Relocated Yunnan eisidents finds work near home and in coastal cities

We continue with a look at China's poverty alleviation campaign. Secure employment is one sure way to keep people afloat. But in already poor and mountainous areas of rural China, that can present a big challenge. CGTN visited a neighborhood near the southwestern border, purpose built by the local government with that goal in mind.

After a one-hour flight and a three-hour drive from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, we finally arrived at this neighborhood of Weilaba, a southwestern corner of China on the grand Nujiang River Gorge.

This place belongs to one of the most impoverished rural areas in China, with many people living in poor housing conditions below the national poverty line.

Last year, with the help of Zhuhai, a city in China's advanced coastal areas, this neighborhood was developed to provide improved housing for over two-thousand people from eight nearby villages. People who moved here didn't only get new homes, but also new employment opportunities. At this community service center, villagers are taking free housekeeping training.

HU XIUNAN Resident of Zhuhai Community in Weilaba "Yes, we are learning how to fold a towel. It'll be a useful skill when we go out. We've also learned many other skills like how to care for babies and elderly people. I feel good attending courses here. We moved here from a nearby village in the mountains. The transportation was bad and it was inconvenient for children to go to schools. After moving here, it's been much better."

The 15-day housekeeping course is just one of several subjects available. All are customized and based on the residents' needs.

ZHANG JIBO Teacher, Weilaba "The courses have a few goals. For the young people, we hope they can get employed in big cities after the courses, where their skills and ways of thinking can be improved. Perhaps they can even bring family and friends with them, if they do very well in cities. For older people, through the courses we hope they can become interested in working near home to raise themselves and their families, as we have many local industries."

Residents can look at recruitment information on an online job advertising platform for companies in Zhuhai or come to the community center to make enquiries. The neighborhood also works with the local government to organize free trips for residents hired in Zhuhai.

Local industries provide employment opportunities for those staying behind. This is a walnut processing workshop. The local walnuts have hard shells, making them difficult to open. The best way to do so is with a knife, and this is also creating jobs near some villagers' homes.

TANG XUELIN Chairman of Walnut Processing Workshop in Zhuhai Community, Weilaba "Fresh walnuts are purchased from villagers in the surrounding mountains. After they are dried, we process them here to get the nut flesh. Their wages are based on the amount of nut flesh they get. Although this is not much, the work is very flexible. They can work either here or at home to earn additional income for their households."

Over 30-percent of the relocated residents with skills and abilities in this community are now working in Zhuhai, in eastern China. Others work in local industries. Better housing, and new livelihoods, mean they can look forward to a new chapter in 2021 and aspire towards a better future. Zhang Tingting with Ehrard Vermaak, CGTN, Yunnan, China.