Poverty alleviation program in SW China’s Sichuan

World
Europe

For the past three years, Wang Shengjun, a government official in Wangjiayan village of Santai County in southwestern China’s Sichuan Province, has been visiting local resident Zhao Zhongyong three times each week, trying to help lift him out of poverty.

It is difficult for 49-year-old Zhao to find a job since he has to take care of his paralyzed uncle. And unemployment leads the family to poverty.

To help people in need like Zhao, China carried out the one-to-one assistance program to fight against poverty.

Wang is one of the more than 7,000 local government officials in Santi County that is assigned to specific families to offer help.

Wang’s first step is to help Zhao get a 38,000-yuan relocation subsidy, which has been used to build a new house to replace the old and shabby one.

Along with the new shelter, Wang also helped Zhao get a new job – being a lumberjack. He was also planning on involving Zhao with planting some Chinese herbs, which is expected to generate 5,000 yuan (754 US dollars) this year.

It is not a big number but Zhao said a decent home and a stable income helped him get rid of the vicious circle of poverty and self-abasement.

In addition to the one-to-one assistance program, Santai County plans to lift all villagers out of poverty through taking advantage of local products.

Li Jin, the head of the Communist Party of China branch of Wangtaigou Village in Santai County, has led local residents to plant the famous Sichuan pepper after a thorough market study.

His ultimate goal is to build up an industrial chain from planting to final products.

Residents of Wangtaigou Village, Santai County, Sichuan Province plant pepper. /CGTN Photo

Previously, local agricultural products mainly include rice, corn, and sweet potatoes, which cannot make much income.

Thanks to the pepper planted in 800,000 square meters of land, the income of local residents is expected to increase eight times from before.

It is estimated that the pepper will bring at least three million yuan (450,000 US dollars ) income in the next three years.

The profit will be shared by shareholder cooperative which consists of local villagers and companies that offer technical support.

Li has another plan to breed loach fish in rice fields and he is applying for a two-million-yuan loan for further poverty alleviation efforts.