Recently, winners of 2019 Guizhou Poverty Alleviation Prize was announced by the Guizhou Poverty Alleviation Leading Team. Altogether 154 organizations and 267 people received the prize. Cedar Holdings is one of them.
In the final stage of the poverty alleviation, Cedar Holdings has doubled down its efforts in the East-West poverty alleviation collaboration. It focused on freeing people from worries over food and clothing, also ensured their access to compulsory education, basic medical services and safe housing. This is Cedar acting on the central government's instruction and Guangzhou government's guidance. As Guangzhou targets its help at Bijie, city in Guizhou, Cedar Holdings follow suit and work on poverty alleviation through education. Cedar built education infrastructure and launched a variety of education projects in the local area, contributing to the critical battle against poverty. Some progress has been made.
Step up human resources development
Guizhou is the main battlefield of China’s critical battle against poverty and Bijie is the main battlefield of Guizhou. President Xi gave special attention to the human resources development in his instructions on building the demonstration zone with new development concepts.
Cedar Holdings took the initiative to put in practice President Xi's instructions and built the Bijie-Guangzhou Human Resources Development Base in Bijie to further human resources development. The construction of the Base is finished and put into operation. It can accommodate 3,000 people for vocational training and certification that covers 3 categories and 28 sub-categories of skills and techniques. The base will continue to customize its education to the needs of the local industry development, focus on tourism services, automobile engineering, information technology services, and provide skills training, apprentice projects, entrepreneurship & innovation courses as well as skills certification. It is set to train skilled worker for the demonstration zone.
Design of Vocational Skills Training base of Bijie Vocational and Technical College
To further improve the local vocational education and optimize the human resource, Cedar signed agreements with several local colleges over setting up 19 Cedar Courses in subjects such as property management, chemical engineering and technology. Over 700 students are planned to be admitted, half of them will come from the poor background. Cedar has also set up stipend and scholarships for Cedar Course and fund them for three consecutive years as a way to encourage their outstanding performance.
In addition, Cedar established Pearl River Vocational Education Scholarship, Best Teacher Scholarship, Internship Aids for Student from Cedar Class, and Financial Assistance for Students on Cedar Property Management Class for hundreds of top performing students and teachers from the local universities and colleges.
Help solve education shortages as a result of resettlement
Resettling poor households is the most important task for poverty alleviation of Guizhou. In February this year, the government of Guizhou issued a document that requires resettlement of the poor households to be done in a feasible, acceptable, reassuring and beneficial manner. Some dwellings for relocation have been established, but education and other social services have yet to be fully available. That's why the poor households are reluctant to move, which is a big obstacle to the poverty alleviation.
Pingyuan New City is the largest dwelling for people relocated from Zhijin County, Bijie. As schools in Pingyuan New City are still in construction, children from the poor families have to go to schools in the nearby towns. This often leads to too many students in one classroom, which not only affects their learnings but also the possibility for Zhijin County to end poverty in 2019.Upon learning this issue, Cedar Holdings decided to build the Goat City Middle School for Pingyuan. The construction of the school was finished and the school will be put into operation by July 2020. According to the plan, Goat City Middle School has 24 classes in three grades for 1,200 students. It will be an effective solution to the resettlement difficulties.
Design of Goat City Middle School
As a Guangzhou homegrown private enterprise, Cedar Holdings keeps in mind its corporate mission and social responsibility. It has received many supports and attention from all walks of life since involving in the East-West Poverty Alleviation Collaboration.
On the afternoon of 8 November, Sun Zhigang, Secretary of Guizhou Provincial Party Committee led a delegation to Cedar Holdings for research and study. They listened to the reports of King Cheung, Chairman of the Boad of Cedar Holdings, over Cedar's development. Sun Zhigang made clear his appreciation about the business development in several sectors and the East-West Poverty Alleviation of Cedar Holdings. He expected Cedar Holdings to build on its existing achievements to double down on the investment on sectors where its business belongs to as well as the poverty alleviation efforts. He welcomed Cedar Holdings to make a long-term investment in Guizhou.
