On the front lines of the battle against poverty, as a first secretary, Yao Xinxia has dedicated herself to helping the poor out of their need, supporting "half of the sky" of poverty alleviation on her slender shoulders.

Since being selected by the Xinjiang Branch of the Open University of China (OUC) to serve as first secretary and team leader of Kalabashilangan village in March 2018, she has used her in-depth understanding of the situation and of public opinion in the village to put in place measures supporting industries, employment, wisdom and ambition. The village is the place of origin of the Yingjisha knife, and therefore her focus has been on the knife industry and putting in place poverty-alleviation measures suited to specific individuals and households, helping the unemployed secure employment, increase incomes, and get rid of poverty.

According to her, "We have mobilised 93 craftsmen to become shareholders in a knife-production-and-sales cooperative. It now has 30 shops with a per-capita income of between 2,500 and 10,000 yuan."

In the past two years, she has also guided the village to establish a regional cooperative for large-scale production of black fungus. Since Nuermanguli Abudukeremu, a hardworking and capable villager, became an administrator with the cooperative, her salary has helped her family shake off poverty.

"I have been working for the cooperative for two years. At first I had no skills, but now I earn 2,500 yuan, together with a commission, which put me above the poverty line last year", said Nuermanguli Abudukeremu.

Despite successes, efforts must continue. Yao Xinxia has strictly implemented policies related to poverty alleviation and continued to consolidate and expand its achievements. 631 labourers from 301 households in the village have gained various kinds of employment, including self-employment, transferred employment, industrial or government work, and so on.

"The work team has always regarded industrial development as the touchstone of poverty alleviation. It has helped villagers establish cooperatives for cattle raising, catering, sewing,and iron art, along with those for mushroom cultivation and knife production. It has provided employment to 405 villagers, and the cooperatives have played an important role in poverty alleviation", said Yao Xinxia.

The village had been lifted out of poverty by the end of 2019. However, 37 people from 10 households were still living below the poverty line in 2020, and Yao Xinxia “kept her nose to the grindstone”, working hard with the other members of the team and the two village committees to further industrial development in the village. She paid close attention to village affairs and to ensuring that poverty alleviation would be a long-term accomplishment that was connected with rural revitalisation.

"I will lead the village cadres to continue working hard and ensure that this victory against poverty remains a permanent one that will become the basis of rural revitalisation", she said.

By Xinjiang Branch