-Rehman answered a call from district police for expat volunteers to work as part-time community safety volunteers. In Chengjiaqiao Subdistrict where he lives, there are about 2,500 expat residents from over 20 countries at the moment.

“Why not?” he recalled thinking about volunteering. “I didn’t have any second thoughts.”

One of his first duties was helping police publicize the city’s firework ban when it went into effect.

“We went door to door to inform expat families of the ban,” he said. “That was necessary because, while Chinese residents have a lot of media outlets to inform them, it’s harder for expats to know what is going on.”

He was also at the frontline of volunteers when the city began its crackdown on traffic offenses.

“I usually worked with a traffic police officer, and when a foreigner breaking the rules was stopped, I helped with translation,” Habib-ur-Rehman said. “Our presence there aided police who often have language barriers when dealing with foreigners.”

Last year, ahead of the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai, he helped publicize the foreigners’ accommodation registration rules because the event anticipated many overseas visitors.

“I told all foreigners who came to my shop about the rules,” he said.

Habib-ur-Rehman calls Shanghai home. He recently became a father, has two brothers also living in the city and spends most of the year with his family in Shanghai.

“Being a businessman perhaps allows me to have more time for volunteer work than expats who are office workers,” he said, with a warm smile. “My family is supportive and tends to the shop when I am away on volunteer activities.”

Habib-ur-Rehman said he thinks volunteering helps form a foundation of peace and harmony in society.

“The meaning of life is to have a good community,” he said.