Although the cold still lingers in the air, plants and flowers have seen the return of spring, a season full of vitality and renewed spirit in Jiuba Village, Nyingchi County, Nyingchi Prefecture in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, where the awakening of spring is abundant and villagers are busy with fields work everywhere.

Dawa, commissioner in charge of organization of Jiuba Village, is busy planting strawberries in the fields together with the villagers.

Jiuba Village, inhabited by 121 people from 29 households, mainly lives on farming.

Before 2007, the annual per-capita income of the village was less than 2,500 yuan, and the villagers had little awareness of getting rich. People had no other channels to increase their income except farming, which worried Dawa a lot.

Therefore, she wholeheartedly agreed with the village party branch when the strawberry planting plan was proposed.

“At that time, most of the villagers knew little about strawberry planting, and they dared not to take risks,” said Dawa.

Therefore, the village party branch made eight village committee members the first strawberries planters, and expected to expand planting scales after successful trials. Thus, Dawa began the practice with passion, though most villagers cast questioning eyes to her.

From strawberry planting technology to actual operation in the fields, Dawa constantly consulted specialists in this field, and she was so devoted to it that she often neglected food and sleep.

“Sometimes I dreamt that I was planting strawberries. At that time, I had great pressure, but I would go all out as I had decided to. Only if I am successful would the villagers be willing to plant strawberries and the village get prosperous,” said Dawa, who was still full of emotional thoughts when referring to the experience five years ago.

Hard work pays off. Dawa gathered a rich harvest of strawberries, and the strawberries were sold well at 20 yuan per kilogram. For Dawa, this was not only a strawberry harvest, but also the beginning of getting rich.

Dawa’s success in planting strawberries dispelled the concerns of the villagers, so when the village party branch decided to expand strawberry planting scale, some courageous villagers began to try to grow strawberry.

Dawa and several other village committee members summarized the previous planting experiences, and began to do independent research and development so as to foster strawberry seedlings, which has reduced the planting cost.

Now, strawberry planting has spread to all households in Jiuba Village. With only half a Mu strawberries, the annual income of a household is 14,300 yuan, and the highest can reach 17,000 yuan.

Dawa felt relieved that villagers in Jiuba Village have become rich through strawberry planting. However, the very poor and difficult situation of Joe Lamb family still worried Dawa.

“Her husband was completely bedridden for a rare disease, and Joe Lamb also needed to take care of her three small children. At that time, Joe Lamb even couldn’t afford the electricity bills for five yuan.,” said Dawa.

Dawa worried so much that she decided to teach Joe Lamb how to plant strawberry in person.

With the help of Dawa, the Joe Lamb family has gotten rid of poverty.

Now, the family begins to cultivate Gastrodia elata, and the annual income has reached 50,000 yuan. The physical condition of Joe Lamb’s husband is also much better.

This year, Joe Lmb has bought a SUV for tourism transportation with family savings, and their life is getting better and better.

Joe Lamb has always been grateful to Dawa. “If there were no Dawa's help, we couldn't even think about the present happy life,” she added.

Now, as an organization committee member, deputy director of the village committee and women's director of Jiuba Village, Dawa is very busy, but Dawa enjoys herself and tries her best to help the senior party members and poverty-stricken masses, help the households enjoying five guarantees (food, clothing, medical care, housing and burial expenses) build temporary houses and raise money for poor college students.

“Dama” means "the moon" in Tibetan. Though its shine is not as strong as the sun rays, it can always give people light in the darkness of night.

Dama, the strawberry planter in her early 30s, helps people with hard work and passion, and her story has been told time and time again by the local villagers and has deeply rooted in their heart.