Hu Jihua, head of Lequn village, surveys the land worked by members of the local cooperative. This year, the village has lost crops worth tens of thousands of yuan as a result of disease and abnormally hot weather. Liu Hao / For China Daily

Two decades ago, younger residents, mainly men, began to leave the isolated village, heading to coastal cities where wages were about 10 times higher. Most of them ended up on unregulated, dangerous construction sites with little protection. Inevitably, many returned home with permanent physical damage.

When he was elected village head six years ago, Hu vowed to lift everyone out of poverty. His idea was simple: Gather all available resources and focus on one thing at a time. He established the cooperative and invited every resident to invest money or land.

The cooperative operates like a regular company, but with a twist. It sells farm produce and other local goods, and the villagers take a cut of the profits.

Hu's plan has raised the family's above the national poverty line of 2,800 yuan ($406; 377 euros; 327) per person per year.

As a result of a work injury, Fang Jiaping's left leg has withered to the point that the muscles are barely visible. The 47-year-old had to lean against a wall for support as he spoke.

Fang acts as a casual laborer for the company, packing bags with grain, earning 90 yuan ($13) a day. He is also a shareholder in the cooperative, having invested 5,000 yuan. He can pull out anytime and get a refund.

Cai Xingxue's urinary tract was damaged in a farming accident and he has to wear a diaper in bed. He is 52. His wife has a serious spinal condition that prevents her from working. The couple have three daughters and a young son to support.

Before Hu established the cooperative, a family such as Cai's would have been reliant on limited government subsidies.

"Since joining the cooperative, I do whatever I am able to do, such as spraying pesticides, watering the plants and weeding. Every year, I work for five or six months and earn about 10,000 yuan," he says.

Villagers whose land falls within Hu's area of activity have an extra option. They can invest their land in exchange for shares in the cooperative. Every mu (0.066 hectare) they allow the cooperative to use brings in a fixed sum of 600 yuan per year.

chenmengwei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/31/2017 page7)