When Ren Aizhi first arrived at Tonga College in 2020, she found students watering crops with buckets under the Pacific sun. Fast-forward to today: solar-powered wells, drip irrigation systems, and high-tech farming tools are transforming classrooms – and lives – thanks to a collaboration between China and the island nation. 🌍✨
Ren, an agronomy teacher from Liaocheng University, shared her journey with CGTN, revealing how a 2021 grant from the Chinese Embassy’s Ambassador Fund revolutionized agricultural education. "We turned theory into practice," she said, describing how students now grow veggies using water-saving tech that even supplies the school cafeteria 🥗.
The partnership began after King Tupou VI’s 2018 China visit, leading to a landmark education agreement. Since 2019, seven Chinese teachers have shared expertise in farming and language – with Ren’s team training nearly 300 students through hands-on programs. "At first, some found farming classes boring," she laughed. "Now they call our plots the ‘magic gardens’!"
Royal recognition came in 2021 when the Palace Office thanked the team for gifting corn to the king. But Ren’s not done yet: she’s returning this August with tractors, cassava harvesters, and new breeding tech. "We’ll build seedling sheds and train local teachers," she said, adding with a smile: "I miss Tonga’s sea breeze – and its hungry learners!" 🌊📚
