African pancakes and Chongqing hot pot, young people changed by planting corn
"The real Africa is not the same as imagined." During the more than ten years of the China-Africa agricultural cooperation project, some Chinese students, including Li Jiayu, have changed their perception of Africa through fieldwork in the Tanzanian countryside. His views have even changed some details of his life. At the same time, there are also many young Africans who come to Chinese schools and villages to travel. Some of them later become government officials and agricultural technology backbones in Africa, and they still keep reading about China. News, especially the habit of agricultural news.
Among them, some fell in love with "African pancakes", some missed Chongqing hot pot, China-Africa agricultural technology cooperation and exchanges, and the fruits produced are not just the corn that is yielding year by year on the land, but the more precious seeds are already in the hearts of young people. Sowed quietly.
1 From undergraduate to Ph.D. are concerned about Tanzania
Since 2013, the School of Humanities and Development of China Agricultural University has sent 6 undergraduates of Rural Regional Development (International Development Orientation) for internships in Tanzania's overseas internship bases.
The students are mostly around 20 years old. They need to use methods such as field surveys, in-depth interviews, and non-participatory observations to document the agricultural development of local villages and the status of China-Africa agricultural cooperation projects in words and images. Put forward your own opinions.
"Africa is diverse and rich, and every city and village is different." Li Jiayu, who is in the third year of Ph.D. in Development Studies, went to Africa for 4 field trips from 2015 to 2018. The first time I went to undergraduate. Just graduated, and now the topic of her PhD thesis is still centered on the development of agriculture in Tanzania.
Morogoro City is 26 kilometers east of the city and is the location of the village-level poverty reduction demonstration project supported by the cooperation between China and Tanzania.
Li Jiayu came to this village and found that there were already villagers in the corn field. He had introduced Chinese agricultural production techniques such as controlling crop spacing, plowing, weeding, and cultivating soil. Through interviews, he learned that the unit corn yield of the demonstration households was higher than before. 2.5 times; and thanks to the promotion of pigeonpea-corn interplanting technology, farmers have increased their crop yields while also enhancing their ability to cope with extreme climate changes.
Located in the town of Dakawa, about 240 kilometers west of Dar es Salaam, there is a China-aided Tanzania Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center. There are 10 hectares of experimental fields planted with corn, hybrid rice and greenhouse vegetables. Some Chinese technical experts are local villagers. We provide technical training.
Many villagers told Li Jiayu that after adopting a complete set of labor-intensive corn planting schemes from China, their farms have become more productive.
"But not everyone chooses to use high-yield technology. How can local villagers be willing and able to use better agricultural technology?" Li Jiayu told reporters that in addition to interviews with local villagers, technical experts and officials, research support is needed. The institutional system of agricultural operation in the region, and even the external development environment of the entire country, the investigations and reflections from the students have been constantly discussed by the students of the two countries and put forward, "Time is so fast! Since 2015, it has been studying African agriculture. It's been six years."
2 Go to Africa to meet friends and get married
Looking forward to the end of the new crown pneumonia epidemic as soon as possible, Li Jiayu is looking forward to going to Africa again, and must stop by Nairobi, Kenya, to visit his good friend Kreis who has known him for five years.
"He has been in China for half a year, and he is a'China Master'. A few months ago, he got married and I gave him a follower." Li Jiayu smiled and said that Kreis knew Chinese customs very well. He also said that when I get married in the future, he will also give me a follower."
Kreis, born in 1988, studied in China in 2012 and is now a staff member of the International Foundation for the Protection of Animals in East Africa. He gave himself a Chinese name: Liu Bao.
He told reporters that the last time he went to China was in 2018, but he still reads Chinese news.
I have been to Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou at that time. Although I liked Chongqing very much, I couldn't stand the spicy taste of Chongqing hot pot.
"When I went to school in Chongqing, I ate rice every day." Kreis said, now living in Africa, but especially miss the spicy taste of Chongqing hot pot. Business partnership, I did not expect to meet many very good young Chinese."
"I like most African pancakes called'Chapati', which are a bit like Chinese pancakes. But the taste is different from pancakes. Some local friends in Africa know that I like to eat this, and they will invite me to his home as a guest and make a lot of them for me. "Li Jiayu said that before contacting Africa, I always felt that we were two different people from them, but in fact, they are no different from us. They also like to make jokes and eat good food." It's pretty grand, but in fact, the friendship between individuals is a warmer and more authentic experience."
Liu Yifeng is the only child in the family. When she told her parents that she was going to study in Africa, her mother's attitude was a bit hesitant.
"At that time, the news reported that the Ebola virus in Africa was more serious, and my mother was very worried about the safety of Africa." Many villages and towns in Tanzania did not have street lights, the roads were relatively bumpy, and there were many mosquitoes, but Liu Yifeng felt that he was with his teachers, seniors and sisters. , The journey is not so hard, but it adds some fun that is hard to see in daily life, "If I have the opportunity, I will go to Africa again. The nature, society and culture of Africa bring people not only the freshness of the exotic. There is also a sense of impact brought by real life, which makes you particularly want to do something down-to-earth."
