In order to recognise outstanding women individuals, set examples for the others, and inspire women to cultivate self-respect, confidence, independence, and self-reliance, as well as to encourage them to forge ahead on a new journey and contribute to the new era by actively participating in the modernization of China, the All-China Women's Federation recently held a commemorative event for International Women's Day (March 8th) and an Awards Ceremony in Beijing.
A total of 15 students or graduates from the Open University of China (OUC) system were awarded the “National March 8th Red-Banner Holders”. Let us listen to the inspiring stories behind them.
YU Haiyan, a student majoring in Administrative Management at the Public Administration College of Fujian Branch. She is currently head of Hetang Mingyan Tea Professional Cooperative in Gutian County, Ningde City, Fujian Province.
YU led her team to establish a tea cooperative and pioneered a new model for integrating tea production and tourism industry. She successfully promoted the brand of Gutian black tea and developed a new form of modern tea garden tourism. Using tea-fungus circular agricultural technology, she connected two major advantageous agricultural industries - tea and edible mushrooms. By turning discarded tea branches and leaves into mushroom growing bags, she explored an eco-friendly agricultural circular model of “tea-mushroom-fertilizer-tea”, which not only turns waste into valuable resources but also increases edible mushroom production. After her business achieved success, she established the Minzhiyan Farmers’ Field School, offering 150 training sessions for farmers. This helped 83 poor households and people with disabilities obtain agricultural technical training certificates; more than 60 farming households saw increased production and income. Additionally, she participated in the Programme of Fujian-Ningxia Partnership and offered support in the production, processing, and marketing of edible mushrooms in Longde County, Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, contributing to local poverty alleviation.
Joint Planned by Department of Student Affairs and Teacher Development
Source: Student Service Centre of Fujian OU