減貧合作：中老關(guān)系里的一抹暖色

黃昀昀

2021年4月6日，中國國務(wù)院發(fā)布了《人類減貧的中國實踐》白皮書，不僅向世界展示了中國減貧取得的偉大成效，也集中闡述了中國在國際減貧事業(yè)上的貢獻，其中就包括在老撾、柬埔寨、緬甸3國鄉(xiāng)村基層社區(qū)實施“東亞減貧示范合作技術(shù)援助項目”。廣西外資扶貧項目管理中心是3國里，中老減貧合作示范項目（以下簡稱中老減貧項目）的實施單位，在老撾萬象市桑通縣版索村和瑯勃拉邦市象龍村開展了為期3年的減貧工作。

中老減貧項目為村民生活帶來了什么變化？中方又是如何推動村民脫離貧困隊伍的？就這些問題，廣西外資扶貧項目管理中心副主任韋克在接受本刊記者專訪時，給出了答案。

中國團隊到來，示范村舊貌換新顏

從2017年到2020年，時光在版索村和象龍村兩個減貧示范村里，鐫刻下了發(fā)展的印記——平整的瀝青道路、牢固的鋼桁橋、全新的校舍和村級活動中心等基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施，皆是中老減貧項目的顆顆珍貴果實。

在廣西外資扶貧項目管理中心提供的相片里，一名小伙的頭發(fā)和背上沾滿了泥土路揚起的黃色塵土。過去，版索村村民對此習(xí)以為常?！奥溆暌簧砟?，天晴一身灰?！?版索村副村長坎占曾這樣總結(jié)泥土路給村民們帶來的困擾。而如今，共計4.16公里的瀝青路取代了原有土路，它們似不斷延展的枝葉，為曾經(jīng)黃土飛揚的兩座村莊帶去了清新的綠意與發(fā)展的生機。

據(jù)韋克回憶，在交通問題上，除了道路，陳舊的橋梁也一度令人頭疼。此前，版索村的木質(zhì)舊橋橫跨在河流之上，密密麻麻的木樁立于河床，支撐著橋面。這是一些孩子上學(xué)的必經(jīng)之路，如今，它被一座中國援建的鋼桁橋替代?，F(xiàn)代化的橋墩、桁架和路面處處體現(xiàn)著堅固牢靠。這座橋建成以后，不僅便利了村民之間的往來，為生產(chǎn)區(qū)提供物資的車輛也能直接穿橋而過，告別了蹚水運輸?shù)臅r代?！爸?，我們連做夢都不敢想有這樣一天。” 坎占的感嘆讓韋克印象深刻。

電力是人們生活的剛需，此前村民們的日常用電雖已得到滿足，但村內(nèi)沒有夜間照明。中老減貧項目啟動后，一盞盞太陽能路燈在村里立了起來，不僅優(yōu)化了照明條件，還“點亮”了村里的夜生活。韋克介紹，現(xiàn)在各種便利店、小吃店開始在夜間營業(yè)，村民會聚集在路燈下閑聊、孩子們在路上玩耍，整個村子比以前熱鬧許多。

總體來說，中老減貧項目團隊在改善基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施方面下了大功夫。除了上述項目，團隊還建成了生產(chǎn)區(qū)橋涵1座、村級活動中心2座、村衛(wèi)生室2個、學(xué)校宿舍4座、操場2個、廁所2個、織布展示廳2個等，實實在在地改善了村民們的生活環(huán)境。

老撾農(nóng)林部副部長坎本納·塞亞農(nóng)就曾對項目表示肯定：中國援老撾減貧示范合作項目由兩國政府共同實施，給老撾帶來了一種全新的減貧模式。我們要將其作為示范工程向全國推廣，使更多老撾民眾受益。

當(dāng)“以人為本”融入減貧工作

“人”是社會的核心要素。在減貧合作中，中方始終貫徹“以人為本”的減貧理念，這不僅體現(xiàn)在建設(shè)項目的選擇上，還體現(xiàn)在項目實施的過程中。

