Reaping results

Wang Shenglian is all smiles: not only is he a renowned bamboo craft master in China, but now he also has disciples in far-away Africa.

“It is my honor to assist Ethiopian counterparts in making full use of their bamboo resources, develop bamboo products to create economic benefits and improve their living standards. All that hard work will pay off!” he said.

A key aspect for such skills to translate into economic benefits is sustainability, a core principle of the Forum on China-africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Johannesburg Summit, held in South Africa at the end of 2015. At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the next phase of China’s strategic partnership with Africa, pledging $60 billion in sustainable development investment over the coming three years.

“If sustainability is to be a defining characteristic of China-africa relations, bamboo needs to play a more prominent role. If properly managed, this highly versatile resource could alleviate poverty and spur economic growth in Africa,” said INBAR Director General Hans Friederich.

Judging by Addisu’s business, things do look promising for small-scale Ethiopian bamboo manufacturers. Not long after the training, he reopened his shop with a big order - 2,000 sets of desks and chairs to furnish the four campuses of School of Tomorrow in Addis Ababa and Hawassa.

“I am lucky to have had this opportunity to increase my capacity for skilled production and generate more profits,” he said. “I am sure the new products I will make using the techniques I learned from Chinese colleagues will be popular in the market.” Comments to xyy@chinafrica.cn