Field Research on Poverty Alleviation in Huanggangqi

Today I started my research on poverty alleviation at Huanggang Dongzhai. I decided start this project because I wanted to get to know more about the dire issues of poverty in China, especially near Guiyang, my hometown. The purpose of this research is to examine the core issues and to see if there is anything the community and myself can do to help and contribute to poverty alleviation issues. We drove four hours from home to our first destination — Huanggangqi. When we arrived at the village, the first thing that came to mind was unsophisticated and old. All the houses were made of wood surrounded by paddy fields. Chickens and ducks were walking around on the road and there were children, adults, and elderly people with traditional clothing walking on the pathways.

When we were given a tour around the village, one building that shocked me was their elementary school. Normally in villages, there are no elementary schools because education is not considered important to villagers since they had a history of living hundreds of years without proper education. However, in this village, not only an elementary school existed, but also the building was the best constructed and largest throughout the whole village. I was very touched by this scene and how much the villagers care about providing education for their future generations. The villagers seem to believe that education is one of the keys to preventing poverty and achieving prosperity. Compared to other villages, this village had a lot of young adults, which symbolize energy and enthusiasm. The children and young adults represent a sense of success in poverty alleviation. While it is relieving to see a bright future lying before the village, I hope to find ways to better their living conditions and resources to support their community development.