We are pleased to announce that 10 projects are presently being funded by the Rewi Alley Friendship and Exchange (RAFE) fund, including four from 2013 and one from 2012.
The Fund mainly supports projects commemorating the legacy of Rewi Alley: friendly exchange projects agreed by both NZCFS and Youxie, and other projects, which aim to promote China-New Zealand friendship, involving cultural and art, educational and youth exchanges.
Below is a list of the ten projects, with a brief description of each with their status, as of February, 2015.
The total funding is $NZ 87,500, ranging from $16000 for the Co-operative Development book project, to $NZ 5,500 for the Nelson-Huangshi Sister Cities Schools’ Art Exchange project.
2014 Projects:
Bridges of Friendship: Book written by Ma Baoru
Hon Life Member of NZCFS Ma Baoru is writing a book ‘Bridges of Friendship‘. It will be a history of both Kathleen Hall and Rewi Alley, but with a focus on the friendly relationships that have been built up between New Zealanders and Chinese around their legacies.
The book will record the activities and contributions both of them made to China, and it explores in detail the stories of others, both Chinese and New Zealanders, who have continued the work and made further contributions to the legacies of Kathleen Hall and Rewi Alley. Tom Newnham (author of New Zealand Women in China) is a fine example.
The book will also depict the author’s own impressions of New Zealand and New Zealanders, their friendliness and the beauty of their country. It will include a large number of photographs, both historical and from Ma Baoru’s own camera.
The project includes publication of 1000 copies in Chinese language in good quality print. The budget includes 25,000 yuan to apply for an ISBN number, which will allow the book to be sold in book stores, and be placed in libraries.
Mentor: National Executive (Dave Bromwich)
Status: After a technical setback, the work is now back on track.
Lanzhou University/Taratahi Partnership
This project proposes to establish a beneficial long-term agricultural training programme on the basis of previously successful collaboration. The project will allow a farmer who is part of the Shandan Centre for Cooperative Promotion in Western China and also a staff member of Lanzhou University to undertake a 2 week programme of study in New Zealand, hosted by Taratahi (see below). Information concerning best-farm practice, education and management would be shared.
The training programme will be tailored to the needs of the participants and include components based around dry stock or dairy farming and animal husbandry. There may be an opportunity to involve Massey University as an example of additional knowledge transfer (e.g crop research). This would be dependent on the requirements of the two participants. Upon returning to China, participants would be expected to present a report to both their cooperative and the University thus sharing information and dissemination of best practice.
Taratahi is New Zealand’s biggest agricultural training centre and College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology of Lanzhou University, involved in utilisation and management of grassland resources and animal production in the integrated crop/forage-ruminant production systems in Northwest China.
Mentor: Wairarapa Branch
Status: The programme is arranged and as of Feb, 2015, staffing is being finalised. The successful applicants arrive 14th of March.
Nelson-Huangshi Sister-Cities Schools Art Exchange
The main purpose of the Art Exchange is the setting up of useful contacts with schools in Huangshi using past friendships and new ones, with the help of QQ [strictly ‘Ten cent – QQ, Chinese messaging service] and our motivated Chinese speakers.
Mentor: Nelson branch
Status: There will be some works for display at NZCFS Annual Conference, 2015. But the full impact will be saved for later in the year when there will be a large public exhibition in Nelson, to advertise NZCFS and our sister-city links.
https://nzchinasociety.org.nz/21726/nelson-huangshi-schools-art-exchange-project/
Young Ambassadors Project – Rotorua
Three Year-13 students have been learning Chinese for at least 5 years, and recently they completed NCEA Level 2 Chinese with Excellence and Merit Endorsements. They also sat for HSK exams with High Achievement.
Mentor: Rotorua branch
Programme:
2 April 2015: 10 days of study/schooling at MSANU [Middle School attached to Nanchang University] are planned. The Kiwi students will stay with MSANU students for 10 days, then 4 days of travel to Shanghai and Guangzhou, are planned.
Mid to end of March, 2015: MSANU Deputy Principal, 2 teachers and 4 students will visit Rotorua . They will be hosted by Western Heights High School, Rotorua, and, during their visit, they will sign a sister-school agreement. They will also visit Tauranga.
