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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, October 16 (Xinhua) — On a sunny day in an open rice field in Madagascar, several local women farmers, holding rice seedlings, chat with members of a delegation from the Hunan Provincial Women's Federation. Their faces beam with smiles and a sense of hope. This photo, on display at the China Women's and Children's Museum in Beijing, has attracted many visitors.
On September 14, the "Exposure to Empower Women and Girls with Digital Intelligence" opened as part of the Global Women's Summit. The photographs in this exhibition are fragments of "her story," vividly depicting how China and other countries are empowering women and inspiring hope.
"NEW HOPE" FOR AFRICAN MOTHERS
Madagascar's central plateau is located more than a kilometer above sea level. Precipitation here is uneven. Due to the poor adaptability of traditional rice crops, inadequate water conservation systems, and a shortage of fertilizer, local farmers have long been "living on what the sky sends."
"We've been putting in a lot of effort, but the harvest isn't up to par," said 29-year-old local farmer Mbolatiana. The young mother anxiously looks at her growing children and the meager harvest in her field. "Our yields were inadequate, and compared to experienced farmers using modern technology, this lag was obvious. Training through the Chinese New Farms for African Mothers project has enabled us to better select seeds and plant our crops. I hope this training will turn rice farming into a viable source of income, allowing me to support my family and send my children to school," Mbolatiana said.
Chinese-African cooperation has given her hope. In September of this year, the non-agricultural cooperation project "New Farms for African Mothers" was officially launched in Madagascar. It is implemented by the Hunan Provincial Women's Federation with the support of the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center and the seed company Yuan's Seed Industry High-tech Co. Collaboration in agricultural R&D, high-quality seed breeding, and mechanized production are key areas of the project.
During training as part of the "New Farms for African Mothers" project, Mbolatiana learned scientific methods for growing seedlings and caring for crops, as well as learned how to better select and use seeds. Currently, the rice seedlings in her field are growing luxuriantly, which has significantly eased the young woman's worries.
According to statistics, thanks to this project, 1,150 African women found jobs, and 1,862 received vocational training. The living conditions of 950 families were also improved.
As the project progresses, more and more trained women are actively participating in its implementation. In the fields, they share knowledge on growing seedlings, in the classroom they share their experiences in pest and disease control, and by their personal example they encourage even more women to undergo training and improve their lives and the lives of their families.
"Thanks to the training, I feel like farming can be a real lifeline, enabling me to feed my family and send my children to school," Mbolatiana smiled as she gave the interview. Her eyes were filled with hope for her future.
"HER POWER" IS REVEALED IN REFUGEE CAMPS
In the second photo, on a rudimentary sports field in the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya, Chinese Olympic short track speed skating champion and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Yang Yang shakes hands and chats with members of the local women's soccer team, including Margaret McDomnick from South Sudan.
The 21-year-old was thrilled to meet the Olympic champion. "We're both athletes, we both love sports, we have something in common." She said meeting Yang Yang in person helped her feel that "female solidarity knows no bounds."
More than 280,000 people live in the Kakuma refugee camp and surrounding temporary accommodation facilities. They live in extremely poor conditions, and their lives are extremely difficult. It was in these circumstances that the Margaret women's soccer team was formed. Together, the players overcame gender prejudice and, through the sweat of their brows, demonstrated the strength of women. By encouraging each other, they dispelled the darkness that had hung over the refugee camp and regained confidence in the future.
“No matter how difficult the external circumstances, they never give up,” Yang Yang said enthusiastically.
The transmission of intangible cultural heritage creates a “bridge that connects hearts”
The third photograph was taken at the "Talented Mothers' Friendship Workshop" in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It depicts two Laotian women learning to weave flower baskets from bamboo and rattan.
"Talented Mothers" is a charity project for rural women created by the China Women's Development Foundation. The "Talented Mothers Friendship Workshop" officially launched in Vientiane this August. Heirs of intangible cultural heritage from China brought with them bamboo weaving techniques (from Guizhou Province) and rattan weaving techniques (from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region).
"The photo shows me and my friend," said 45-year-old Bang Utipavongsai. As one of the first students at the "Friendship Workshop for Talented Mothers," she learned to weave trays, flower pots, and pencil cases from bamboo and rattan.
"They constantly ask me about bamboo processing, dyeing, and weaving techniques. Their eyes are full of thirst for knowledge. I will give them all the tools I brought with me. I hope these 'seeds' will take root in Laos," Tian Yajia, a Guizhou bamboo weaving heir, told Xinhua. Despite the difference in languages, their love for handicrafts and culture, as well as their caring for one another, have brought the workshop's students very close.
The transmission of intangible cultural heritage techniques has not only enabled Lao women to achieve a certain level of mastery and economic independence, but has also created a “bridge connecting the hearts” of middle-aged and elderly women.
"I want to teach Laotian women everything my Chinese teachers taught me so that each one can increase their income and improve the lives of their families," Bang Uthipavongxay told Xinhua.
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