Self-sufficient elderly at welfare home

Senior citizens play games at the Zhong Xin Welfare Home in Xuan'en county, Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Central China's Hubei province on March 18, 2011 (file photo). As the largest charitable house in the county, the Zhong Xin Welfare Home houses 91 senior rural residents who receive a 2,100-yuan yearly allowance under the Chinese government's policy for assisting the elderly. In order to improve living conditions, all the members, except those who are unable to work, take on productive jobs such as raising cattle and chickens and growing vegetables. Some of the members take care of the others, by doing such things as cooking, cleaning and providing water for those who suffer from physical problems. The elderly residents are given between 0.5 to 3 yuan per day as "spending money". In recent years, members of the Zhong Xin Charity House were basically feeding themselves from the vegetables and pork they raised, selling the rest for an 80,000 yuan net income, which in turn was spent on improving living conditions. [Photo/Xinhua]