Daily Times

Pakistani students, Mansoor Ahmed Koondhar and Abdul Ghaffar Shar, along with other 12 international students of the China’s Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University (NWAFU), paid a visit to Heyang County, Shannxi province and took part in the poverty alleviation campaign, Gwadar Pro reported on Monday.

Koondhar showed special interest in the operation and management of a dairy farm during the outbreak of COVID-19 when visiting a farm in Heyang County. He wants to learn how the farm handles the dairy products’ transport, production and marketing in order to help Pakistani dairy farms as many of them encountered difficulties in operating amid the pandemic.

Luo Jun, Executive Vice-president of NWAFU, said, “A total of 33 international students from 11 countries including Pakistan had donated 1,200 yuan ($175.44) in total before the university sent a team to help poverty reduction in Heyang County.” NWAFU used the money to buy popular science books and water color pens for Fangzhen Central Primary School.

Shar, on behalf of the international students donated them to the students of the primary school. He also encouraged them to read more good books and hoped they would change their destinies upon knowledge. For some students, Shar is not a stranger, as he once taught them as a volunteer teacher in December 2019. During the epidemic, Shar also got the opportunity to teach online classes to his student and shared his knowledge about China-Pak friendship, the two nations’ agriculture sector and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with them. He hoped these students will engage in the construction of BRI in the future.

Luo Jun said that these activities will make the international students learn more about China and its rural vitalization strategy on one hand. The international students can also help the local get rid of poverty by voluntary teaching, and promoting agricultural technology on the other hand. It may be mentioned that China’s in its fight against poverty has set 2020 as the year to eliminate absolute poverty.