Seven decades of Inner Mongolia: China’s development through our eyes (5)

“People told me that planting trees was not a job for a woman. I wanted to prove to them that women are as strong as men, and we can also make our contribution to stopping the spread of desert.” [Photo by Tanja Herko]

Otgonhuar, 43, leader of sand control team in Kubuqi Desert

Living in Duguitala, a small village nestled in the Kubuqi Desert, China's seventh-largest desert, Otgonhuar used to hate her hometown and the deserts surrounding it.

"When I was a kid, moving dunes would block our doorway overnight, and we had to fight our way out from the windows. Our houses were constantly buried under sand, so we had to move quite often," said Otgonhuar.

In 2007, Otgonhuar received an offer from a local company to plant trees in the Kubuqi Desert. She gathered 24 workers from poor families, which began her tree-planting business. Under her leadership, 25 low-income workers now earn a daily wage of around 200 RMB ($29).

"Many women, who dared not to step out of their comfort zones, were encouraged to join my team. There is nothing a man can do that a woman can't," said Otgonhuar.

For more storie about Otgonhuar: Roses in the desert: planting an oasis between the dunes