Yunnan village prospers, naturally
However, Zhang is now capable of managing all aspects of beekeeping on her own. As one of the women who have been leading the beekeeping project, Zhang's positive attitude and courage have also encouraged other females to join in.
"Some thought that feeding bees could be difficult and exhausting, but in fact, my pace of life has slowed down instead. The income from beekeeping is satisfying enough so that I don't have to find another job elsewhere to support my family, which allows me to spend more time enjoying myself."
Zhang claims that if she worked in a bigger city for a better salary, she would not be able to take care of the elderly and children at home, and the elderly would have to manage the fields and rubber forests on their own.
The project, which provided free beekeeping training and connected cultivators to mature distribution channels, has allowed her to make money at home.
