Nanyang, Henan: “Electric-Ladies” Initiative Lights Up the Path to Prosperity for Women in Remote Mountains

On February 24th, I arrived at Laofengou Village, nestled deep in the mountains of Laofengou Village, Erlong Township, Zhenping County, Nanyang, Henan Province. The newly paved road leading into the village bustled with vendors’ trucks, lined up to buy freshly harvested shiitake mushrooms. Members of the “Electric-Ladies” service team worked alongside the village women, helping Ji Xiaohua weigh, record, and load the shiitake mushrooms she’d harvested from her greenhouse the previous evening. The air crackled with energy - a striking contrast to the village’s quiet isolation just six years ago.

Laofengou Village, isolated deep within the mountains, faced hardship due to poor transportation and a severe scarcity of arable land - less than two fen (approximately 0.13 acres) per capita. This drove a significant outflow of working-age villagers, leaving behind a community primarily comprised of women and children.

In 2019, State Grid Zhenping County Power Supply Company launched the “Electric-Ladies Supporting Rural Revitalization” initiative. During their home visits to villagers, the team met Ji Xiaohua, who lived with the challenges of intermittent mental health issues. The Electri-Ladies partnered with Ji, actively assisting her in accessing treatment and providing consistent emotional support through regular visits. Recognizing the difficulties in her life, they delivered essential supplies like rice, flour, and clothing. They also repaired her electrical wiring, encouraged her to tidy up her courtyard, and boosted her morale and confidence. Furthermore, they facilitated the leasing of her land for a shiitake mushroom greenhouse, installed electric drying equipment, provided her with comprehensive training in shiitake mushroom spawn cultivation, harvesting, and sorting, and secured her employment at the village mushroom farm - all to ensure her long-term financial stability.

In Laofengou Village, the “Electric-Ladies Supporting Rural Revitalization” team extended their support to 12 households - 21 women in total - much like Ji Xiaohua. Through regular home visits, they provided technical guidance, employment assistance, hardship support, emotional counseling, and charitable donations. They have donated over 100 items of clothing and essential supplies, and sponsored three female students, significantly improving their living conditions.

“We also actively communicate with the village, analyze local environmental advantages, and help them develop specialized farming and breeding industries, enhancing the village committee’s ability to lead residents out of poverty,” explained Wang Qiaodong, captain of the “Electric-Ladies Supporting Rural Revitalization” team. “Women in the village participate in collectively-owned businesses and specialized industries through various means, such as investing land support funds as quantified shares, directly engaging in production and operations, and seeking employment. This ensures they have a stable source of income.” She highlighted the team’s efforts, leveraging their industry expertise, to upgrade 1.6 kilometers of power lines and install three new transformers for village industrial development and environmental improvement projects. They also assisted the village in electrifying mushroom greenhouses and building a modern mushroom production workshop. Currently, the village has one completed mushroom production workshop, 21 family-run mushroom processing workshops, and 115 mushroom greenhouses, continuously strengthening the collective village economy and ensuring stable income growth for villagers.

Since the implementation of the “Electric-Ladies Supporting Rural Revitalization” initiative, the team has partnered with women in 17 mountain villages across Zhenping County, cumulatively supporting 42 individuals in participating in village production cooperatives focused on shiitake mushroom cultivation, sweet potato product processing, and rattan weaving. As a result, 61 individuals now have a stable and reliable source of income. The “Electric-Ladies” support has flourished, yielding fruitful results.(By Zhang Xiaoning)