Deputy Party Secretary and Mayor Yuan Zhou on an inspection tour of the re-employment work of Nanyang, escorted by Zhang Xi, deputy Party secretary and chief administrator of Nanyang.	More than 4,000 impoverished families have benefited from 18 discount "Loving Care Supermarkets"in Nanming District, Guiyang.	Xia Gang (second from left), secretary of the CPC Nanming District Committee, shows solicitude to low-income families.

This year has been designated the “Year of People’s Livelihood” in Nanming District of Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province in southwestern China. A series of programs and initiatives are being run in the district to help needy families and enhance the general level of community care.

Help for the Needy

Although Li Shaojun is handicapped, his five-person family relies almost entirely on the small income he makes on his street stall. Their only other source of support is his father’s humble pension, so the family’s total income barely allows anything above a subsistence-level existence. Assistance measures from the government such as grant allowances and offers of public welfare jobs have helped people in Nanming District like Li Shaojun who are in financial difficulty. The extra support ensures they are able to get by, and some needy families have managed to raise their standard of living.

Helping the Jobless Find Employment

There are 369 families in Nanming District without regular wage income. People in these families generally have little formal schooling and are without work skills or experience. Relevant government departments have been organizing skills training and arranging jobs in property management, home care services and health care work. Six workers were hired for a pioneering pollution-free egg selling project. In total, over 300 unemployed locals have obtained employment through this scheme.

Care for the Elderly

Yin Mumei is 84. Five years ago her husband, son and daughter-in-law died of illness in quick succession, leaving her and her six-year-old grandson to somehow eke out a living. They were constantly faced with basic tasks that were beyond their capabilities, such as refilling gas cylinders or changing light bulbs. If neighbors were around they could ask for help; if not, there was nothing they could do, until the “red ribbon” scheme was launched in Nanming’s Houjie Community where Yin lives. “If there is something out of our reach, we just hang the red ribbon out of the window and they will come to help us,” explains Yin Mumei. “Last time our bulb broke, staff members from the neighborhood committee came to help within a moment. They not only changed the bulb, but also cleaned our home.” Eight elderly people living alone in the community have now received a “red ribbon,” with each person on average needing help around 20 times a month.

Alongside the “red ribbon” scheme, volunteer services for the aged have gradually been increasing in Nanming District. A “service station” for senior citizens in Pantaogong Community organizes various recreational and sporting activities for the elderly like waist drumming, dancing and calligraphy. Gao Junde, in his late 60s, is among the first group to live in the service station. “Since living here I have not only made friends, but also been cared for thoroughly, which saves me a lot of worry.”

Presently there are 19 schools and 146 amusement teams for senior citizens, as well as 15 community sanitation service centers and 19 community sanitation service spots, creating a comprehensive care system for the elderly.

Help the Disadvantaged Children to Receive an Education

A RMB 12,000 subsidy has been given to 26 impoverished students in Nanming District, part of the local government’s efforts to assist disadvantaged children obtain an education.

Nanming has a unique assistance scheme involving both local government and enterprises. Chen Zihan is one recipient of help under this system. In July he received an admission notice from Fuzhou University, but instead of the joy one would expect, he was beset with worry. Living on a relief fund, Chen and his divorced, jobless mother were at a loss about how to pay the tuition fees. The Huaguoyuan Sub-district Office appealed to local companies for donations, and received RMB 24,000 from eight sources in two days. With the help of this grant, 10 impoverished youngsters, including Chen Zihan, were able to attend university. Furthermore, the F-Mekage Company set up a foundation of RMB 50,000 to help local students from poor backgrounds with their studies.

The Nanming District government also pays close attention to the enrolment of the children of migrant workers in the area. To ensure they are on an equal educational footing with native students, the government has a policy of exempting them from extra fees. These students are also put on an equal footing when it comes to enrolment. There are 44,000 children of migrant workers currently studying in the district’s schools.