Farmers who were compensated for relocation get valuable assistance

With some local farmers becoming rich overnight because of demolition and relocation programs, experts are looking for ways to help them deal with the financial and psychological stresses they face.

Li Zhi, a farmer from Changying village in Chaoyang district, said he sees opportunities and problems all around him.

"When I got the money because of my relocation, I knew my life was going to be different," said the 48-year-old, who has just moved into a new two-bedroom flat at Boliniyue community in Tongzhou district. His former home in Chanying was demolished months ago.

He received two other apartments in Tongzhou district as part of his compensation package and is renting them out for 3,000 yuan a month.

Li said the demolitions and relocations have meant a welcome increase in the bank balances of many of his neighbors.

"That's what we have always dreamed of but at the same time, we get confused about all kinds of investment options in front of us," said Li.

Li is among more than 6,000 people from 10 villages who have been relocated from their old rural homes to two new communities in Tongzhou district.

Statistics show that there were 45 villages in Chaoyang district, 20 in Haidian, 30 in Changping and 64 in Daxing that were slated for demolition this year. More than 60,000 rural residents were set to be re-housed and compensated as a result.

Zhang Xiaobo, an official in charge of demolition and relocation in the Changying area, told METRO that almost all of the households were given between one and three Tongzhou apartments in compensation.

"Not knowing how to manage their new fortunes, some may get lost and have psychological problems," Zhang said.

One such casualty is a relative of Li who lost 200,000 yuan - all of his money - on the stock market.

"I feel sad for him," Li said. "I would like to see some simple financial lectures introduced to advise people on managing their money."

Zhang said that such help has been filtering down.

"We need these unofficial routes to help them adapt to the new environment and assist them in getting on with their new lives," Zhang said.

On Oct 19, a social program involving mental health promotion and psychological intervention was officially initiated in Changying.

The first of its kind in Beijing as well as in China, the program will serve as a model for future psychological intervention for populations transferring from rural to urban areas.

Zhang Manhua and Yang Fengchi, professors of psychology at Capital Medical University who lead the program, told METRO that the subject of helping rural poor people adapt to new urban lives has been an important one for psychological researchers in recent years.

A door-to-door survey of 6,000 residents in the Changying and Wangsiying areas is being carried out. Researchers said they hope to get an overview of residents' mental health. The report is expected to be released in January.

Meanwhile, they plan to make psychological interventions on people who show symptoms of anxiety and depression.

"This group of people is not mentally prepared for their sudden wealth," Zhang said. "In the long term, I'm afraid, it will be hard for them to grow into rational consumers and fight against certain feelings of emptiness."

Zhang said sudden financial windfalls, if not handled well, can cause psychological problems. He said they can also trigger domestic disputes over property and can even have a negative influence on the younger generation by discouraging them from studying.

"It is important to prevent these things from happening," said Zhang. "The farmers have already lost their land. If they follow the wrong path and end up back in poverty, they will not have anywhere to go back to."