YANGON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- For students and teachers at Basic Education High School No. 6 in Yangon's Insein township, a newly installed solar power system is helping improve classroom conditions and make teaching and learning more effective.
Donated under the "Yunnan Hand in Hand Program" launched by China's Yunnan Province, the system was officially handed over at a ceremony held in the school's assembly hall on Thursday. Comprising 54 solar panels, three inverters and six batteries, the system is intended to support more than 1,800 students by providing a cleaner and more reliable electricity supply.
The "Yunnan Hand in Hand Program" comprises small-scale, practical and effective public welfare projects designed to benefit communities across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region.
Since the launch of the program in 2022, 56 projects have been carried out in Myanmar in areas including infrastructure, clean energy, safe drinking water, agricultural technology, environmental conservation, educational support, cultural exchange, capacity building and healthcare. These projects have directly benefited communities in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, Sagaing, Shan and Kachin.
"Thanks to the donation of the solar energy system, a form of clean energy, from the Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, our school will be able to conduct teaching and learning activities much more effectively," said U Than Tun, the school's headmaster.
"We can now power air conditioners, electric lights, fans and computers throughout our classrooms and administrative office. Consequently, we have found that our energy usage has become significantly more efficient," he added.
Yang Sheng, second-class inspector of the Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said the photovoltaic system provides the school with an efficient, stable and clean source of electricity.
"In this way, the profound friendship from the people of Yunnan, China, is transformed into clean energy, powering every lesson for the students," she said.
Yang noted that Yunnan and Myanmar share geographical proximity, close interpersonal ties and cultural affinities. For centuries, peoples on both sides have lived in harmony, fostering a deep, fraternal bond known as the "Paukphaw" friendship, she said.
In January 2020, Yunnan Province and the Yangon Region officially established a sister-region relationship. Since then, the two sides have expanded cooperation in education, healthcare, science and technology, tourism and other sectors.
Ouyang Daobing, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in Myanmar, said the solar project not only optimizes the school's energy mix but also resolves long-standing electricity issues for students and teachers.
The project does more than just illuminate the campus and classrooms. It embodies the deep friendship between the people of our two nations, a bond defined by mutual support and a shared commitment to development, he said.
U Myo Win Aung, deputy director general of the Yangon Region Education Office under the Ministry of Education, said the solar energy donation would contribute to social well-being and development while further strengthening relations between the two countries.
The project is part of broader cooperation under the "Yunnan Hand in Hand Program," translating China-Myanmar friendship into practical support for education and giving tangible expression to the enduring ties between the two countries. ■
