Local businesses involved in aiding poverty alleviation

The authorities in Lipu have rolled out policies to encourage local companies to employ rural residents, in a bid to help alleviate poverty, local media reported.

To date, more than 140 companies have partnered with 144 villages, creating over 10,000 jobs for rural residents and donating money and goods worth about 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) in order to build infrastructure in the poor areas, according to Guilin Daily.

Difering from the conventional approach of donations of funds and goods, this initiative - combining businesses, cooperatives and poor farmers - is exploring a sustainable way of poverty alleviation, local officials said.

Government data showed 33 poor villages have established agricultural cooperatives to work with the companies. They established 84 agricultural plantations, recruiting local poor farmers to help increase their incomes.

Nearly 100 clothes hanger manufacturers opened their factories in villages to increase rural employment.

"I can earn a livelihood without having to leave the village. The proximity enables me to earn money and to take care of my family," said Mo Hongyan, a resident in Niufutun village in Lipu, who works at a hanger factory.

Online retail portal Lecuntao opened outlets in 25 of Lipu's poor villages and helped farmers rake in more than 5 million yuan in produce sales last year.

In addition, companies have donated funds to improve the living standards of the rural residents.

Guilin Zhiren Food Industrial spent tens of thousands of yuan installing solar-powered street lamps in Chachengxiang village.

The company also donated another 100,000 yuan to Aoan village for construction of roads and public service infrastructure.

In addition, Lipu Dafa, a real estate developer, has supported road construction and street lamps installation with more than 200,000 yuan in funding.

The company representatives said that building production facilities and creating a friendly environment in villages are beneficial to both the growth of their businesses and to poverty alleviation.

The companies involved in the poverty alleviation campaign set up a charity educational foundation. So far, it has raised more than 500,000 yuan, with 300,000 yuan used to sponsor over 200 students from poor families.

(China Daily 12/10/2018 page12)