Chongqing's Wanzhou district introduces workshops to fight poverty (2)

Wanzhou district in southwest China's Chongqing municipality has introduced poverty alleviation workshops to help poor people shake off poverty by securing jobs and incomes near their homes.

So far, the district has established 18 poverty alleviation workshops by encouraging enterprises to employ poor people and incentivizing migrant workers to set up poverty alleviation workshops back in their hometowns.

A clothing factory in the district’s Guocun town is one example of this effort. “Some workers in my factory are from poor households,” said the factory owner Luo Xianqing, adding that she wants to help more people, especially poor populations, increase their incomes and escape poverty.

“I couldn’t find a job because employers thought I was too old,” said Zhang Qingkai, who comes from a poor family and is an employee at the poverty alleviation workshop. “Now I can receive a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan near home,” Zhang exclaimed in delight.

Chen Rong, another employee from a poor family in Zhongyang village, is filled with hope for a better future. “I began to work in the factory just after it was built, and now I can earn about 3,000 yuan per month,” Chen said, expressing her confidence in being able to get rid of poverty after the income from her husband, who works elsewhere, is included.

Another example is the poverty alleviation workshop of a black fungus cooperative in Hongfu village of Longju town.

"Our village is located in a mountainous area and boasts abundant resources," said Ma Shutian, who founded the cooperative. Ma returned to the village in 2016 to produce fungus. Today, he owns a production and processing base with a plant covering over 1,200 square meters and about 4.7 hectares of land producing fungus.

"At the fungus base, I can earn 150 yuan and my wife 50 yuan each day," said a man surnamed Cheng, whose family is a registered impoverished household, adding that it’s very convenient, as they can earn an income near home and also take care of their family. The couple can make a monthly salary of more than 5,000 yuan.

So far, this poverty alleviation workshop has provided jobs for over 40 people from more than 20 impoverished households.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, Wanzhou also offered subsidies to all its poverty alleviation workshops and 33 enterprises that contribute to poverty relief efforts in the district, helping secure jobs for 2,015 impoverished people.