On November 18, during the 6th China-Africa People’s Forum, the parallel event " Experience Exchange on Poverty Alleviation" , guided by China NGO Network for International Exchanges(CNIE) and co-hosted by China-Africa leadership development Institute(CALDI) of Tsinghua University and China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation(CFPA), was successfully held online. Prof. Yang Bin, Vice president and Provost of Tsinghua University, also the Co-President of CALDI, Prof. Liu Huiqin, Party Secretary of the Institute of Education of Tsinghua University and Executive Director of CALDI, Prof. Xie Zheping, Secretary General of CALDI, and Linda Qin, Deputy Office Director of CALDI, attended the event.
Poverty is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today. China and African countries have joined hands in poverty alleviation for a long period of time with great potential. Both sides have accumulated the experience of exchange. The event discussed poverty reduction strategies and policies, exchanged experiences in poverty reduction and development, and encouraged mutual learning.
Guests from China NGO Network for International Exchanges, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, Tsinghua University, international representatives from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Liberia, South Sudan and Tanzania, China Agricultural University, CGCOC Group, and Sunmaker Energy Uganda Limited, as well as media representatives attended the event.
Yang Bin, Vice president and Provost of Tsinghua University, Co-President of CALDI, delivered a concluding speech. He introduced the process of poverty alleviation in China and the achievements made in poverty alleviation through education, and expressed that adhering to the goal of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, Tsinghua University takes the China Africa leadership development Institute as the platform to promote China-Africa educational cooperation and cultural exchanges. Tsinghua University will actively work with African partners to deal with the poverty challenge with Africa in terms of experience sharing of poverty alleviation through education, leadership program, scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, and mutual learning with African universities to deepen people-to-people engagement.
Wang Ke, CNIE Deputy Secretary General and Liu Wenkui, CFPA Executive Vice President delivered welcome speeches, highlighting the congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President, to the 6th China-Africa People’s Forum. The letter reflects the high importance CPC and the Chinese government attaches to China-Africa comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and non-governmental friendly exchanges, charting the course for inheriting our traditional friendship, enhancing the wellbeing of the people and promoting solidarity and cooperation. The 60 cooperation projects under "Silk Road Community Building Initiative" will certainly inject new impetus into China-Africa people exchanges. China has won an absolute victory in the battle against poverty and accumulated rich practice in poverty reduction. Since last year's pandemic outbreak, the world today is marked by changes unseen in a century. China and Africa need to strengthen cooperation and jointly address the challenges of poverty and development.
Wu Peng，Director of the International Development Department of CFPA, moderated the first part as “Implications of China's Poverty Alleviation Mode for Africa” . Representatives of four participating organizations shared their views. Roman Tesfaye, H.E Former First Lady of Ethiopia and CEO of HRF, made a keynote speech. She said that livelihood problem remains an important challenge on the poverty reduction in Ethiopia. She shared the projects on women and children implemented by her foundation in Ethiopia, focusing on the smiling children program implemented in cooperation with CFPA. She hoped that more Chinese partners will work together in the future.
Dong Qiang, Associate Professor from China Agricultural University(CAU), introduced the poverty reduction practice of Chinese social organizations in Africa. He said that Chinese social organizations bridged the gap in social services provided by local governments and hoped to focus on introducing China's experience in low-cost solutions for social problems to Africa to benefit more beneficiaries. Gaelle Ayamou, Co-Founder of Think Share and Create Hub (TSCHub), said that China's poverty alleviation model for women and youth groups is worth learning from, and shared the experience of the activities in women's empowerment and innovative education. Gao Lei, Vice President of CGCOC and General Manager in Ethiopia & East Africa of CGCOC, shared the Ethiopia Djibouti cross-border water supply project and the Ethiopian women's vocational training project jointly carried out with CFPA, the agricultural and livestock processing project to be established in the industrial park along the Addis Ababa Djibouti railway and the plan to bring Chinese Juncao technology to help reduce poverty in Africa.
Prof. Liu Huiqin, Party Secretary of the Institute of Education of Tsinghua University and Executive Director of CALDI, moderated the second part of “Case Sharing of Poverty Alleviation and Development Projects under China-Africa Cooperation”. Representatives of five participating organizations shared their views. Yan Zhitao, Deputy Executive Director of CFPA made a keynote speech. Since 2007, CFPA has carried out assistance projects in nine African countries, with a cumulative amount of more than 77.22 million RMB, benefiting about 337,000 people. The non-governmental assistance action is mainly committed to the SDGs, addressing to six goals such as poverty eradication, zero hunger, health and well-being, quality education, clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, which have been welcomed and praised by African recipient countries. Clarke Alvin Kpalay, President of the Economic and Trade Cooperation of African Youth (ETCAY) from Liberia, called for changes in educational institutions and the industrial sector to strengthen vocational training for youth and women. Gong Zhiwu, Co-founder of Sunmaker Energy Uganda Limited, shared the vocational training program of the college in East Africa. Gatwech Koak Nyuon, President of Hope for Children In Need (HCIN) of South Sudan, stressed the important role of good governance in creating a peaceful investment environment for Africa, attracting foreign direct investment and achieving economic and political stability. Wilfred Stanley Madinda, adviser to the Prime Minister's office of Tanzania, praised the paradigm shift of China's foreign aid education from "giving fish" to "teaching how to fish".
（From China-Africa Leadership Development Insitute, Tsinghua)
