NEW APPROACH TO TACKLING POVERTY.docVIP

NEW APPROACH TO TACKLING POVERTY 　　Steam rises into the air from water boiling in big cauldrons； wood-fueled fires blaze furiously in clay-made stoves below the cauldrons； several men knead dough made of sweet potato starch， draw it out into elongated strands and toss them into the boiling water to make vermicelli. Such was the scene as a sweet potato vermicelli festival warmed up Peizhai Community in Zhangcun Township， central China’s Henan Province， on December 16， 2016. People came from near and far to gather in the midst of winter around the hot water vapor， admiring the production of a local specialty famous nationwide. 　　 A solution for all 　　In just five years， Peizhai has emerged from poverty into a fast-developing mountain village renowned across China. Pei Chunliang， Secretary of the Peizhai Community General Branch of the Communist Party of China， is the man behind the transformation. 　　Pei， a former farming entrepreneur， returned to Peizhai after making a fortune and subsequently invested more than 169 million yuan （$24.39 million） in the construction of real estate and other infrastructure. With his help， villagers have been able to shake off poverty and achieve prosperity. The transformation in Peizhai has inspired neighboring villages who are also eager to climb above poverty. 　　Wang Dongmei ， Party Chief of Zhangcun Township， understands the difficulties of poverty relief in small villages； young people usually leave to work in big cities， and the older generations left behind―even though some have bags of experience―feel powerless to bring about change due to a lack of funds. 　　The Zhangcun Township Party Committee hopes more hometown-loving people who become wealthy and capable， like Pei， will lend a hand in village development and lead the way to a better life. 　　Zhangcun Township’s arable land is particularly suitable for growing good quality sweet potatoes. In a tradition dating back to antiquity， local people handmake sweet potato ve