In 2020, Ren Aizhi, an agronomy teacher from the College of Agronomy at Liaocheng University, arrived at Tonga College to find a school with minimal farming facilities and equipment. "Students had to carry buckets to water the vegetables," Ren recalled.
With support from the Ambassador Fund of the Chinese Embassy in Tonga in 2021, the school installed solar-powered water wells, storage towers, weeders, and drip irrigation systems. These upgrades, along with water-saving and integrated water-fertilizer technologies, have boosted crop yields and reduced labor intensity.
Multimedia teaching tools and practical farming materials have made classes more interactive. Ren recalls students nicknaming their experimental plots the Chinese Teachers Vegetable Garden and sharing fresh produce with faculty, the cafeteria, and even the Palace Office of the Kingdom of Tonga.
Educational cooperation began with a 2018 MoU signed between the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Tonga and the Ministry of Education of China during King Tupou VI's visit. Since 2019, Liaocheng University has sent teams to teach Chinese language, agricultural theory, and practical farming. To date, nearly 300 students have received systematic training.
A snapshot of the program's impact:
- Two annual cohorts of about 50 students each
- Nearly 300 students trained since 2019
In March 2021, the Palace Office conveyed King Tupou VI's gratitude for a gift of corn from the project site. Now, Ren is set to return to Tonga in August with a new team focused on breeding technologies. They will bring tractors, rotary plows, cassava planters, and materials to build seedling sheds.
"I miss the students, the people, and the sea there," Ren says. Armed with fresh tech and experience, she aims to deepen agricultural resilience in Tonga and inspire the next generation of farmers.
Reference(s):
Chinese agronomy teacher recounts teaching in Tonga, plans return
cgtn.com
