Once-impoverished villagers living in remote areas of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province are enjoying improved livelihoods and higher incomes, thanks to the country's poverty alleviation relocation program.
Yuexi County in Liangshan prefecture, was one of the last 52 counties removed from the poverty list in the country. Before the Spring Festival in 2020, over 6,000 people of the Yi ethnic group from 38 villages in Yuexi County were relocated from high-altitude mountainous areas to the Gratitude Community in the county seat as part of the poverty alleviation relocation programs. The relocation program has provided the residents with better living conditions and more job opportunities.
Mose Wujiamu, secretary of the community, along with the community staff members, was going door to door to help the residents calculate their annual income, to ensure that no one falls back into poverty.
According to Wujiamu, the community manages the households using a color-coding system based on their income levels, with red, yellow, blue and green cards. Households with red cards are those at the highest risk of returning to poverty and are prioritized for assistance.
"If annual income is less than 10,000 yuan (around 1.364 U.S. dollars), the household is a red card holder and needs special attention," she explained.
To help the community's over 6,000 residents maintain stable incomes, Mose Wujiamu actively provides job recommendations for them.
"More than 700 people will go to Ningbo after the traditional New Year of Yi ethnic group. Now, there are available positions in electronics factories and construction sites. Employment opportunities are currently being coordinated," said Shi Qiang, director of the Yuexi County's employment bureau.
The region has been making efforts to increase income for those who have escaped poverty, such as promoting employment. In a new round of cooperation between eastern and western regions, Ningbo, in east China's Zhejiang Province, has been paired up to assist Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, by offering over 6,000 job opportunities to Yuexi County every year.
Encouraged by the increased income, more and more relocated people have changed their mindset. Over 2,600 people in the community have opted to become migrant workers and are now employed outside their hometown. Ethnic Yi women, most of whom used to stay at home all year round, are offered training and jobs, allowing them to increase their incomes and improve their lives.
One such example is Xiatiexier, a mother of three with a leg disability. Inspired by community workers, she participated in a training course on Yi embroidery, one of the most ancient traditional handicrafts, and now is engaged in the local embroidery industry.
"The feeling is just too overwhelming. I'm so grateful to them the community cadres. Before, I was too self-deprecating. But now, I'm a completely different person," she said.
Over the years, the per capita income of Yi people in the community has been increasing year by year, reaching over 13,000 yuan (around 1,773 U.S. dollars) in 2024.
Poverty-alleviation relocation offers new life in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture
