A team of diverse foreign volunteers has been seen patrolling a community in Chengdu, Sichuan province since October of this year. Wearing red armbands with their roles explained in both Chinese and English words, they patrol the streets and provide services to foreigners.

"Some foreigners need to rent homes, apply for residence permits or find part-time jobs. They have trouble because of the language barrier," said Chrisrui, a Ghanaian PhD candidate studying at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

"We are like a team of volunteers," he explained. The group believes that helping each other is a mode for healthy community development.

On the day the team was first established, Chrisrui encouraged onlookers to take photos and share them on WeChat.

"Everyone knows the red armbands; they take photos of us and share on WeChat. This helps us truly do our part," he said.

The team’s main task is to patrol the community and collect information about difficulties that foreigners encounter. They then pass the information on to local authorities so they can take actions to address the problems.

The members of the group come from five countries including the U.S., New Zealand and Ghana. Most are either teachers or employees of foreign companies.

Home to 2,600 expats, Tongzilin is the community with the most foreigners in Chengdu. At present, there are also two Chinese patrol teams. The expat team patrols once a week.