韋克表示，“缺什么補什么”是減貧團隊規(guī)劃項目的原則。而“缺什么”，由村民們說了算。在進行項目可行性調(diào)研時，團隊組織村民用投票選出了他們認(rèn)為最迫切的需求——解決飲用水入戶難題?！跋簖埓逵?72戶814人，世世代代生活用水都靠收集雨水，或從流經(jīng)村旁的南康河挑水飲用。南康河河床深，旱季提水困難，并且經(jīng)當(dāng)?shù)夭块T檢測，水質(zhì)達不到飲用水標(biāo)準(zhǔn)?！表f克說，這是該示范村用水的痛點。

但投票過程中，村內(nèi)道路、活動中心、衛(wèi)生室、太陽能路燈等項目的得票率也很高，如何在援助資金有限的情況下，盡可能多地兼顧更多需求呢？減貧團隊決定想辦法壓縮引水入戶工程的建設(shè)成本。

據(jù)韋克介紹，后來在當(dāng)?shù)卣膸椭?，減貧團隊以自愿為原則，組織當(dāng)?shù)厝罕娡豆ね秳?，?公里外為象龍村引來了符合當(dāng)?shù)仫嬘脴?biāo)準(zhǔn)的山泉水，并將水管接到了每家每戶?！八麄儏⑴c建設(shè)的熱情高漲，因為大家都明白這是在為自己勞動?！表f克說，通過村民齊心協(xié)力地努力，飲水入戶工程造價從最初預(yù)算的200萬元人民幣降低到67萬元人民幣。

水管不僅為村民輸送來飲用水，還將老撾重大傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日——潑水節(jié)帶到了村民家門口。韋克說：“過去村內(nèi)沒有干凈的水源，村民要前往瑯勃拉邦市過潑水節(jié)。而現(xiàn)在，村民在家門口就能實現(xiàn)潑水祈福的愿望?！?/p>

而對于兩個示范村的農(nóng)業(yè)發(fā)展?fàn)顩r，韋克稱：“還停留在非常初級的階段。”他介紹，老撾農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)結(jié)構(gòu)單一，缺乏技術(shù)與資金支持，沒有灌溉設(shè)備或設(shè)備簡陋，收成主要靠“天意”。

他說，為解決這一問題，改善村里的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施后，中方援助著力推進農(nóng)戶生計項目發(fā)展，在現(xiàn)有產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)基礎(chǔ)上，增加對中低收入農(nóng)戶的產(chǎn)業(yè)投入。目前，象龍村已按計劃發(fā)展織布、養(yǎng)牛、養(yǎng)雞、大棚蔬菜、露天蔬菜種植等項目。以蔬菜種植示范戶為例，每戶每年可增收1萬元人民幣以上。

期待在減貧路上再次相遇

3年間，中老減貧項目借鑒中國以政府為主導(dǎo)、群眾參與為基礎(chǔ)的“整村推進”減貧經(jīng)驗，對示范村開展了5個方面的幫扶，包括基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施建設(shè)、公共服務(wù)、農(nóng)戶生計改善、能力建設(shè)和技術(shù)援助等。在同一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)下，示范村貧困發(fā)生率產(chǎn)生了顯著的變化：從最初的52%下降到項目終期評估時的25%。

2020年11月，中國國務(wù)院總理李克強在第23次東盟與中日韓（10+3）領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人會議上提出中方愿實施“東亞減貧合作倡議二期”項目，實現(xiàn)地區(qū)協(xié)調(diào)發(fā)展。此前，中方團隊在減貧合作中融入許多廣西扶貧經(jīng)驗，但項目基礎(chǔ)條件薄弱，項目期僅有3年，加上2020年受到新冠肺炎疫情沖擊等客觀原因，部分項目設(shè)計和理念的減貧效果還需要一定時間來展現(xiàn)。因此，韋克表示：“我們也希望并積極爭取參與二期項目建設(shè)，在中老減貧示范合作項目經(jīng)驗的基礎(chǔ)上，為東盟國家減貧發(fā)展作出更多貢獻?！?/p>

