SOURCE: CGTN
Shabei Town in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region enjoys natural advantage of sunshine and rainfall – favorable for fruits.
Though the humid town is endowed with abundant natural resources, the local government had difficulties finding a suitable crop to plant to help poor families before 2015. After thorough investigation, they chose to plant tropical fruit, lychee.
Liang Lingyun, a farmer in Babi Village in the town, plants about 1.3 hectares of lychees, and sometimes his neighbors help him pick and package.
In the past, he couldn’t afford to educate his child through farming alone and needed to lend loans. Now, the lychee has become the main source of income for his family, and Liang can earn about 100,000 yuan a year.
The pulpy fruit has lifted him and over 100 low-income families out of poverty in recent years. The total revenue of the lychee crop in the town last year reached 15 million yuan, and the revenue in Babi Village alone was over 10 million yuan.
Go green and live rich
Ecological poverty alleviation is a poverty reduction model that combines ecological protection with poverty alleviation. Some areas suffer from poverty due to their harsh natural environment, while others lack sustainable and scientific ways to make use of natural resources. Through participation in ecological protection and development of ecological industries, villagers can be lifted out of poverty while protecting Mother Nature. This series not only uncovers the stories behind China’s poverty alleviation policy but also depicts the life of ordinary people.