Disabled but strong-willed, he returned home to start a business, bravely pursuing his dream of prosperity
"It is not easy for us disabled people to start a business. Without the support of the county Party committee and county government, I would not be where I am today." On December 2, during an interview at the Ecological Cattle Farming Farmers' Professional Cooperative in Juqi Village, Longlou Village, Baixu Town, cooperative manager Meng Qinping said.
On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this writer accompanied the county disabled persons' federation to Juqi Village, Longlou Village, Baixu Town, to learn on the ground how, under the guidance of the county Party committee and county government, impoverished households and impoverished households with disabled members had joined the cooperative to develop distinctive farming and breeding businesses, support themselves, and find employment or start businesses.
A migrant worker impoverished by disability
Meng Qinping grew up in a poor family. After graduating from secondary vocational school, he went to a factory in Dongguan, Guangdong, to work in mold design. With solid skills and a hardworking spirit, he quickly became a key designer at the factory. Not long after, he married and had a child. It could truly be said that he enjoyed success in both career and love, and his life was happy and fulfilling.
However, fortune is fickle. During an operation at the end of 2013, Meng Qinping accidentally had more than half of his palm cut off by a machine. The unscrupulous boss refused to take responsibility, and the huge medical expenses made an already poor family's situation even worse.
In February 2014, after his injury healed, Meng Qinping entered a long tug-of-war with his boss over compensation for the work injury. To win the lawsuit, he studied law assiduously to defend his rights and interests, and obtained the corresponding compensation. During this process, he joined a local volunteer organization and became a "rights-protection volunteer," helping migrant workers defend their rights.
After his hand was disabled, Meng Qinping tried many industries, but all ended in failure. The whole burden of supporting the family fell on his wife alone, and life became increasingly difficult. "This cannot go on like this. Right now targeted poverty alleviation is being implemented across the whole region, and our hometown has such good poverty alleviation policies. Why don't you go home and start a business?" Meng Qinping and his wife discussed.
Joining the cooperative and finding a new path
As a key county in the new round of national poverty alleviation and development and a contiguous impoverished area, our county attaches great importance to the battle against poverty. After precisely identifying impoverished households, it also implemented precise measures. In 2015, the county actively integrated more than 50 million yuan in poverty alleviation funds (including 30 million yuan in industrial poverty alleviation funds), and established a cooperative strategy with the county rural credit union to arrange no less than 50 million yuan in loans each year to support poverty alleviation work, with the county finance department arranging 6 million yuan for two years of interest subsidies, giving each impoverished household a loan of 20,000 yuan, and arranging 5 million yuan to "insure" impoverished households (agricultural insurance), granting insured impoverished households corresponding insurance compensation. In addition, for whole villages advancing industries and establishing cooperatives, impoverished households were given 5,000 yuan per household in support, and non-impoverished households were given 3,000 yuan per household in support, with priority support for impoverished households and impoverished households with disabled members to join cooperatives and develop distinctive farming and breeding businesses, so that impoverished households and disabled people could have a dignified income.
Inspired by his hometown, in April 2015 Meng Qinping returned to his old home to look for a way to start a business. When he learned that Juqi Village was advancing industry across the whole village and had established the Ecological Cattle Farming Farmers' Professional Cooperative, and that the county was promoting the "company + base + cooperative + farming households" model, absorbing impoverished households and disabled people into the cooperative, which already had a farming scale of 144 cattle, Meng Qinping had a business idea and firmly joined the village cooperative to develop a distinctive breeding business.
Using start-up funds supported by the county Party committee, county government and county disabled persons' federation, as well as special poverty alleviation loans, Meng Qinping bought two cows, joined the cooperative, and volunteered to serve as the cooperative's manager.
Meng Qinping not only carefully fed his two cows, but also took the initiative to help villagers manage the cattle they had placed in the cooperative's care, and did a good job keeping the farm clean. To solve minor problems such as rhinitis in cattle caused by nose rings, Meng Qinping took the initiative to learn disease prevention knowledge from old farmers and local veterinarians. Through the joint efforts of Meng Qinping and the villagers, the cattle in the pens grew stronger and stronger.
At the same time, Meng Qinping and other managers also traveled around for the cooperative's cattle supply, successively visiting Guiping, Laibin and other places to inspect and introduce fine-breed calves for the cooperative. "Cattle in the south are too expensive. Next year we will go to Shandong to bring in calves from there, and strive for each household to raise more than 5 cattle." When talking about work, Meng Qinping's thinking was very clear. "We lack technology, but we do not lack spirit. Next, we will send two people for training to learn about raising and disease prevention. Through the county's special support loans and the natural reproduction of the cattle on hand, the cooperative will grow to a farming scale of 300 cattle next year." Meng Qinping said confidently.
In addition, Meng Qinping also took the initiative to develop a "secondary industry." Under the guidance of relevant departments, he planned to use cattle manure to raise earthworms and develop ecological chicken farming.
"With the care of county leaders, the support of poverty alleviation policies, and the cooperative as our backing, our lives will get better and better." Meng Qinping is full of longing for the future.