CHINA / POVERTY

They live high up in the clouds in one of China's most beautiful regions, the lush and green Guanxi province. But that remoteness comes at a cost-the government estimates that about 85 million rural Chinese live in poverty. But working from the bottom up, the government, with help from the World Bank, is trying to help. WORLD BANK

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:40
• Production Date: 9 September 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD BANK
• Subject Topical: AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS; AGRICULTURAL POLICY; RURAL SOCIOLOGY; HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: CHINA
• MAMS Id: U100909f

Description

STORY: CHINA / POVERTY
TRT: 2.40
SOURCE: WORLD BANK
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / MANDARIN /NATS

DATELINE: JUNE 2010, GUANXI PROVINCE, CHINA

Shotlist

1. Wide, establishing of village entrance
2. Tilt up of stoned road of village
3. Wide, low angle , wooden home
4. Wide shots of three ethnic YAO women
5. Wide, terraced hills
6. Wide shot of lady gathering rice
7. Wide shot of men throwing fertilizer
8. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Chen Enwei, farmer:
“Before the running water came we had to carry water on our shoulders, it was quite time consuming, and now we can use that time for other things.”
9. Wide shot of water pipe
10. Wide shot of woman opening faucet
11. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Su Weijan, farmer:
“The running water has solved many problems. We save time and can do more work in the fields and it is much more convenient with water at home.”
12. Wide shot, low angle pan of wooden homes
13. Med shot, 2 farmers walking towards camera
14. Wide shot, lady walking towards camera
15. Wide shot, men making tea
16. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Su Qiu’e,Water Management Committee:
“We discussed what to do first, we elected our own representatives and then we voted on priorities. In our area, we voted roads first and drinking water next.”
17. Med shot of engraved stone
18. Close up, names engraved in stone
19. Med shot, men showing his name engraved
20. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Huang Canbin, Provincial Government Poverty Alleviation Office:
“Really the biggest impact of this project is that the leaders have listened to the farmers, from planning to implementation, we’ve listened to the farmers.”

21. Wide shot, road
22. Close up, shot of saplings
23. Med shot, man next to his motorbike
24. Wide shot, man feeding ducks
25. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Li Fugui, duck farmer:
“This is much better than farming. When I worked in the fields, my annual income was 2-3 thousand yuan, now I earn 10, 20 thousand a year. I plan to expand my business using my profits.”
26. Wide shot, village store
27. Wide shot, village store (different angle)
28. Zoom out, two girls posing for camera
29. Wide shot, corn plantation
30. Pan left, villagers next to store
31. Tilt down, wooden house from top to bottom.

Storyline

The traditional houses in this village of 2537 people perched high above the clouds are made of wood, and the ethnic Yao who live here farm rice on the terraced hills below their houses.

The people who live way up here are part of China’s rural poor….and life can be hard.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Chen Enwei, Farmer:
“Before the running water came we had to carry water on our shoulders, it was quite time consuming, and now we can use that time for other things.”

They got running water in 2008.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Su Weijan, farmer:
“The running water has solved many problems. We save time and can do more work in the fields and it is much more convenient with water at home.”

This village is part of a wider project spread out over 3 counties that aims to improve lives and livelihoods. And what’s most interesting about it is that the government of China, with help from the World Bank, is relying on villagers to make decisions about what will help them.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Su Qiu’e,Water Management Committee:
“We discussed what to do first, we elected our own representatives and then we voted on priorities. In our area, we voted roads first and drinking water next.”

They drew up their plan, signed it and display it, written in stone, in the village square.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Huang Canbin, Provincial Government Poverty Alleviation Office:
“Really the biggest impact of this project is that the leaders have listened to the farmers, from planning to implementation, we’ve listened to the farmers.”

A new road helps about 300 kids get to school; new agricultural techniques are improving crop yields and a micro loan helped Li Fugui, showing off his new motorbike, start a duck farm.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Li Fugui, duck farmer:
“This is much better than farming. When I worked in the fields, my annual income was 2-3 thousand yuan, now I earn 10, 20 thousand a year. I plan to expand my business using my profits.”

China has made huge progress in reducing poverty. According to government estimates, rural poverty has fallen from about 30per cent in 1978 to 3 per cent today, an astonishing achievement. The hope is that projects – and villagers – like these will cut those numbers further