Millennial civil servant engages in poverty alleviation, education in village in Guangxi

Wei Jichen (left) talks about agricultural production with a resident of Xiatao village, Shibeiping township, Liubei district, Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.(Xinhua/Li Hanchi)

Wei Jichen was born in Luzhai county, Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in Nov. 1993. She attended a master’s program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou and returned to her hometown in July 2018, where she became a civil servant after passing the exam. Wei applied to work at the grass-roots level in order to make a contribution to Liuzhou’s impoverished residents. She was assigned to work as a poverty alleviation official in Xiatao village, Shibeiping township, Liubei district.

Xiatao is known for its Bauhinia plants and has been developing the industry in recent years, which made it possible for it to emerge from poverty in 2017. The children who live in the village tended to be uninterested in their education, however, even as their lifestyles improved. Insufficient parental guidance contributed to the problem, and the phenomenon was especially bad among families that had only recently emerged from poverty. This may undermine the village's endeavors in poverty alleviation in the long run.

Wei also holds a teaching credential that qualifies her to teach Chinese at the senior high school level. She hoped to use her expertise to increase students’ motivation and enthusiasm in the village and to promote the concept of education leading to prosperity. Wei began offering various online and offline classes in Xiatao at the beginning of 2019 with a group of volunteers, which its residents appreciated.

The poverty alleviation official offered more online classes after the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and also began providing further support on evenings and weekends. Students who are unable to participate at home are encouraged to attend in person at Xiatao’s village committee office.

Wei stated:“ Bauhinia is not only the official flower of Liuzhou city, it also helps residents of its villages improve their lives. I hope the students that live in Xiatao cherish the educational opportunities that they have been given and resolve to change their lives, which is an important part of poverty alleviation.”