Ghulam Tuniyaz (2nd L) and his family members pose with donkey milk at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
HOTAN, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Five years ago, Ghulam Tuniyaz happened to lay his hands on a donkey, which was given by the local authority to his son Memet Ghulam as part of poverty alleviation efforts. Now, Ghulam Tuniyaz is in charge of a breeding cooperative at Jiayi Nagute Village. Donkeys have changed the life of Ghulam's Family.
Donkeys, commonly used for transportation, had been farmed in very careless manners in the village for a long time, which was obviously inadequate to "unleash" their value. Tuniyaz and his family attended a training program organized by the township authority, where they learned the proper way to feed donkeys, and it was also until then that he came to realize the fortune of the donkeys.
Soon after the training program, Tuniyaz, together with his son Memet and some of his impoverished neighbors, started a cooperative specialized in donkey breeding. Since then, donkey milk has become a leading source of their income.
The family of Memet successfully shook off poverty by the end of 2019. Under the help of poverty-alleviation funding from the County authority, Tuniyaz and six co-workers at the cooperative built a stable of 450 square meters and kept more than 30 donkeys. Tuniyaz is now recognized as a "locomotive" among villagers on their track toward further prosperity.
Ghulam Tuniyaz and his family operate in a stable at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz (L) and his wife filter donkey milk at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz adds some fuel to a stove to warm up a stable at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz's wife loads two bottles of donkey milk on the van of a local company at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Memet Ghulam, son of Ghulam Tuniyaz, gets ready to milk a donkey at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz's wife milks a donkey at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Wife of Ghulam Tuniyaz gets ready to milk a donkey at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz confirms via mobile phone the time of the day to hand over donkey milk to his buyer at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz brings feedstuff to donkeys at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz's wife and son chat in a stable at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz waves greetings to staff members of a local company coming to purchase donkey milk from his cooperative at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ghulam Tuniyaz (2nd L) and his family discuss future plan for business development in a stable at Jiayi Nagute Village, Koxtag Township, Pishan County, in Hotan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)■