韋克認(rèn)為，廣西還有“升級”版的扶貧經(jīng)驗可以幫助老撾貧困農(nóng)村發(fā)展添后勁。在農(nóng)村發(fā)展方面，他提議進一步引入中老企業(yè)、高校、社會團體等參與項目活動，形成大扶貧格局;進一步壯大發(fā)展村集體經(jīng)濟，為鄉(xiāng)村基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施和公共服務(wù)設(shè)施升級提供支撐，促進鄉(xiāng)村發(fā)展提質(zhì)增效。在農(nóng)業(yè)發(fā)展方面，他提出可提升農(nóng)民合作組織專業(yè)化程度，提高統(tǒng)一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，優(yōu)化品種、提升品質(zhì)、打造品牌，提高農(nóng)產(chǎn)品附加值;還可適當(dāng)配套發(fā)展農(nóng)產(chǎn)品加工業(yè)，延長產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈，增加就業(yè)機會。

授人以魚只救一時之急，授人以漁則可解一生之需。隨著中老命運共同體建設(shè)的不斷推進，我們相信，中老兩國間的減貧合作故事一定還會延續(xù)。

On April 6， 2021， the State Council of China released the white paper Chinas Practice in Human Poverty Reduction， which not only shows the countrys great achievements made in poverty reduction to the world， but also elaborates on its contribution to global poverty reduction such as the “East Asia Poverty Reduction Demonstration Cooperation Technical Assistance Projects” program implemented in rural communities in Laos， Cambodia， and Myanmar. Among the three countries， Guangxi Foreign Capital Poverty Reduction Project Management Center is the unit responsible for the poverty reduction in Laos. It has carried out poverty reduction for three years in Ban Xor Village in Sangthong of Lao capital Vientiane and Xienglom Village in Luang Prabang.

What changes has the poverty reduction project brought to villagers lives？ How does China lift local people out of poverty？ Wei Ke， Deputy Director of Guangxi Foreign Capital Poverty Reduction Project Management Center， answered these questions in an interview with the reporter from China-ASEAN Panorama.

Chinese team brings new look to? demonstration village

From 2017 to 2020， great changes have taken place in the two poverty reduction demonstration villages of Ban Xor and Xienglom — flat asphalt roads， solid steel truss bridges， and brand-new infrastructures like school buildings and activity centers， all of which epitomize the great achievements made in poverty reduction cooperation between China and Laos.

In the photo provided by Guangxi Foreign Capital Poverty Reduction Project Management Center， a young mans hair and back are covered with yellow dust raised from dirt roads. In the past， villagers in Ban Xor got used to it. “In rainy days we are troubled by mud， while in sunny days， by dust.” Kham Zham， Deputy Head of the village once summed up the troubles brought by the dirt road to the villagers. Now， a total of 4.16 kilometers of asphalt roads have replaced the original ones， bringing vitality to the two villages.

According to Wei Ke， in addition to the roads， old bridges were once a headache too. In the past， the old wooden bridge in Ban Xor was supported by dense wooden piles standing on the river bed， serving as the only way for children to go to school. Now， it has been replaced by a steel truss bridge with modern piers， trusses， and roads， which are solid and reliable. After completing， the bridge not only facilitates the communication between villagers， but also makes sure vehicles can directly pass through， ending the era of wading through the water. “We didnt even dream of such a day.” Kham Zhams words impressed Wei Ke.

Electricity is the rigid demand of people. Although villagers daily electricity consumption has been met before， there is no illumination at night in the village. Since the implementation of the China-Laos Poverty Reduction Project， solar lamps have been seen on the streets in the village， which not only optimized the illumination conditions， but also enriched the villagers night lives. According to Wei Ke， now， many convenience stores and snack bars are open at night. Villagers gather to chat and children play under the street lamps. The whole village is more bustling than before.

In a word， people engaged in China-Laos Poverty Reduction Project have made great efforts in improving infrastructure. Besides the improvemnt in infrastructure， they have also built a variety of public facilities， effectively improving the living environment of the villagers.

Campana Seyanon， Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos， showed a positive attitude towards the project： China-aided Laos Poverty Reduction Demonstration Cooperation Project is jointly implemented by the two governments. It has brought Laos a new model in poverty reduction. We will promote it to the whole country to benefit more people.

Integrating people-oriented philosophy into poverty reduction

People function as the core element of society. In poverty reduction cooperation， China has always upheld the people-oriented philosophy， reflected not only in the selection of projects， but also in the process of implementation.

