Knitting a Better Future!

Knitting a Better Future!

Federation Helps Impoverished

Women Increase Incomes,Live Better Lives

巧手编织幸福梦

——漳县发展手工编织助推精准扶贫纪实

zhangxian, a country in Dingxi,a city in north western China's Gansu Province,is on the list of national-level,poverty-stricken counties. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) in recent yeara has implemented targeted measures to help women in Zhangxian escape poverty. The Women's Federation of Zhangxian County has guided the local women as they have knitted crafts, in or neai their homes, in the past two years. The federation has helped them both earn more money and live better lives.

甘肃省漳县是国家级贫困县，也是全国妇联定点帮扶县。两年来，漳县按照扶贫攻坚的部署要求，提出了“发展手工编织业。促进妇女居家灵活就业”的发展思路，积极引导各界妇女参与手工编织，增加贫困妇女收入，让广大妇女用灵巧的双手编织出自己的幸福梦。

“Two years  ago, I participated in a hand-knitting training session held by the county ' s women ' s federation. The teachers came from Beijing .Their lessons were so good that I learned several new weaving skills .Now ,I receive orders and knit crafts during the slack season . I can earn extra money to pay our family ' s living expenses. At the same time , I still have time to look after my children . Hand - knitting helps me a lot , " says wang linlin ,27, from baojiashan, a village in Zhangxian.

 Wang migrated several times to several big cities to look for work in the years before she got married . Wang ' s husband has migrated several times to big cities to find work since they got married.

 Wang lives in baojiashan village, where she looks after their children and performs farm chores during the growing and harvest seasons . Wang ' s family lives in poverty.

 The village does not have a kindergarten . Wang rents a room in another district of Zhangxian , so she can accompany her children when they attend kindergarten. Wang has very little to do , except household chores and take her children to and from kindergarten.

 So , two years ago , Wang participated in the hand-knitting training session held by the county ' s women ' s federation . Now, she earns nearly 1 , 5 0 0 yuan ( us $ 2 3 1 ) per month . she can help her husband support their family.

Ma haiju,34, from qijiaping, a village in Zhangxian , also accompanies her children when they attend schools in another district of Zhangxian.

 For years , Ma ' s husband supported the family by working part - time jobs . That was before Ma learned hand - knitting skills . He often had difficulty finding a part - time job , and the family often spent more than he earned. Ma ' s friend encouraged her to attend the hand - knitting training session organized by the county ' s women ' s federation. Now , Ma earns more than 1 , 0 0 0 yuan ( US  $154 ) per month , just by making hand - knitted crafts during slack seasons . Last year , ma ' s family constructed a new house."Hand - knitting has helped me get a job … I still have time to look after my children . Now , our family lives a better life , " says Ma .

 She is not alone . "Impoverished women in rural areas are living better lives by making hand - knitted crafts . Our county is on the list of national - level , poverty - stricken counties . The ACWF has taken targeted measures to help us get out of poverty . Our county has 1 0 4 , 1 0 0 women . Among them , 2 3 , 8 0 0 women live in poverty . Nearly 1 5 , 0 0 0 women are capable of making hand - knitted crafts. Among them , 8 , 1 6 6 people are left - behind women. Nearly 1 , 9 0 0 left - behind women are  ' study mamas, '"says Du Huijuan , President of the Women ' s Federation of Zhangxian County.

 "The women ' s federations of Gansu Province and Dingxi City have supported our county ' s women ' s federation in our efforts to help poverty - stricken women find jobs in or near their homes since 2 0 1 4 . The county ' s federation has guided impoverished women … in the hand - knilting industry to escape poverty . The federation has offered hand - knitting training sessions , established several hand - knitting bases … and looked for channels to sell the hand - knitted crafts made by local women . Now , Zhangxian is one of 1 5 women ' s hand - knitting pilot counties in Gansu . The local women have earned money and realized their dreams of getting rich through hard work . The hand - knitting industry has also been developed in the county , " Du adds。

 The Women ' s Federation of Zhangxian established Guiqingshan hand - knitting association in june 2 0 1 4, to establish a platform for the development of the hand - knitting industry . The federation also established Zhangxian Hand - knitting Craft Exhibition and Sales Center , where hand - knitted training sessions have been held , and where hand - knitted crafts have been displayed .

"I love making hand - knitted crafts . I never thought before that making hand - knitted crafts could become a job . I participated in hand - knitting training sessions . I also went to Beijing , Lanzhou ( capital of Gansu Province , and Yiwu ( a city in Zhejiang Province ) , where I studied hand - knitting skills . we established the hand - knitting association in 2 0 1 4 . We aim to provide flexible jobs to left - behind women in rural areas , laid - off women workers and mothers who accompany their children when they study at schools in the county ' s other districts , " says Fang Xiaomei , 3 5 , president of the hand - knitting association.

"The association offers a platform for local women to earn money by making hand - knitted crafts . We offer hand - knitting training sessions . We promote and recommend women who are skilled at knitting … We encourage competent women to bring in new hand - knitting skills， and to develop new hand - knitted products . We received an order … from a company in Beijing , soon after the association was established . Each member earned more than 2 , 0 0 0 yuan (US $ 3 0 8 ) through the order , " says Fang.

 "We have held 2 6 hand - knitting training sessions since the association was established . More than 6 , 7 5 0 women have participated in the sessions . Among them , 2 6 0 women are now skilled in making hand - knitted crafts . More than 8 0 women have joined our association . The county ' s womens federation invited experts from the All - China Womens hand - knittig Association to teach local women … embroidering and crocheting skills , under the support of the ACWF . Now , local women can earn money, and become rich , by making hand - knitted crafts , " Fang continues.

 Li Shuzhen , 5 3 , from Dujiazhuang , a village in Zhang xian , was a clerk at the countys grain supply center . She retired a few years ago . Li has loved making hand - knitted crafts since she was young . She often knits sweaters and embroiders shoe - pads for herself and her relatives . " I knew I could earn money by making hand - knitted crafts … after the hand - knitting association was established . I was retired … but I thought I still had enough energy to do some things . So, I participated in the hand - knitting training session . I can earn nearly 9 0 0 yuan (US $ 1 3 8 ) per month by completing the orders … Many women in rural areas who are my age also earn money by making hand - knitted crafts , " says Li.

 Dong Jingxiu , 6 6 , is Li's neighbor . She makes hand - knitted crafts at home . "I am old . I cannot make hand - knitted crafts as quickly as before . However , I can still earn several hundred yuan per month . It is enough for me to pay our daily expenses . Now , I live a happy life ," says Dong.

Many women are realizing their dream of being well off , says Fang . " more than half of the members of our association are elderly women in rural areas, like Li and Dong . Now , our main problem is that we do not have enough orders . Only if there are enough orders will more impoverished women earn money by making hand - knitted crafts . Now , the hand - knitted crafts made by us are sold as tourist souvenirs in our county ," Fang says.

 We also run an online shop , via taobao ( an online shopping website ) , which sells strings of beads and traditional handmade crafts . Now , we are trying to attract investments … and introduce new hand - knitting skills. We hope to sell more hand - knitted crafts , so more women can get jobs in or near their homes . They can realize their dreams of living happier lives by working hard , " says Fang.

 "Next , the county's women's federation will focus on expanding the scale of making hand - knitted crafts and the market for selling the crafts . We will also try to establish our own brand . We hope to develop the hand - knitting industry , and to gain more earnings . We hope to help the county achieve the goal that all the people will escape poverty by the end of 2 0 1 7 , and build a well - off society in an all - round way , "says Du.

来源：《中国妇女》英文月刊

编辑：汪龙伟

审核：闫宝明