Chinese Agronomy Teacher Shares Tonga Teaching Experience and Plans for Return

“When we first arrived at Tonga College in 2020, the school lacked agricultural facilities and equipment. Students had to carry buckets to water the vegetables,” recalled Ren Aizhi, a teacher from the College of Agronomy at Liaocheng University. “But things changed in 2021, when we successfully applied for the Ambassador Fund from the Chinese Embassy in Tonga. It helped the school build solar-powered water wells and water storage towers, purchase weeders, install drip irrigation systems, and promote water-saving and integrated water-fertilizer technologies.”

The addition of new resources did not stop at irrigation. The Ambassador Fund also provided multimedia teaching equipment and practical farming materials, making it easier for students to understand and apply advanced agricultural technologies. Ren expressed that thanks to these improvements, agricultural production at the school has seen a significant boost.

Educational ties between Tonga and China have grown stronger in recent years. In March 2018, King Tupou VI of Tonga visited China, during which the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation. This agreement paved the way for China to send specialized teachers to Tonga, responding to local needs in education and skills training.

A year later, in 2019, Liaocheng University dispatched two groups of seven teachers each to Tonga. Their mission: to teach Chinese language, agricultural theory, and hands-on farming techniques. Ren was part of the second group, arriving to support Tonga’s efforts to strengthen its agricultural education and crop yields.

“At first, some students lacked motivation to learn, so we explored different ways to make the classes more engaging,” Ren said. “Gradually, more and more students became interested in what they called the ‘Chinese teachers’ vegetable garden.’” The success of the experimental farm quickly captured the attention of the wider school community.

The vegetables produced at the school’s experimental base are shared with faculty, the school cafeteria, and even distributed to the Ministry of Education. Some students even bring the fresh produce home to their families, spreading both nutritional benefits and newfound knowledge of modern farming techniques. According to Ren, these experiences have inspired many students and brought the community together over shared meals and successes.

Each year, the educational program trains two groups of students, each with about 50 participants. Over the past three years, this initiative has reached nearly 300 students, providing them with systematic agricultural training and exposure to new technologies—skills with lasting impact for Tonga's future agricultural sector.

In 2021, the contribution of Ren’s team was recognized at the highest level. The Palace Office of the Kingdom of Tonga conveyed King Tupou VI’s sincere appreciation and gratitude for the team’s work, especially for the generous gift of corn harvested from the project site and presented to His Majesty.

Ren’s connection to Tonga remains strong. She revealed plans to return this August, leading a team focused on research and demonstration of advanced breeding technologies. Their upcoming trip will include agricultural technology exchanges and short-term training sessions for local teachers and students.

“We’ll also provide a batch of agricultural machinery, including tractors, rotary plows, cassava planters, cassava harvesters, as well as steel pipes and other materials for building seedling sheds,” Ren shared. With heartfelt anticipation, she added, “I miss the students, the people, and the sea there.” Her story is proof that international cooperation can plant seeds of hope and progress far from home.