Tibetan single mother enjoys happy life

　　BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Wangxiu Lhamo felt scared and lost when her husband died of illness 15 years ago as she had to raise their three children by herself. Thanks to the country‘s preferential policies and social development, she and her family are able to lead a happy life.

Photo shows Wangxiu Lhamo. (Photo: chinatibetnews.com)

　　Wangxiu Lhamo was married in the 1970s. "At that time, farmers didn‘t have land of their own. Food was distributed equally among members of the people‘s commune," recalled the 60-year-old from Chagyab County, eastern Tibet‘s Chamdo Prefecture. She now lives in Lhasa.

　　As Wangxiu Lhamo family was large, her family members did not have enough to eat or wear. In the early 1980s, the people‘s communes were abolished and her family was allotted four mu (0.2 ha) of land.

　　"We were so overjoyed that day that all our relatives and friends gathered together to drink the highland barely liquor in celebration," the single mother recalled happily.

　　It is like having hopes and resources to rely on once you have land, the 60-year-old said. "As long as you work hard, you won‘t go starving

　　The living standard of Wangxiu Lhamo‘s family had greatly improved since it was granted land. In the early 1990s, the family not only had enough to eat and wear, but also was able to afford to pay children‘s education.

　　"I have two daughters and one son. When they were very young, they usually ate tsampa (a staple food for Tibetans, usually made from roasted barley flour). After they grew up they can have all kinds of food," said Wangxiu Lhamo. The family bought a new apartment in Lhasa with their money saved for years.

　　"It is another joy for the family. We have land and an apartment and all my children are filial," she continued. Though her son was sick with Hyperthyroid myopathy, the family was able to pay for medical expenses, something that was entirely impossible in the past.

　　After her husband died, her son‘s sickness became more serious. But Wangxiu Lhamo did not lose hope for life. In 2000, she sold her house in Chamdo for her son‘s treatment and her two daughters often gave her money.

　　"We‘ve benefited from the country‘s various preferential policies. I am still leading a happy life now. I don‘t feel lonely as my children often come home to visit me when they are free," she said. During the National Day holiday, the family was reunited to celebrate the festive.