There is an old Chinese saying: “To give people fish and you only provide them with one meal; to teach them to fish and they can benefit throughout their lives.” This lesson has been passed down from generation to generation and has played an important role in the anti-poverty war and rural revitalization in China. This term expresses the idea that giving away a fish is not as good as teaching one how to fish. The meaning is that rather than giving something away it is better to teach the method of obtaining it so that people can get what they need through their own efforts. It implies that once an objective is established, the method of achieving it becomes most important, and that the effective way of helping and managing people in the long term is to encourage them to be self-supporting. Shenzhen Polytechnic is an excellent example of teaching people “how to fish.” In 2016, Shenzhen Polytechnic started to offer vocational training to the villagers living in poverty in Xiajian Village, Guangdong, a mountainous village that had a very small amount of arable land and no industries. Most villagers there had no special skills, so they had to find low-paid menial work far from their hometown. In Xiajian Village, more than 430 people completed training programs including automobile maintenance, electrical work, and passion fruit planting. Through the training, villagers became skilled workers and saw their incomes double. “With the help of the vocational college, my hometown has undergone enormous changes. The villagers have become more confident and have better lives as they master skills,” said Huang Lisi, whose family was suffering from poverty before receiving training. Over the past two decades, Shenzhen Polytechnic has also joined hands with nearly 40 vocational colleges across 13 provinces to assist in vocational education, which has benefited even more rural residents. “Focusing on operational skills and practical ability, the employment-oriented vocational education is used to teach people to fish,” said Xu Jianling, principal of Shenzhen Polytechnic. “Vocational education makes me own a skill, helps me find a proper job, and increases my family’s income,” said Tang Xuemei, a student at Shenzhen Polytechnic, adding that she wanted to go back to her hometown to be a vocational college teacher after graduation and provide more opportunities for her fellow villagers. (Xinhua) | 