There are still many natives in Tanzania who only speak Swahili.
During the local investigation, Liu Yifeng met Esther, a student from Tanzania, and he took the initiative to ask to be a translator.
"She was excited and happily introduced us to the locals, took us to taste the cassava from the farmers in the village, and helped everyone live like locals. She also taught us how to choose local watermelons and told us the unique culture of the Maasai people."
Liu Yifeng said that in June of this year, Esther could not return to China to attend the graduation ceremony, and could only complete her doctoral thesis defense online, and accompanied her through the whole process of pre-defense, revision and final defense of the thesis.
Chen Weibing, born in Fuxin City, Liaoning Province, went to Africa for the first time and was already a PhD student at China Agricultural University.
He saw some modern buildings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and was a little surprised. “Some hospitals and hotels in Africa are quite advanced. The streets in the city are mostly pedestrians. On the contrary, there are none in the hustle and bustle of China. Some peace of mind."
On the street, some young people in Tanzania drove their motorcycles and greeted Chen Weibing to ride. “I had doubts in my heart at the time. I didn’t know if it was safe to ride on their motorcycles.” Chen Weibing asked a policeman who had met several times if it was okay. Believe in these motorcycles?
The police said yes, no problem.
"At that time, I walked to a boy on a motorcycle and told him where I thought about it. He told me the cost in English, which was about 3 yuan. Later, he took me to the destination safely. Finally, we took pictures. Photo."
Chen Weibing said, "After fully understanding and maintaining the greatest degree of trust in the people around you, then you will find that in an unfamiliar environment, people can get a lot of fun, and this fun comes from the trust between people. Different countries, different cultures, and even speaking different languages, but they can trust each other. Isn't this the glory of human nature?"
3 Learn to reflect and cherish using other cultures as a mirror
When Liu Yifeng was in the third year of university in 2016, during a survey in rural Tanzania, his neck was inflamed due to mosquito bites. After returning to China, he underwent a minimally invasive surgery.
In 2019, Liu Yifeng, who has stayed in school for graduate school, once again rushed to Tanzania with the team.
"From the first time I saw the "Tanzania-Zambia Railway" in the middle school history textbooks that united the friendship between China and Africa, to the China-Africa cooperation project that the teacher talked about when I first entered university, I felt that I had to look at it on the spot to understand it. mainland."
After his trip to Tanzania, Liu Yifeng completed reports on "Tanzania Village-level Governance Structure" and "Tanzania Local Government Setup and Staffing".
My own living habits over the years have also begun to change. The reason is that, "using other cultures as a mirror, I learned to reflect and cherish."
"The implementation of Tanzania's'plastic ban' is surprisingly efficient. After it was promulgated, it is almost impossible to see the use of plastic bags from the capital to the provincial capital, to towns and villages." Liu Yifeng said, the Tanzanian people's environmental awareness exceeds In my own imagination, after returning to China, I made a request for myself: try to reduce the use of plastic products as much as possible.
After returning from Tanzania, Liu Yifeng began to strictly demand that he save food, and he always reminded people around him to participate in the "CD Operation".
“At the time, I saw some villagers in the Tanzanian countryside. Their meal was some bananas or a few pieces of cassava picked from the tree.” Liu Yifeng said, “When we see their diet system with our own eyes, we will be more sincere. To feel the preciousness of food, to be more aware of the individual’s luck, to strengthen the sense of responsibility and mission for the'CD Action', and to truly appreciate the meaning of saving food.” Liu Yifeng said: “When dining in the cafeteria, now Will pay more attention to preventing food waste than before, and will always take the initiative to tell the aunt in the cafeteria that only half is enough."
4 Use cultural communication to break stereotypes and don't be preconceived
“If young people in Africa and young people in China are willing to understand each other’s cultural background, the relationship between China and Africa will become better.” Kreis told reporters that he traveled to some countries and found that, in fact, people from every country are Kind, but people will not understand each other because of cultural differences, which will lead to a lot of misunderstandings. This will not bring about valuable and meaningful exchanges. It is recommended that young people in China and Africa learn more about each other’s cultural backgrounds. At that time, understanding each other's cultural background is the beginning of true communication."
Tanzanian youth Steven Semin once came to China with a delegation. They only went to Beijing to visit the China Agricultural University. "In the countryside of Morogoro Province, Tanzania, we ate together. He said at the time his impression of China. He feels that Beijing’s appearance is a thumbnail of China: an extremely developed city, complete infrastructure, and a highly civilized urban population; in addition, the fast and clean high-speed rail is also impressive."
Chen Weibing recalled that when Steven Semin described China, he described Beijing entirely.
"But China is still a developing country, and there are still many towns and villages with relatively weak infrastructure. There is still a big gap between them and urban development." Chen Weibing said that many of the problems faced by many towns in China and African villages are the same. There is a problem of "hollowing the countryside", and it is necessary to attract high-quality enterprises and industries to attract the return of young labor.
