ResidentsofBoidoiVillageconsiderDekyiYangzomtheir“Ajiao”(“sweetest,mostreliableperson”).Sixyearsago,however,thesesamepeoplehadcompletelydifferentopinionswhen23-year-oldcollegegraduateYangzomwasappointeddeputysecretaryofthePartycommitteeofBoidoiVillageinCainaTownship,ChushurCountyofLhasaCityinTibetAutonomousRegion.
“Idoubtshe’lllastamonth!”somegrumbled.“Canacollegegirlendurethiskindofhardship?”
Aftergrowingupinacity,DekyiYangzomwasindeedshak-en.“WhenIarrivedhere,Ifeltdistressedandsad,”sherecalls.Thelivingconditionsinthevillagewerefarfromcomfortable.YoungvolunteersfromLhasaandnearbycitiesusuallyenduredjustayearbeforereturninghome.Duetoherpersistentpersonalityandcourageinthefaceofchallenges,however,Dekyichosetostaytomakeadifferenceby“doingsomething.”
In2011,thelocalgovernmentcarriedouta“comfortablehousingproject”involvingrenovatinghousesinthevillage,inanefforttoimprovelivingstandards.Dekyiandsomecolleaguespaiddoorto-doorvisitstohousestogetmeasurements.Whilevisiting,Dekyimadesuretotalkwiththeresidentsandaskedwhathelptheyneeded.Itturnedoutthatvillagersenjoyeddancingandhopedforsomespacetoengageintosuchactivities.
Duringpeakharvestseason,DekyiYangzomhelpsvillagersoperateatractor.Xinhua“Andtherewasnospecificplaceforustohaveameeting,”Dekyiadds.“Weusedtostandinanalleyorsitonground.Whenagustofwindcame,weatedust.”Dekyiwroteareportandsentittotheuppergovernmenttoapplyforaculturalcenter.
Since2012,eightvillagecommunitiesinBoidoisuccessivelywelcomednewfacilitiesforculturalactivitiesandasmallparkforexercising.Theirtumbledownclayhouseshavebeenupgradedintotidytwo-storyTibetan-stylebuildings.Sincevillagersnowhavedecentlivingspace,Dekyibeganconsideringhowtoincreasetheirincome.
Boidoihaslittlearablelandandmanymountains.Villagersusedtofarmhighlandbarleyandcanola.HighlandbarleyisakeystapleofTibetanpeoplebutdoesn’tsellformuch.Theincomefromayear’sharvestofthecropbarelymakesendsmeet.
So,withothervillageleaders,Dekyipromoted“HighlandBarley2000”anewstrainofthecropespeciallyforthevillage.Sheinvitedagriculturalexpertsandtechnicianstoguideworkinthefields.Thatautumn,theharvestearned700yuanmorepermu(about667squaremeters)thanthepreviousyear.Shealsoencouragedvillagerstogrowcropplantslikemacaandraisechickens.Shegavevillagerstrainingandreferredthemtojobsincities.
Localvillagerstraditionallyusedcattle-pulledplowsinthefields.Dekyiandhercolleaguesappliedforasubsidytosetupavillage-levelagriculturalmachinerycooperative,thefirstofitskindintheregion.Sonow,insteadofanimals,machinesperformthemostlabor-intensivetasksoffarming.Villagerscanalsorentthemachinerytoothervillagestoearnmoney.
BecauseofDekyi’sefforts,villagers’annualpercapitaincomehasincreasedfrom6,000to10,200yuan,3,000yuanhigherthantheaverageincomeinTibet.
Dekyiismostconcernedaboutpoverty-strickenfamilies.Uponhearingthata70-year-oldwomannamedBaimahopedtobuyanewtelevisioninLhasatoreplaceherbrokenone,Dekyisentherowntelevisiontotheoldlady.Duringfestivals,Dekyivisitsimpoverishedvillagersandgivesthemnewshoesandclothes.Becauseofherpassionforherwork,villagers,youngandold,alladdressheras“teacher”toshowtheirgratitude.
KunsangDekyi,adeafchildinthevillage,seldomplayedwithotherchildrenandcouldn’tparticipateinnormalschool.Dekyiworriedabouthim.“Mycousinandcousin-in-lawarebothdeaf,”shereveals.“TheyliveinLhasaandknowsignlanguage.Theymakecraftsandleadhappylives.”ShesentthechildtoLhasa’sAssociationfortheDeaftolearnfromhercousin.Now,KunsangDekyiisbecomingmoreopenandlively.
OnepooroldwomannamedPenpahadtroublewalking.SheroutinelygaveherIDandbankbooktoDekyiandaskedhertohelpwithdrawmoney.“Sheisjustlikemydaughter,”saystheoldlady.
Duringpeakharvestseason,DekyiYangzomandthevillagersoftenhavedinnerinthefields.XinhuaTibetinGrowth
Tibet’sGDPsoaredfrom327millionyuanin1965to92.08billionyuan(US$14.5billion)in2014,a281-timeincrease.Underthesystemofregionalethnicautonomy,Tibet’seconomicandsocialdevelopmenthasachievedleapfrogdevelopmentbyconstantlyreachinghigherlevels.Since1994,thelocalGDPhasgrownatanannualrateof12.4percentonaverage,registeringdouble-digitgrowthfor20consecutiveyears.Localfiscalrevenuesincreasedfrom22.39millionyuanin1965to16.475billionyuanin2014,anaverageannualincreaseof14.46percent,furtherenhancingTibet’sself-developmentcapabilities.