In poverty alleviation, we should "supplement the seedlings" rather than "pull them up" - haste makes waste

If we act on impulse, do work that is not deep or detailed, and launch poverty alleviation projects without long-term planning, it will be difficult to mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses, and it is also likely to lead to a waste of resources and increase the burden on impoverished people.

During recent field research on poverty alleviation in some places, I found that real money and silver were being invested heavily, and cadres and the masses had high enthusiasm and expectations for escaping poverty, but some long-term problems constraining poverty alleviation surfaced.

For example, after registration and filing, a rural poor household of four built a new house of more than 170 sq m within a year - is that good? Impoverished ethnic minority people in mountainous areas who had never been to the county seat took out loans of tens of thousands of yuan to engage in planting and breeding - is that workable? This must be viewed dialectically.

On the one hand, it shows that poverty alleviation measures are more targeted, not only aimed at poor households but also at the problems; on the other hand, precise identification is only the first step, and the long-term benefits of these measures still need to be questioned. How much did they borrow from banks for the new house, and how much did they borrow from relatives and friends? Can raising sheep, growing fruit, and planting medicinal herbs cope with market risks? All of this makes people uneasy.

Targeted poverty alleviation is like "changing flood irrigation to drip irrigation and applying soil testing and formulated fertilization," so that weak seedlings and diseased seedlings can also yield abundantly. However, "poverty has a hundred forms, and hardship has a thousand kinds." If we act on impulse, do work that is not deep or detailed, and launch poverty alleviation projects without long-term planning, it will be difficult to mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses, and it is also likely to lead to a waste of resources and increase the burden on impoverished people.

It is precisely out of this consideration that the main leader of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee emphasized during recent poverty alleviation research: in the fight against poverty, we must not act on impulse and build new houses divorced from reality, and in particular we must resolutely prevent poor households from taking on large amounts of debt because of this, creating new poverty. This warning is highly targeted and also very timely. The fight against poverty is not a battle that can be won with a relaxed charge. Even if it is the bank's money, resources and opportunities must not be wasted. There must be long-term planning and several relationships must be handled well.

For example, it is necessary to grasp well the boundary between outside assistance and active participation. In the face of the poorest of the poor and the most difficult of the difficult, the government must take the initiative to do work, but more important is to stimulate the endogenous motivation for escaping poverty. Nanmei Township in Lincang City, Yunnan Province, is a Lahu Autonomous Township. In the past, poor people accounted for 90 percent of the population. That year it transitioned directly from primitive society to socialism, and now it again faces a historic leap toward comprehensive poverty alleviation. Local people generally have only a few years of education, have little contact with modern civilization, and even run away shyly when they see outsiders. Therefore, they must first be helped to overcome suspicion and fear so that they can also participate actively. In building houses and developing industries, it is necessary to "talk heart to heart and teach hand by hand," but it is also not acceptable to take the easy way out and rush for time by making decisions for them and taking over everything. Otherwise, the masses will "lean against the wall in the sun and wait for others to deliver moderate prosperity," and even a good situation will be difficult to maintain.

For another example, the relationship between the government and the market needs to be coordinated well. Poverty alleviation requires strengthening weak links. Where does the driving force come from? Undoubtedly, it is the leading role of Party committees and governments. However, poverty alleviation cannot rely only on good intentions. It must respect market mechanisms and can also bring in social forces. In many areas where impoverished people live in concentrated communities, they are greatly constrained by basic conditions. The government can work harder on building roads and bridges, medical care, and education, and leave professional matters such as growing flowers, planting fruit, and working the market to professionals. Yunnan Province brought in tobacco companies to provide overall assistance to the Achang ethnic group in escaping poverty, which both increased income and stabilized it, and was very welcomed by the masses.

It is also necessary to handle well the relationship between the present and the long term. At present, in poverty alleviation, whether in funding, projects, or organizational support, we are in "the best period in history." Some people worry: once poverty is lifted and the label is removed, who will manage the follow-up matters? This worry is not without reason, and long-term consideration is needed. For example, in industrial planning, attention should be paid to avoiding "going it alone" and preventing regional risks. At the same time, attention should be paid to improving quality and cultivating people who can lead others to prosperity, which are low-profile "hidden achievements." In addition, endogenous motivation is not something everyone has, so it is also necessary to stimulate the "collective endogenous motivation" of contiguous regional development.

To solve the problem of poverty, we cannot expect to accomplish it all in one battle. Without undergoing a real transformation and without experiencing the storms of the market, even if poverty is escaped, one may not necessarily stand firm. Only by fully estimating the long-term nature and complexity of this work and "supplementing the seedlings" rather than "pulling them up" can the results of poverty alleviation withstand the test of time.