Breaking poverty in China's villages

A woman and her children sit beside a collapsed yard wall in Lishixi village, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Aug 11, 2011. As many as 350,000 people in Ningxia live in severely destitute conditions, such as poor roads, water shortages, and a lack of education and medical facilities. The provincial government of Ningxia has decided to invest 10.5 billion yuan ($1.64 billion) to help alleviate poverty within ten years in nine counties and 1,655 villages. [Photo/Xinhua]

A villager stands in front of a house in Jiefangxinzhuang village in Ningxia, Aug 12, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]