Elion turns the Kubuqi Desert into an oasis (1)

In the sandy soil of Hangjin Nur Village, Duguitala Town, Hangjin Banner, Jigelang and his wife plant liquorice seeds in furrows ploughed by machines. They are helping their fellow villagers, just as when the machines plough their 30 mu (2 hectares) in two days time, their neighbors will help them too.

Jigelang has another 8 mu (0.5 hectare) of land that is more fertile than this sandy soil. Last year they grew sunflowers and corn. Corn was for sheep while the sunflowers were for sale. But the price was less than half that of previous years, causing many families to lose money. To offset the adverse impact, Elion provided 30 mu (2 hectares) of sandy land, irrigation facilities, technical guidance and liquorice saplings to low-income families like Jigelang’s. All the Jigelangs need to add is regular irrigation, fertilization, weeding and maintenance.

When the liquorice ripens in two or three years, Elion will collect the harvest and keep 20% of the revenues, leaving 80% to the impoverished families. Elion wants to create opportunities for poor families who are capable of working to overcome poverty on their own, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the liquorice industry. [Photo by Yang Jia]