AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES
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Let Children's Dreams Fly High
Let Children’s Dreams Fly High
The Honeywell Aerospace team together with volunteers from Sichuan Airlines entered Yuexi County – the designated location in the hinterlands of Sichuan Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture – for the Honeywell Hometown Solutions program.
It was my first visit to Yuexi County. I had only seen it on one other occasion: a film documentary on Liangshan Prefecture’s “Cliffhanger Village”, where children had to spend up to an hour scaling down a cliff just to go to school. I was shocked to the core and since that time I had quietly decided that I should do something for this antiquated place with its resilient people.
And on November 12 we flew from Shanghai to Chengdu, caught a connecting flight to Xichang, and sat on a three-hour bus journey before arriving at Yuexi County, deep inside Liangshan Prefecture.
Yuexi County has had nearly four thousand years of glorious history. However, today it is known more for its status as an important county for the State’s poverty-alleviation work.
Our first stop at Yuexi County was at two primary schools. We donated two “Sichuan Airlines-Honeywell Multimedia Learning Centers” jointly with Sichuan Airlines, plus 66 computers, a number of multi-functional touch screens, electronic white boards, and other digital teaching equipment. Our team also helped install and rebuild the electric circuit and network facilities of two schools. More than 4,600 students in the two elementary schools will get to enjoy their first multimedia teaching rooms. They can explore the outside world through the Internet and electronic equipment.
Picture: Unveiling of “Sichuan Airlines-Honeywell Multi-media Learning Center” with Sichuan Airlines Chairman Li Haiying
Mr. Li Haiying, Sichuan Airlines Chairman, said: “I am extremely pleased to see more companies with corporate social responsibility like Honeywell eagerly participating in poverty-alleviation work in Liangshan Prefecture.”
During the past several years our partner Sichuan Airlines has completed numerous education and poverty-alleviation projects including retrofitting of Chunjing Elementary School and building a village kindergarten. We are privileged to have participated in such projects with the aim of benefiting children in Liangshan Prefecture by way of quality education infrastructure.
Picture: “Sichuan Airlines-Honeywell Multi-media Learning Center” in use
Teng Dali, a captain in Sichuan Airlines gave a lecture to children in the brand-new multimedia classroom. Although none of the children had ever been on a flight, they have a huge interest in the “big iron bird”, asking questions like “how does an aircraft fly?” and “why does a tractor emit black smoke but an aircraft emits white smoke?”
I was thoroughly moved by the children’s curiosity, excitement, shyness, and naive look on their faces.
As we left the school, we went to two other destinations for poverty-alleviation – Friendship New Village and Chunjing Village.
Last November, Sichuan Airlines donated 2 million yuan (USD 288K) to help build the New Village, benefiting 46 poor households. The villagers no longer have to live in the derelict, dangerous houses at an altitude of 2,700 meters in the mountains.
In addition to offering residents “safe housing”, Sichuan Airlines also helped invest in some agriculture projects such as chicken farms and planting vegetables.
My trip with Sichuan Airlines team showed me a different side of China. Suffice to say that Sichuan Airlines has accomplished much with this effort to alleviate years of poverty. Yet much remains to be done. I firmly believe that children are our future and hope. I feel honored to be part of Sichuan Airlines’ unremitting effort in helping children in Liangshan Prefecture to obtain quality teaching resources.
Picture: Friendship New Village vs. Old Village
I hope that education and knowledge will give children the capacity to pursue their dreams and help them achieve a better life.
