Aerial photo taken on Oct. 28, 2020 shows the old buildings (front) and the new ones (rear) at Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.  Xihaigu, a largely mountainous region in northwest Ningxia, was once inflicted by deep poverty and labeled the "most unfit place for human settlement" torically bid farewell to absolute poverty, during which "she power" played an indispensable role. Ding Haiyan, 55, is chairwoman of the trade union of water supplies bureau of Wuzhong City in Ningxia. She transferred to Hejiayuan Village in Yuwang Township of draught-haunted county of Tongxin in central Ningxia in 2015 starting her new career as a poverty alleviation cadre. To Ding's great disappointment, most villagers there were seniors or the disabled who had no access to paved roads and electric power for industrial purposes, and little confidence in her will and power. Despite these, Ding insisted on making door-to-door visits to get her head around the basic situation there. She came up with a two-pillar strategy to simultaneously improve villagers' income and infrastructure in the village. She also tailored individual poverty-alleviation plans for each household in the village. Started with livestock breeding, villagers had more and more confidence in Ding as they saw steadily increasing income. Ding also managed to multiply the villagers' sources of income by encouraging production of specialty grains like millet and buckwheat. Thanks to her efforts, a paved road was also accomplished to bring output of the village to wider markets. Looking at an almost ready canteen for senior citizens, the last one of her promises to the villagers in Hejiayuan, Ding admitted that she occasionally shed tears due to the difficulties she had to confront, but she would never forget the villagers' eyes with expectation and her responsibility for them. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua]

Ding Haiyan visits a villager's home in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua]

Ding Haiyan (L) visits Yang Youquan's family, once an officially registered household in poverty, in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020.  [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

Ding Haiyan poses for a portrait photo in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020.  [Xinhua/Wang Peng]

Ding Haiyan visits a villager's home in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 27, 2016.  [Xinhua/Wang Peng]

Ding Haiyan (R) visits villagers to learn about their livestock breeding in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 27, 2016.  [Xinhua/Wang Peng]

Ding Haiyan (L) visits Yang Youquan's family, once an officially registered household in poverty, in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020.  [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

Ding Haiyan walks on the now obsolete trail leading to Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020.  [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua]

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 28, 2020 shows the new buildings at Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.  [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua]

Ding Haiyan (R) visits Yang Youquan's family, once an officially registered household in poverty, to learn about their livestock breeding situation in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020. [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

Ding Haiyan greets a child in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020.  [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

Ding Haiyan visits villagers to learn about their recent condition in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020.  [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

Ding Haiyan adds some coal to the stove in her office where she lives and works in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020. [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

Ding Haiyan (R) visits villagers to learn about their livestock breeding in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 27, 2016.  [Xinhua/Wang Peng]

Ding Haiyan(2nd L) visits villagers to learn about their recent condition in Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 28, 2020. [Xinhua/Yang Zhisen]

(Source: Xinhua)