“Many people hold a defensive posture when they come into contact with other cultures, or they hold curiosity and wait-and-see, or see foreigners who are embarrassed because of language exchanges and other issues, but once they start to try to communicate slowly, there is a The attitude of being willing to understand and learn from other cultures, this kind of cultural barriers formed by incomprehension can easily be broken." After returning to China from research in Africa, Liu Yifeng served as an assistant in the foreign aid exchange training program for developing countries sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce. , The college’s assistance management for international students, etc., “Now there are nearly 200 friends from developing countries I have come into contact with. I will slowly discover that only on the basis of exchanges can people of different cultural backgrounds be able to talk about understanding and form their own Judgment and choice should never be preconceived to influence your choice because of some stereotypes or individual cases constructed by public opinion."
5 China’s rural revitalization is worth learning and staying in school to study Ph.D.
Remedius Emmanuel, 36, is an administrative official in Dodoma District, Tanzania. In 2018, he graduated from China Agricultural University and won the title of outstanding master's graduate.
He has been to more than 15 Chinese provinces. "I have been to Xiong'an, Hebei, where I saw a new city that takes both urban and rural development into consideration. I have been to Shanghai and participated in energy conferences held there. I have also been to Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, participated in the Agricultural Machinery Expo held there."
Remidius Emmanuel told reporters that he is now the representative of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania in the local area. His main responsibility is to handle and resolve conflicts between people, and to ensure basic society such as education, water supply, and agriculture. The service can operate normally. In my work, I will often use the knowledge I learned in China Agricultural University and in cities and towns in China. "In the two years of studying and living in China, I have found that I can continuously increase my knowledge. , The growth path of continuous improvement of leadership is to solve individual-based social problems through effective use of real-life conditions. As a government official, we must continuously improve our working ability and persevere in ethics, integrity and national spirit. ."
Gobriel, from rural Tanzania, chose to continue to study for a Ph.D. after completing his master's program at China Agricultural University in 2019. He feels that Chinese youth are open-minded and brave. “They always like to learn new things. I am optimistic about the future and work hard to find ways to keep up with this era. All these are worth learning from."
Gobriel believes that rural revitalization is one of the development directions that most developing countries can learn from. This requires the country to break the long-term urban-rural economic dualism generated in the process of industrialization, and always abide by the concept of shared development and shared future. In addition, cooperation projects such as agriculture and education are important areas for the friendly development of China-Africa relations. Based on this relationship, China and Africa can achieve win-win development.
"China's rural revitalization is worth learning. In my hometown, rural people have a relatively single source of income, mainly agricultural production, lacking other industrial assistance. Therefore, the concept of diversified livelihoods in the rural revitalization strategy may help people get rid of poverty. One of the best solutions." Gobriel said.
6 Study Africa to better understand yourself
Steven Semi is also a technical extension worker for the Sino-Tanzanian agricultural cooperation project in Morogoro Province. He told Chen Weibing that the villagers in China's agricultural technology extension zone generally think it is very good, and they are the neighboring villagers in the control group. , I saw the use of Chinese technology to increase production to get more income the previous year, and I also wanted to join the ranks of using Chinese technology, but Tanzania’s rural areas are also facing an outflow of young people.
"Many young people go out to work, unwilling to take good care of their land, resulting in low land yield." Steven Semi said.
In 2020, after graduating from China Agricultural University, Chen Weibing taught courses related to international development and international aid at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
He often told his students, “70% of the world’s population is in developing countries. We are still the largest developing country in the world. The purpose of studying Africa is to better understand ourselves and the developing countries. Country, and a real world."
"We must not forget that we are still a developing country. Many people's attitudes towards the world come from online videos, television, etc., but this information sometimes presents a beautified world. Therefore, to investigate Africa is a reflection A mirror of the real world situation.” Chen Weibing told reporters that although China and Africa have different systems and cultures, they still face some common problems in developing countries in agriculture: the outflow of rural population, the uneven development of urban and rural areas, and the inadequate social welfare. sound.
Kreis has been to the North China villages in China, and he told reporters softly, “I feel that China’s rural areas are still more developed than African villages, and there are many people working there.” Kreis believes that many young people in Africa want to have it. High-paying jobs in cities are unwilling to build villages, but I think that if the villages are to develop, they still cannot leave young people.
Li Jiayu feels that although African towns and towns are not like Chinese towns, they have more street lamps, buildings and concrete roads, but they can see groups of children playing games of "grabbing stones" and "bouncing glass balls" on the side of the road. .
She hopes that the new crown pneumonia epidemic will be over soon, and that when we go to Africa, we will meet those friends who have not seen me for a long time, as well as villages with lush vegetation. Everyone will work and chat together, and they will still be as happy as before.
Photo courtesy of interviewee Zhao Lixin, reporter of Beijing News