No more landslides: Anti-poverty scheme transforms lives of poor
Print Edition
Mi Zhenhua skillfully makes USB cables in a poverty-relief factory in the Weilaba Zhuhai residential compound in southwest China鈥檚 Yunnan Province. She can make at least 2,000 yuan (US$305) every month.
Mi used to live in the remote Ziji Village in Yunnan鈥檚 Lushui City, where geological disasters like landslides are frequent.
鈥淚 hated rainy days because I was scared of mudslides,鈥 said Mi, 29. 鈥淭he village was a five to six hour walk from the nearest town. Transportation was inconvenient.鈥
Last year, thanks to China鈥檚 poverty alleviation efforts, her family moved into a beautiful house in the brand-new Weilaba Zhuhai residential compound, which houses more than 700 poor families from two townships in Lushui City. Her daughter also attends a kindergarten in the community.
Local authorities opened a poverty-relief factory there, allowing people like Mi to find jobs to increase their income. Now, all poor residents of the community have shaken off poverty. 鈥淚 am just so happy and content,鈥 Mi said.
Mi is not alone. On November 14, authorities announced that southwestern Yunnan Province, which had the country鈥檚 largest remaining poor population at the end of last year, has eradicated absolute poverty.
Most localities in China have cast off poverty as the country plans to eradicate absolute poverty by the end of this year in a bid to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
On Saturday, authorities in northwest China鈥檚 Gansu Province announced that it had lifted all its 75 counties out of poverty.
China has taken a variety of poverty-relief measures, including rural tourism, industries, relocation and better health care, to help people live better lives.
In Xijiang, a Miao ethnic village tucked away in southwest China鈥檚 Guizhou Province, locals have wallowed in poverty for generations, cut off from the world by mountains that surround the area.
However, as local authorities encouraged rural tourism, Hou Yanjiang, who used to be a migrant worker, started a rural restaurant, which now generates more than 5 million yuan in annual sales.
Rocky stumbling block
In the mountainous city of Chishui in Guizhou Province, a rocky red surface known as the Danxia landform that covers more than two-thirds of the city stands out. For local farmers, the rocks used to be a stumbling block to planting crops. Then came a government initiative that encouraged growing dendrobium nobile, a valuable Chinese herbal medicine found in the rocks. Currently, dendrobium nobile covers more than 6,000 hectares in the city, helping about 16,000 poor residents increase their salaries.
Relocation also proved to be an important step out of poverty. In the last five years, more than 9 million rural poor in China were moved out of inhospitable areas that mired generations of inhabitants in poverty.
In northwest China鈥檚 Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ma Guoquan used to live in a rural area with scarce water resources. In 2017, he moved into a 96-square-meter house by the Yellow River.
鈥淲ith water from the Yellow River, irrigation became easy,鈥 Ma said.
Better health care also contributed to poverty relief.
Some rural hospitals partnered with their metropolitan counterparts to offer quality medical services to rural residents.
鈥淚llness-induced poverty is one of the toughest problems in rural areas,鈥 said Hu Yi, head of the public hospital in the county of Zhenxiong in Yunnan Province.
鈥淣ow they don鈥檛 have to travel far to get treated, not even for serious illnesses.鈥
The number of Chinese living in poverty dropped from 98.99 million to 5.51 million in the past seven years.
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