According to Wei Ke， poverty reduction is based on the principle of supplying the shortage. Villagers have the final say in this respect. In the process of investigating the feasibility of the project， the poverty reduction team organized villagers to vote for their most urgent needs， which appeared to be household water shortage. “There are 814 people in 169 households in Xienglom Village. For generations， people rely on collecting rainwater or carrying water from the Nam Khan river to meet their needs in daily life. However， the riverbed is deep and it is not easy to collect water in the dry season. Besides， the water quality failed the drinking water test by local departments. Villagers have been troubled by this problem for a long time，” said Wei Ke.

Besides household water shortage， the voting rate of constructing roads， activity centers， clinics， solar street lamps is also very high. Since the funds for assistance are limited， how can we meet their needs as much as possible？ The poverty reduction team tried to find ways to reduce the cost of the water diversion project.

According to Wei Ke， with the help of the local government， the poverty reduction team organized local people to work voluntarily. From five kilometers away， villagers found mountain spring water meeting the safety standards. The water pipes were connected to every household. “They are enthusiastic about participating in the construction. Everyone knows that they are working for themselves. Through the concerted efforts， the cost of the water diversion project has been reduced from RMB 2 million yuan to RMB 670，000 yuan，” said Wei Ke.

The water pipes bring not only drinking water to the villagers but also the Water Splashing Festival， a major traditional festival in Laos， to their homes. “In the past， there was no clean water source in the village， so the villagers had to go to Luang Prabang for the Water Splashing Festival. Now， they can splash water and pray at home，” said Wei Ke.

As for the agricultural development in the two demonstration villages， Wei Ke said：“ It is still in a very primary stage.” He pointed out that Laos has a single agricultural structure that lacks technical and financial support. There is no irrigation equipment or the equipment is primitive. The harvest largely depends on “providence”.

According to Wei Ke， to solve this problem， after improving the infrastructure， the assistance would turn to promote peoples livelihood. Based on the existing industrial structure， the investment would be increased to aid low- and middle-income farmers. At present， Xienglom Village has developed weaving， cattle and chicken raising， greenhouse and open-air vegetable planting， and other projects as planned. Take the vegetable planting as an example， each household can increase income by more than RMB 10，000 yuan per year.

More contribution to ASEAN countries in poverty reduction

In the past three years， China-Laos Poverty Reduction Project drew lessons from Chinas “whole-village pushing forward in poverty alleviation” which features government-led and mass participation， providing assistance to the demonstration villages in infrastructure construction， public services， peoples livelihood， and agricultural management ability， and technical support. Under the same standard， the? poverty headcount ratio in the demonstration villages has reduced significantly from 52% to 25%.

In November 2020， at the 23rd ASEAN Plus Three （APT） Summit， Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed that China is willing to implement phase II of the Cooperation Initiative on Poverty Alleviation in East Asia， so as to achieve coordinated regional development. The poverty reduction team had integrated a lot of experience gained in Guangxi into the cooperation with Laos before. However， because of the poor conditions in targeted villages and limited time， plus the outbreak of the pandemic， some designs and concepts failed to work at full capacity in the two demonstration villages. In this regard， Wei Ke said：“ We hope to implement phase II of the project and make more contributions to the poverty reduction in ASEAN countries based on the experience of China-Laos Poverty Reduction Project.”

Wei Ke believes that Guangxi has better poverty alleviation experience to help Laos in revitalizing poor rural areas. In rural development， he proposed to let enterprises， universities， and social organizations in Laos participate in the project， so as to achieve broad participation in poverty alleviation. In agricultural development， he proposed to improve the specialization of cooperative organizations， optimize crop varieties and quality， and establish brand awareness， to add value to agricultural products. Besides， he suggested to develop processing industries to extend industrial chains，? increasing employment opportunities. In developing the rural collective economy， he proposed to promote the quality and efficiency of rural development based on the upgraded rural infrastructure and public facilities.

Give a man a fish， and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish， and you feed him for a lifetime. With the continuous advancement of the China-Laos community with a shared future， we believe that more poverty reduction cooperation between China and Laos is yet to come.