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26m still in poverty despite progress
By Jiang Zhuqing (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-04-05 06:20
Six hundred yuan (US$72.3) is not a big sum, but it means the world to
39-year-old He Yufang, a poor villager from Zhoubai Township in Southwest
China's Chongqing.
On February 10 last year, her family were thrown into poverty by unexpected
hospital costs from the difficult delivery of her first child.
Fortunately, the China Founda-tion for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) gave her a
helping hand by providing a 600 yuan subsidy.
In 2004, the non-governmental organization (NGO) provided various subsidies
for 2,891 pregnant women and saved 17 poor mothers whose lives were in danger at
child delivery through the Maternal and Infant Health Project launched by CFPA.
The CFPA collected 112 million yuan (US$13.5 million) in charity funding and
material in 2004 to directly benefit 458,500 people living in poverty, Zheng
Mengxiong, vice-president of the NGO, said yesterday at the first conference of
CFPA's Fifth Council.
Besides the mother and infant project, the foundation also launched a
micro-finance project to provide financial support and technical training to
poor households, a "New Great Wall Project" to help poor university students, a
disaster relief project and "Project Angel" to improve building services for
hospitals in poor regions.
More than 1.8 million people have benefited from the CFPA's instant aid
projects since its founding in 1997, said CFPA's former President Wang Yuzhao.
Meanwhile, poverty alleviation remains an arduous and long-term task for
China not only because there are still 26.1 million people living in poverty but
also because those who have shaken off poverty are prone to becoming poor again.
In 2004, the rural population living in abject poverty with an annual income
of less than 668 yuan (US$80.5) decreased by 2.9 million, while those with an
income of less than 924 yuan (US$111) decreased by 6.4 million, said Liu Jian,
director of the Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development
under the State Council.
But this is only half the story, he said.
"For the nearly 100 million people who live just above the benchmark of
poverty, accidental changes, such as disease, would put them back into poverty
again," Liu said at the conference.
It is a strategic mission for the nation to reverse the ideas of the rural
poor, he said.
"People from all walks of life should be mobilized to combat poverty," Liu
said. "And the NGOs could also play a crucial role that will speed up the
government's effort in this regard."
Speaking at a national anti-poverty conference last week, the director said
China has focused on poverty alleviation of one village after another, the
training of migrant workers and the acceleration of the industrialization
process.
He also disclosed that the central government will
allocate 13 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) in financial funds this year with
governments at all levels to earmark corresponding funds to help fight against
poverty.
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