In Northeast Sichuan Province -- where more than 300,000 people remain below the poverty line. High in the mountains, these people have been far removed from basic services for generations. But the local government has implemented a relocation program to get them the sort of help they need to prosper.
Ran Deming is preparing to move into his new house. It's difficult to pick something valuable out from all his belongings. This adobe house was built by his great grandfather, more than a hundred years ago. It 's been home to his parents, wife and two daughters.
"It was scary to live inside this house before. It is unsafe and inconvenient. It's difficult to raise animals here. And it's difficult to get clean drinking water. By moving to the new building, we can get access to better traffic, a better living environment, medical services, and education. The difference is beyond comparison," Ran said.
Ran's wife and older daughter are suffering from mental illnesses. Associated medical costs, and his younger daughter's tuition fees, have been placing a major strain on his finances. So this move into a new home is indeed welcome, especially as it's being provided through the program. It's a two-storey building, with four bedrooms.
"I feel so happy to move into this new house. My eyes lit up when I caught sight of this building upon completion. I am excited," Ran said.
Ran Deming will grow walnuts as part of the poverty relief package. He says he will need lots of patience, as the trees will only bear their product three years after plantation.
"If the walnut is sold at twenty yuan per kilogram -- based on the current market standard -- my total income would amount to 12,000 yuan each year. That's an increase of 2,000 yuan per capita income in my family," Ran said.
Back at his new house, Ran carefully tends to his vegetables. A local company has promised to buy his harvest at a price higher than the market's. The county where Ran lives has pledged to relocate more than 50,000 people in the next three years. But officials say not everyone is satisfied with the plan, citing a reluctance to leave their current holdings. So getting everyone to realise the potential of the program may be one of its greatest challenges.
