Now, as part of CGTN Listens series, we take a closer look at China's ambitious poverty alleviation drive. Today we focus on Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern China's Sichuan Province. It's one of the most impoverished regions in the country. In 2015, 11 out of the 17 counties in the prefecture were on the national list of poorest counties. The area is prone to earthquakes, and has suffered other natural disasters as well. CGTN Reporters Meng Qingsheng and Wei Lynn Tang traveled to Liangshan to find out how one village there is tackling poverty.

Liangshan in southwestern China is home to many of the Yi ethnic people. It is one of the nation's poorest regions. Nearly half in Sanhe Village live below its poverty line of 3,600 yuan per year. President Xi Jinping visited the village on February 11th, 2018.

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "In recent decades, China has lifted 740 million people in rural areas out of poverty – roughly 19 million each year. Sanhe Village has prioritized a relocation program, among others, to help break the cycle of poverty. In fact, we're now here at one of the relocated sites. For more on that, we're joined by: 1. Mr. Zhang Ling, the first Party Secretary of Sanhe Village; 2. Mr. Yu Bin, Deputy to China's Top Legislature, the National People's Congress; 3. and, Mr. Yang Gao, founder of Enhui Human Resources. Welcome. Mr. Zhang, let's start with you, as we understand, the first phase of relocation started in February. How has it been received by locals?"

ZHANG LING FIRST PARTY SECRETARY, SANHE VILLAGE "We started construction of nine relocation sites in April of last year. And the first batch of villagers moved into their new homes last month. They're happy and excited. Compared to their old shacks, their new places now have more space with a clear division of functions."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER Before the relocation program started, most of the local Yi ethnic people lived inside adobe shacks. My colleague Wei Lynn Tang takes us into a local household.

WEI LYNN TANG CGTN REPORTER "Remote and dispersed. Er Gu's family has been living in homes like these for a long time now. With roof tops made of clay, rocky roads, and their farmlands just beside them. Inside, everything is crammed into one tight spot, where you sleep, where you cook and where you eat."

YOUZHE KUZUO SANHE VILLAGER "Conditions are hard here in our old home. We don't have running water, little electricity, and even to sell something is hard because we don't have proper concrete roads to ship these goods out."

RIHUO ZUOXIMO SANHE VILLAGER "I really look forward to our new home, because we won't have the capability to build it on our own."

ERGU ERDE SANHE VILLAGER "We earn about 2,900 yuan a year, per person. Besides income from my outside employment, the government has also provided us with micro loans to buy cows. The government has also loaned us seeds to plant higher grade potatoes, such that we can sell it when it harvests."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "Besides relocation, there are also other ways to tackle poverty here. Can you tell us more about that?"

ZHANG LING FIRST PARTY SECRETARY, SANHE VILLAGE "We've also been focusing on our basic infrastructure. For one, we've started constructing a 22-kilometer road to connect villages. We're also working on increasing the income of villagers by engaging them in agricultural and livestock farming. Potatoes have long been the staple food of the locals. We have introduced a new seed to help villagers' boost production. A common way to consume potatoes is roasting - we can taste them later. Now, we also offer villagers vocational training and night school programs to better prepare them to find employment in other cities, thereby increasing their income."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "Mr. Yu, as a deputy to China's top legislature, can you share with us your proposals on how to further increase people's standards of living, especially in harsh areas like where we are?"

YU BIN NPC DEPUTY "I'm concerned about rural revitalization. What we're seeing here is a shortage of workers. The future development of a village, a county, or a city, hinges on talent, on leaders who can take the reins. They can then help improve lives right down to the grassroots level.

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "And Mr. Yang, you grew up in Liangshan. After spending eight years studying and working in Beijing, you chose to come back in 2015."

YANG GAO FOUNDER OF WISDOM HUMAN RESOURCES "I hope I can bring back what I've learned and contribute to the development here. And what we're seeing now is: there are fewer kids dropping out of school. So much so, that the number of teachers can't meet the demand of these children returning to school. My company handles human resources. From 2016 till now, we've trained and sent 150 teachers to schools, benefiting 20-thousand students overall. Liangshan's development requires the progress of more young people. We need to improve their professional and financial capabilities, such that they don't fall back into poverty."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "Sanhe Village now has two kindergartens and a primary school. Both have been successful in helping students to a nine-year compulsory education. Let's now take a closer look inside a local campus."

WEI LYNN TANG CGTN REPORTER "I'm now here at a kindergarten, and joining me is one of the two teachers. What do pupils mostly learn here, and how receptive are they towards learning?"

RELIE RIZUO KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, SANHE VILLAGE "It's now government policy that rural children attend kindergarten. And they enjoy it. I find them to be enthusiastic. Here, they mostly learn the Chinese language, good hygiene and nursery rhymes."

WEI LYNN TANG CGTN REPORTER "Just beside the kindergarten is a primary school with a built-in hostel. And joining me now is Sha Ma Ri Zuo, the vice principal of this school. Tell us about the teacher to student ratio of this school, as well as the top challenges facing the educational landscape of this village now?"

SHAMA RIZUO VICE PRINCIPAL, SANCHAHE PRIMARY SCHOOL "We lack teachers. One instructor teaches classes of 40 students now. Ideally, it should be a 1 to 20 ratio. Also, what's still missing here is a lack of support from the students' families. I suggest that parents and the school work closely together."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "I'd like to turn back to you now, Mr. Zhang. Your village has vowed to wipe out absolute poverty by the end of this year. What are the challenges ahead, if any?"

ZHANG LING FIRST PARTY SECRETARY, SANHE VILLAGE "I think the difficulty in poverty reduction lies in one's mindset. Even if new housing and transportation infrastructure have been provided, at the end of the day it has to come from the villagers' willingness to lead better lives. The villagers' inner drive is the hardest nut to crack."

YANG GAO FOUNDER OF WISDOM HUMAN RESOURCES "There's a saying here: To alleviate poverty, first have to cultivate wisdom. In President Xi Jinping's 2019 New Year greeting, he said, 'we are all dreamers'. We should encourage our poor households to have a dream. The dream does not need to be too far-fetched or big, as long as one can live a good life."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "Mr. Yu, we are on the last leg of China's 2020 poverty eradication goal. In your view, what more should be done to ensure sustainability of this vision?"

YU BIN NPC DEPUTY "The construction of Liangshan's basic infrastructure has improved to a certain extent, helped by government funding. In the long-term, we need a sustainable development model, to ensure villagers don't fall back into poverty. But financial support is still crucial for us at this point."

ZHANG LING FIRST PARTY SECRETARY, SANHE VILLAGE "My vision for the village: it will be truly lifted out of poverty when those having left the village choose to come back, be it to find a living or build a home. And ultimately, to help give their hometown a leg-up."

YANG GAO FOUNDER OF WISDOM HUMAN RESOURCES "Villagers' seeking employment elsewhere is only a temporary phenomenon. We need a better market environment. We hope the country will provide more tangible support to entrepreneurs and the private economy."

MENG QINGSHENG CGTN REPORTER "Thank you all for taking part in this program."

ZHANG LING FIRST PARTY SECRETARY, SANHE VILLAGE "The potatoes are now ready. Let's have a taste. This is a very typical way to eat potatoes for our Yi ethnic people."