Since November 2005, JOICFP has been carrying out project activities for JICA's "People’s Participatory Poverty Reduction Model Project in Daozhen and Leishan Counties, Guizhou."

Many kinds of training courses have been conducted, and in June 2007, Chihiro Uchiyama, Assistant Program Officer, JOICFP, visited the project areas to conduct a workshop on income generation and livelihood improvement.

She was accompanied by Xu Xianmei, Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Beijing, and Nie Xiuli, Rural Development Institute, Academy of Social Sciences, Guizhou, both experts in rural and community development.

Dr. Xu gives an encouraging lecture
to farmers in Leishan County

In rural areas in China, infrastructure development, such as road and water facilities, has traditionally been carried out by government. However, this was often implemented in a top-down manner and did not reflect the needs of the people.

As a result, villagers tend to be passive about participatory construction and have limited awareness of issues that need to be addressed.

Drawing on Japan’s post WW II experience, Uchiyama explained that people need to identify the issues that can be solved on an individual level, and those that need a cooperative approach.

She explained how women farmers, especially, were organized into small groups in Japan to tackle problems, and how they were supported by government "livelihood improvement extension workers."

In the workshop, villagers discussed the advantages and disadvantages of their villages, and were surprised to find benefits such as unique products or handicrafts that could be developed to assist with economic development.

Villagers in Daozhen County
prepare to apply for a revolving fund

In discussions with interested villagers, people came to realize the importance of volunteering and organizing themselves in participatory community activities.

Daozhen plans to construct a pig farm to raise sows, partly funded by villagers, with some of the funds generated used for public services for the village.

Leishan will construct a 'culture square' to hold organizational activities and carry out training, such as cooking and handicrafts, and traditional Miao events.

It is expected that these activities will strengthen the spirit of mutual and community cooperation, as well as raise the standards of living and health.