China News Service, Linzhi, November 22, report title: "Jiangnan" Linzhi people in Tibet's poverty alleviation
Author Jiang Feibo
38-year-old Baima Duoji opened a Tibetan-style furniture factory on the Niyang River in Linzhi, Tibet. “The engraving machine works day and night, and the factory is too busy with orders. He originally planned to make some exhibits for physical stores in the county recently. But now there is no time to make exhibits.” One day in mid-November, he said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency that four years ago, his family was still a poor household in Gongbujiangda County.
Baima Duoji said that before this, Tibetans had the habit of bringing woodworkers to their homes to make furniture. When I was young, I went to the village with woodworkers to learn skills.
"At the beginning of 2016, I saw that the quality of furniture bought by other people was average. I thought I could make better ones, so the idea of opening a furniture factory was born."
In 2017, Baima Duoji borrowed some money from relatives and friends, and applied for a low-interest loan of 300,000 yuan (RMB, the same below) from the bank, and finally opened the factory.
He recalled that the first year was spent in groping and learning, and the furniture factory barely maintained it.
Because of the exquisite workmanship and reasonable price, Baima Duoji's reputation has spread day by day. Since then, his business has become more and more popular.
He said that in 2019, the furniture factory achieved a profit of more than 400,000 yuan, and from January to October this year, the profit has exceeded 600,000 yuan.
It is worth mentioning that the eight workers in the furniture factory are local farmers and herdsmen. Baima Duoji taught them carpentry skills and painting. Now they have a monthly salary of 4,000 yuan per person, and more than 10,000 yuan when they are busy.
Also on the banks of the Niyang River, the Yangji family, who now settled on the 318 side of the National Highway, used to “move the poor”.
"Before 2016, our family lived in a place called Tietagou more than ten kilometers away from here." 70-year-old Yang Ji recalled that the old house was located on a platform in the deep mountains. Due to its remoteness, it was necessary to live with water every day.
She said that she raised her son alone and grew up. As her grandchildren enter adulthood, she does not want younger generations to remain trapped in the Tietagou.
"In 2016, I was left in the ditch and my life became more inconvenient. At the beginning of the year, I applied to the village and said that I wanted to move to the Niyang River, close to the national highway."
In October 2016, Yang Ji moved his family to a new house resettled by the government.
Water, electricity and internet are complete, and a yard is also included.
The reporter saw at her house that there were a few apple trees in the yard with some red apples on their branches.
The old man introduced that his grandson's job is to drive construction vehicles and his income is good. This year he bought a truck for rent in partnership with someone to increase his income.
After graduating from university, the granddaughter worked in a local Tibetan medicine factory in Linzhi.
Yang Ji said that after moving out of Tietagou, the family got rid of poverty and their lives were getting better day by day. Now they have no worries about food and clothing.
Now that she is older, her greatest expectation is to embrace her great-grandson soon.
Yan Xinhang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Nyingchi City Poverty Alleviation and Development Office, introduced that Nyingchi is located in the southeast of Tibet, on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. Because of its beautiful scenery, it is known as "Tibet Jiangnan".
He said that Medog County, the last county in China with highways, is located in Nyingchi, and Nyingchi’s poverty alleviation work is facing the difficulty of “dispersion and concentration” of poor people.
"Since 2016, Linzhi City has formulated an implementation plan for poverty alleviation and agriculture-related funds each year, and has implemented a total of 4.653 billion yuan." He said that Linzhi City has also established a risk compensation and guarantee fund, and has issued 1.554 billion yuan in poverty alleviation industry loans in the past five years. Loans for poverty alleviation and relocation were 172 million yuan.
Baima Duoji’s furniture factory and Yangji’s family are the beneficiaries of poverty alleviation industry loans and relocation.
Yan Xinhang said that in January 2019, the three deeply impoverished counties of Linzhilang County, Medog and Chayu officially lifted their heads from poverty.
By the end of 2019, Nyingchi City had reduced poverty in more than 6,900 households and 23,800 people.
Since the beginning of 2020, Linzhi City has not added or returned to poverty, and has historically eliminated absolute poverty.
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