Editor's note: In the run-up to the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress, China Daily sent six reporters to live for a month in poor villages to see how China's poverty eradication plan is improving people's lives. Positive changes in his village over the past few years have helped Shi Quanyou find his Miss Right, and given hope to other villagers. Shi, 45, was one of 38 single men over 40 in Shibadong, Hunan province, which has a population of about 1,000. In poor mountainous areas like Shibadong, many single men have difficulty finding a spouse because of poverty and the harsh environment. "My family was too poor in the past. I was over 40 and I didn't dare to dream about being married," Shi said. As a migrant worker in Zhejiang province, Shi could only save about 500 yuan ($73) a month. In 2012, Shi invited a close female acquaintance, Kong Mingying, a native of neighboring Chongqing, to his home village for Spring Festival. But Kong, shocked by the poor conditions in the village, including Shi's home - a dilapidated traditional wooden house that leaked heavily during rainstorms - worried about the future and was reluctant to agree to marriage. "I grew up in a rural area, too, and I can do all kinds of farm work," said Kong, 36. "But when I first saw the conditions here, I wasn't sure how we could live. Even if I were willing to become a farmer, there isn't enough arable land." She decided to return to work in Guangdong province; Shi returned to Zhejiang. But the two kept in touch. The situation changed after President Xi Jinping visited the village in 2013. Thanks to poverty alleviation efforts by the local government, Shibadong has seen great improvements. Kong was contacted by Shi, who excitedly told her about the president's visit to his house and the series of positive changes in the village. He invited her again - this time to start a restaurant together, because many tourists had started coming to Shibadong, tracing the president's visit or simply to appreciate the beautiful natural environment. "I was thinking that even if we couldn't be a couple eventually, we could perhaps still be good business partners," Shi said. Kong, who used to work in a restaurant in Guangzhou and is good at cooking, eventually agreed to come, and the couple opened a restaurant in Shibadong in 2014. After struggling initially, the business started to go in the right direction. Occupying a spot with a good lookout view, the restaurant is a favorite dining place for tourists. "There are more customers now, and we can barely take in all of them," Shi said, adding that the family can earn more than 10,000 yuan a month from the business. Shi and Kong married in November 2014. The village is now looking to boost tourism by developing a few nearby karst caves. "I'm satisfied with my current life. We will try our best to run the restaurant well, and if tourism develops well in the future, we might also open a rural inn to welcome more guests," Shi said. He has been a good example for the many other villagers who are still single. Some of them, such as Shi Liujin, have also started their own home restaurants or other small businesses. "I think we are more confident," Shi Liujin said. "We can improve our economic conditions through hard work. Our village is not a place that ladies would shun anymore." The village is now helping people like Shi find wives. A group blind date was organized in 2015 by the village committee for some single men in the village. The event attracted many local women. In the past couple of years, several of the single men have successfully found marriage partners, and a large group wedding ceremony was held for them last year. custom wristbands no minimumcharity silicone wristbandsbat fidget spinner
People travel on top of a armoured personnel carrier on a flooded road as a man pushes his bike thorugh the water in Bulathsinhala village in Kalutara, Sri Lanka May 27, 2017.[Photo/Agencies] COLOMBO -- An International non-governmental organization that promotes Children's rights warned on Sunday that the devastating floods in Sri Lanka could exacerbate the dengue crisis in the island country. In a statement, Save the Children said that the stagnant flood waters, providing the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, could exacerbate the dengue crisis that has seen an almost 150 percent increase in cases compared to the same period last year. The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka right now is alarming. The impact of these early monsoon season downpours has been far more devastating than what we'd normally expect this time of the year, Save the Children Country Director in Sri Lanka Chris McIvor said. We're particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant waters that the floods will leave in their wake, which is the last thing needed by families and communities that have already lost so much. The organisation said its teams were on the ground assessing the humanitarian needs and were ready to respond, including by distributing hygiene items to prevent the spread of disease and illness, supporting damaged schools to re-open, distributing safe drinking water and household items to affected families and providing psychosocial support to distressed children. Aid agencies and government authorities are working around the clock to help those most in need, however one thing that is out of our control is the weather. If we see more heavy rains sweep across the country, not only will it increase the humanitarian needs but it will also make accessing communities even more difficult, McIvor said. According to Save the Children, Sri Lanka has recorded almost 53,000 dengue fever cases across the country since the start of the year. Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said Saturday that the health sector and state hospitals are geared to treat the injured and were prepared with the necessary facilities if any outbreak of diseases are reported. Days of severe rains and strong winds, triggered by the yearly monsoons, have killed at least 146 people and affected nearly 500,000 people in Sri Lanka. Rescue and search operations continued into Sunday as thousands had to leave their homes due to rising water levels. The local meteorology department has warned of more rains in the coming days.
