“We are confident that China will overcome this epidemic!” “Together we can defeat the coronavirus!” “Come on China!”… When the COVID-19 epidemic was at its height, the South African students at the Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute paid much attention to the epidemic prevention and control in China and sent their best wishes to China through pictures, videos, and other ways. At this special time, 76 South African students of YRCTI, together with their teachers, helped fight the epidemic in their own way on campus.

Fig.1 Best Wishes Wrote by South African Students

One’s attitude

Tshehla Tebelelo Khuloane (Dashi) is a visiting student in architectural engineering in YRCTI. After the outbreak of the epidemic, he not only strictly complied with YRCTI’s regulations but also helped students take and report temperature every day. He helped teachers publicize epidemic knowledge among students and volunteered to purchase food, supplies, and materials needed by students.

In addition, he often expressed his confidence (in the final triumph of Chinese people) and helped relieve other students’ tension or anxiety. He also received support from his teachers, friends, family, and fellow countrymen…

Persistence of a group of people

On February 1, in accordance with relevant instructions of the Provincial Department of Education and YRCTI, YRCTI further strengthen the gate control. In order to reduce risk of infection through people-to-people contact, the regulation that "Going in/out of the campus without reasonable reasons is prohibited" was implemented.

Although this regulation caused inconvenience to life to some extent, the South African students showed their full understanding and support. They cooperated with the teacher to take a temperature measurement, received life supplies bought by volunteers and teachers from supermarkets according to their needs, and completed studies and graduation design through live broadcast courses. Despite the epidemic, they had a normal life as usual.

A team that can win the battle

Since the beginning of the fight against COVID-19, YRCTI leaders have focused on the epidemic prevention of foreign students in China, and YRCTI has made unified deployment and overall management. The management team of international students arranged daily duty schedule, situation monitoring, and temperature taking, and sent masks, disinfectants, daily supplies, and food to international students, and released relevant information on the epidemic in a timely manner. YRCTI opened the dining room and on-campus supermarket in advance, offering daily meals according to students’ tastes and needs, and ensuring the sufficiency of their daily necessities. The curriculum of South African students was timely adjusted. The former enterprise internship was changed to graduation thesis and study report, and the teaching quality of overseas students' was guaranteed by means of online live teaching, independent learning platform, and WeChat tutoring.

Students from South Africa were moved by conscientious teachers. They reckoned YRCTI as the safest place currently. Many students also sent messages to their teachers, reminding them to take care of themselves. They also recorded videos to express their wishes to China.

The virus is merciless but there is love among people. People of the Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute have made concerted efforts to set up a line of defense against the epidemic for South African students. The easy smile on their faces is what we stand for. Spring has arrived, while winter has gone. Come on China!

Fig.2 Tshehla Tebelelo Khuloane is taking temperature of other students

Fig.3 Cooperating with teachers in all kinds of work

Fig.4 The representative of international students and teachers get together to supermarket for shopping

Fig.5 Live lectures and online Q&A during the epidemic

Fig.6 Leaders and management cadres send disinfectors and share relevant knowledge

Fig.7 Video snapshot of South African students' cheering for Wuhan