Mention Gansu, and people instantly think of the Silk Road and parched desert land. As you can imagine, the weather there is very dry, and thanks to climate change, in recent years rainfall has become a rare event. To help ease the plight of local villagers in Ruoli (若笠) Township in Jingyuan (靖遠) County, from 1998 to the end of this year, (CG)Tzu Chi estimates it will have helped dig nearly 19,000 water cellars. Tzu Chi has also built a new village nearby a water supply in Liuchuan (劉川) Township. Farmers from Ruoli are already relocating to the new village, which will officially open in November, providing homes, and a new beginning, for 210 poor families.
Rare rain in Ruoli, Gansu
In Ruoli the number of days it rains in a year can be counted by hand. But on the day Da Ai reporters come to this poor Chinese township, there is a downpour.
Dust is usually kicked into the air on the dry plateau 2,000m above sea level, but when it rains, it is hard to even walk along the now muddy roads, let alone drive a car.
Farmers struggle to make a living
When it stops raining, the car finally moves; and around half an hour later, we at last met Wang Lingchao(王靈朝) and his wife, working in the field.
Ruoli Township is in Jingyuan County, in the drought stricken northwest of China. Wang Lingchao is a typical poor farmer, who rises at dawn to begin work and only rests at sunset. In these arid conditions, the farmers know that it takes hard work and patience to eek any produce from the land.
Simple way of life
Back at home, the elderly mother is already waiting at the door to help unload the harvest. Two children stare wide-eyed at the hive of activity.
In most places water comes out of a tap, but in Ruoli it is drawn from the water cellar. One barrel has to last the family of five for many days, so each drop is precious.
Pickled vegetables with plain noodles are eaten for every meal. For generations the family has lived in their earthen home, and slept on beds heated underneath by a stove.
Farmers forced out by drought
As soon as they were able to, their neighbors moved out of the area, leaving only Wang Lingchao and his family.
Ruoli Township resident, Wang Lingchao: "When there's farming to do, I work in the fields. When I can't farm, I go out of the area to find work. I work until the crops are ripe, and come back to harvest them."
Wang Lingchao's wife, Liu Mingxia: "We work hard to stay alive. We're not afraid of hardship. If you live for many years, you just have to keep going."
Excited to be moving into New Village
They may shrug off their problems, but beneath the surface the farmers can barely conceal their excitement, because they too will soon be moving out of the area, and into a place with a fresh water supply: the Tzu Chi New Village in Liuchuan Township.
Wang Lingchao's mother, Li Dongcui: "I'm very happy. We won't have to worry about my grandchildren's education. I'm very happy."
The excitement of moving into the newly completed Tzu Chi village is tangible.
Jingyuan County TC Program Office director, Wang Yi: "The Tzu Chi New Village program is mainly a housing construction project. The design we can see has seven bedrooms and three kitchens. Each complex is 0.64 acres. The main purpose is to separate the people and animals. The pigpen, goat pen, toilet and cesspool are away from the people. It's clean and hygienic."
Better standard of living
Turn on the tap and water comes out. The bed is heated underneath by a charcoal fire to warm the coldest winter night. In the kitchen, the gas stove lights up at the twist of a knob. Jobs are available in the local mining industry, and residents can grow their own crops. There is even a village school, which takes care of the children's education.
Tzu Chi New Village re-housed resident, Zhou Weijun: "This new house is good. At first it didn't feel natural, but after living here for a while I got used to it."
New hope in Tzu Chi New Village
In the past decade, Tzu Chi has built over 18,000 water cellars in Gansu. Now, the Tzu Chi New Village is providing further help for Ruoli residents. This is the start of a new chapter for 900 farmers, and new hope for the next generation.
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