GIVE HELP, PRECISELY
Overcoming poverty cannot be achieved by empty words but must be carried out step by step.
From 2013 to 2016, the population living below the poverty line has decreased by 10 million annually, and the officials working in some 128,000 villages nationwide have played a vital role.
Though Dasendian Village in north China's Hebei Province was lifted out of poverty as a whole in 2015, there were four households that still relied on subsidies for the "five guarantees", (childless elderly who are guaranteed food, clothing, medical care, housing and burial expenses), and 14 households subsisting on the minimum wage.
Hou Fang, Tong Jiqiang and Zheng Hongshan, three employees of the Qinhuangdao Association for Science and Technology, were stationed in the village in February 2016. "First, we had to discover the underlying problem, then we could help those in need," said Hou.
Because the villagers were worried about poverty caused by illness or disease, three clinics were opened to treat patients free of charge. Hou and two other colleagues also organized experts from the city to give public lectures on horticulture. They also visited households to find ways to alleviate their specific difficulties.
Sun Bin, 33, another grassroots-level poverty relief official working in Taishi Township in northwest China's Gansu Province, said his recipe for successful poverty relief lies in precise recognition of the most urgent cases and the causes their poverty.
Zhang Guoli, 79, lives in a dilapidated house with his granddaughter. After his daughter-in-law passed away, his son became a migrant worker in other province.
"There are still some households, like Zhang's, who lack a source of income due to age or illness, so we should make sure they are covered by national or local poverty alleviation subsidies," said Sun.
Sun also noted the importance of developing suitable industries to provide sustained income sources.
STAY AND DO MORE
Although his current posting was due to end in October, Li has applied to stay in the village for another term rather than returning to the city. He said his work is a race against time and he wants to fulfill all of his tasks.
"Though I've tasted bitterness and sorrow during the past years as a village official, I am fulfilled because I think my work is really making a difference," Li said.
Hou's posting was for two years and while Tong and Zheng were posted for one year. All three have volunteered to stay. They have undertaken a diverse range of tasks, including applying for industry projects, mediating disputes and mountain patrols.
"If I see any smoke, I rush to the site immediately because the mountains are covered in fruit trees," said Tong Jiqiang, "Even a small fire could destroy the hopes of the whole village."