[Editor’s note: This project is not to be confused with the ‘Young Ambassadors to China‘ project, supported by the Simon Deng Li Fund]Dunedin Youth Choir participation in the Shanghai Choral Arts Week, May 2015
Dunedin Branch to assist in funding the Dunedin Youth Choir “BAROCK”, comprising the Otago Boys’ and Otago Girls’ High Schools (OBHS and OGHS) combined choir, to participate in the Shanghai Choral Arts Week (Shanghai International Spring Music Festival), in May 2015. The concept arose from a delegation to Shanghai by members of Dunedin NZCFS in September 2013, when they had the opportunity to meet the organisers of the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
This project will allow the 25-30 member choir and 6 accompanying adults to experience China, many of them for the first time. [Editor: This project recalls a similar trip organised by the local choir of two Society members.]
Mentor: Dunedin branch
Status: BAROCK Choir has been accepted to perform at Shanghai Spring Festival and they will be rehearsing there from 13 May.
This project is also supported by the Simon Deng Li Fund.
2013 Projects
Cooperation for Cooperative Development: Case Studies and Lessons Learned from International Support for Chinese Cooperative Development
A report on case studies of 12 of the 29 co-operatives in rural China which NZCFS has given support in their development since 2005.
Mentor: National Executive (Dave Bromwich)
Status: Book completed, now being published. The book is summarised in several articles on NZCFS website – Intro + Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
English Reading – the Kiwi Way – Whanganui/Manawatu Branches joint Initiative Concept
Sub-project: To build ongoing co-operation between NZ & Chinese teachers, equipping Chinese teachers to adapt Kiwi methods and international best practice to current Chinese conditions (at Bazhong Primary School, Bazhong City, Sichuan – Principal Mr John He Jianxin).
Mentor: Manawatu branch (Rosie Look)
Two Kiwi teachers, Rosy Look and Emily Tengaipu Anga O Te Rangi, accompanied by her children, work-shopped with Chinese teachers at Bazhong Primary School, on Kiwi literacy techniques and activities, including interspersing reading with related language activities (rather than chanting, as is the Chinese method) and discussing the vocabulary, etc. Other classes seem to be using these techniques by ‘osmosis’ so a certain success can be reported.
Status: Completed.
Sub-project: BOOKS for BAZHONG – Primary English Literacy the Kiwi Way To create a pilot “Grandpa Alley’s Book Room” in Bazhong Primary School, Bazhong City, Sichuan province.
Mentor: Whanganui branch (Jan McLeod)
This will make accessible quality English language picture story books & other suitable reading material to children from Years 3-9 in Bazhong, in addition to a library in Bazhong primary school (previously established by personal contact),
Over 200kg of children’s books have been supplied.
Status: Completed. A surplus of approximately $700 will be carried over to 2015 to either appropriate more books or to pay freight for second-hand books still being collected.
For the more detailed story of this project, click HERE
CPIT/Lanzhou City University (LCU) Teacher Exchange:
To arrange an exchange of one teacher from Lanzhou City University with one teacher from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology – alternating years.
Sept-Dec, 2014: Mr Bao Zhiming spent about three months at CPIT (Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology). He wrote his thesis on Rewi Alley’s educational thoughts.
To help him improve his English, Christchurch branch members ensured all three home hosts he had during his stay were Kiwi families.
For an article about Bao Zhiming’s stay in Christchuch, click HERE
Mentor: Dave Adamson (Vice President, South Island)
Status: CPIT to choose teacher to go to LCU this year.
2012 Projects
Publication of Rewi Alley papers
Professor Dov Bing (University of Waikato) has papers written on Rewi Alley in 1973 by Professor James Bertram, H. Courtney Archer, Lewish Smythe, Ida Pruit, Professor Ralph Lapwood, Helen Foster Snow, Professor Brian Harland, Barbara Spencer, Professor Joseph Needham and Professor Dov Bing. They are to be published.
Mentor: National Executive (Dave Bromwich)
Status: To be completed.
Duncan France
