亞林一 comes to HK

Ah lin yi (亞林一), one of my students from Linnan (粵北連南瑤族自治縣南崗村), is here in HK.

He is graduating this year from university (industrial design), and has decided to return to the village to help develop the community of Nangong. Like the rest of China. Nangong has changed a lot since I was there ten years ago, and Ah lin yi and his friends want to address the various environmental and social issues that have arisen as a result of that development.

Has it really been ten years? So much has happened since then, and yet it is very clear how influential the experience has been for both my students, and myself. It is very touching to see my students so purposeful, caring and creative... and with the intention to use the knowledge they have learnt to improve their own community.

This time around they are here to learn some stuff on organic farming. They wanted to talk to my father of course, but dad is off on a meditation camp. In many ways, they too, are facing a very similar learning curve I am in starting a small organisation - how to be able to develop the support you need from the community, and be financially as well as ideologically self-sustaining.

The questions they face -- deforestation/falling water tables; the desire to preserve and renew their own Yao heritage in a globalising commercial world; the need to address the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, and to make sure that everyone has enough to eat.. all very important questions, and I am very excited that my students are taking the initiative to address them.