He shuttled back and forth, contacting enterprises to promote care for the elderly, while collecting funds to help students. He listened to public opinion and strengthened infrastructure construction, promoting public transportation and water conservation. He put to use the collective strengths of villagers to help them shake of poverty.

His name is Bayar, and he is an outstanding alumnus of Inner Mongolia Open University, and the leader and major resident secretary of a work team in Beinao Village, Tumed Left Banner, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

Volunteering in the countryside to promote rural construction

In the spring of 2014, after China had launched its Beautiful Countryside Construction initiative, Bayar volunteered to serve as the major residency secretary of Binzhouhai Village, Tumed Left Banner.

He set to work at once, visiting individual owners, farmers, and households in need, focusing on their expectations and their problems.

He found that the most urgent issue in the village was transportation. Although the roads were in fairly good shape, public transportation was extremely inconvenient.

In order to solve the travel difficulties of nearly 10,000 villagers in the "two townships and six villages", Bayar undertook the difficult task of convincing the Hohhot Bus Company to open a new route. After more than a year of negotiations, he managed to have route No. 64 set up, establishing the "last kilometer" of transportation for villagers.

Next he tackled the problem of dealing with drought through water conservation. Funding was the main problem, but after protracted negotiations he succeeded in having RMB 500,000 allocated to the development of water-conservation facilities in the village.

Bayar and his team also worked together to develop tourism and the produce industries to attract urban residents to the countryside to experience rural life. He also set up online outlets for the village's agricultural products.

He took a number of approaches to helping the villagers increase their income.

Choosing to stay in the countryside and making changes appropriate to local conditions

In 2017, Bayar’s tenure ended, and he could have returned to the city. However, as a response to the call of General Secretary Xi Jinping to “resolutely win the battle against poverty”, he decided to stay.

In Beinao village, where he now served, salinisation had affected the groundwater, and water shortages demanded immediate attention.

With help from a paired unit, and after extensive negotiations and demonstrations, work finally began on the water pipes. Bayar and his team physically participated in the construction, and in November 2018, a 10.5-kilometer line was completed. The clear water from it was a blessing to the five villages served.

In addition, Bayar arranged for an insurance company to sign an assistance agreement with the villagers, and for public-welfare organisations to help build a "poverty alleviation breeding farm".

This farm was designed by Bayar and tailored to the village, enabling villagers to pool their efforts and earn a living without migrating.

Steadfast in fighting poverty

Through these initiatives, and numerous smaller measures, Bayar made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation.

He says that, "Only understanding poverty realistically at the grass-roots can motivate us to work in the countryside, join villagers in their struggle to lead better lives, and move toward a prosperous society!"

Bayar is compared to a Mongolian horse with the "Mongolian horse spirit" of unremitting effort.

The Open University of China is proud of him for his devotion to helping those in need.

By OUC News Network