Dong Yang [Women Voice]

Dong Yang, 28, the head of an agricultural business in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has led many people in her community to shake off poverty since she founded a successful local pig-breeding farm.

Dong is the owner of the Breeding Base of Bashan Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Co. in Jinlu Village, Shannan City.

Dong used to work in an office in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province. She was sent as part of the eighth batch of aid teams  from Wuhan to support poverty alleviation projects in Tibet.

Two years ago, her husband, Hu Huiping, was sent to Tibet to participate in the preparation and construction of the project. She quit her job and was hired by Hu's company to join him and become the local responsible person.

At the end of August 2016, Dong was in charge of escorting a new suction truck and related equipment to Tibet, which was also her first time to visit the region.

"Before entering Tibet, I was ready to bear hardships,"said Dong. For her, though, the hardest days were the first few months after she arrived.

Dong, who had not fully adapted to the plateau environment, had to go around to buy materials and organize workers for the complicated construction work.

Sometimes, she was even too busy to sleep a wink.

Especially from February to March there are a lot of wind and many sandstorms in the area.

"The communication signal was often interrupted. Sometimes I walked on the road alone and felt particularly helpless. At that time, I would miss my daughter so much,"Dong said.

It is under such tough conditions, Dong, who looked fragile, managed to complete the establishment of the Breeding Base.

The Breeding Base is located at an altitude of over 4,000 meters and covers an area of 140 mu. It has 14 pig houses, a staff dormitory, canteen, office, feed warehouse, veterinarian and disinfection room.

The total investment for the project is 104 million yuan. And they had completed investment of 91 million yuan.

When a new slaughterhouse is completed in October this year, 20,000 pigs can be brought there within the same year, and the number will grow to 50,000 in the coming year, rising to 100,000 the year after next. At that time, it will become the largest pig breeding base in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

In Dong's view, this huge investment from Wuhan has not only created a modernized base to change the pattern of Shannan's agriculture industry, but also brought job opportunities for the local community.

Ciren Nima, 39, a native of Shannan District, who has had difficulties living with his physically-impaired lower limbs, was hired by Dong to be responsible for cleaning work in the Breeding Base.

He worked hard, earning the highest income in the company. "My life is getting better and better,"Ciren said.

There are 202 households and 800 people in the community in total.

Last year, thanks to the Breeding Base, a total of 53 households and 186 people registered their success in shaking off poverty.

In July of that year, the Base also cooperated with six enterprises keen on charity work in Wuhan, in an joint effort to donate 320,000 yuan as start-up capital for Jinlu Villagers Committee.

Moreover, Dong wishes to introduce modern management mechanisms on the land to lay the foundation for its long-term development in the future.

In wasteland near the breeding base, Dong and her colleagues have already set up an experimental field for a trial in growing corn.

Last year they tried to plant corn in the mountain but the crop failed. This year, they chose to plant it again at the base of the mountain.

If it succeeds, they will mobilize local farmers and herdsmen together with the local villagers committee to plant corn and buy it back after the harvest, which will solve the feed supply of the breeding base as well as bring new revenue for local residents.

On June 10, Dong found corn in the field was growing into green seedlings, much to her delight.