【推荐2】Villa Maria College students have been getting their hands dirty cleaning up their local environment.

In partnership with the Drinkable Rivers programme, year 10 students spent a morning clearing weeds and rubbish from Ōtākaro Avon River at the Corfe Reserve, just around the corner from the college.

“The girls understand just how important it is for our precious Ōtākaro Avon River to be clean and healthy, and part of this process is clearing rubbish and weeds from the banks of the river,” director of religious education Thomas Newton said. “The students spent time identifying weeds and removing them from the site, along with any rubbish that had collected there. They then planted carefully selected trees, shrubs and grasses native to the area, that will grow and flourish in years to come.”

Students in all year levels at the college have been participating in the Drinkable Rivers programme, which has included taking samples from the river and analysing these samples to check the health of the water.

“We know the girls are passionate about being sustainable and doing their bit for the environment, and this gives them more knowledge and opportunities to really play an active role in improving the health of Ōtākaro Avon River,” Newton said.

This is education outside of the classroom at its best. The girls are learning about native and non-native species, understanding what plants are appropriate for the environment and putting in the hard work to greatly improve that section of the river. It’s hoped that the students will share this knowledge with those around them and feel empowered to continue this good work in their own community.

【推荐3】I was 68 when I first stepped on stage as a standup comedian in 2003. I’d never set foot in a comedy club before. I’ve always been a performer - I’ve worked as a singer, actor and musician - but all that came to an end after 9/11. I live in New York, and we watched the twin towers fall from my apartment building. For a year afterwards, nobody wanted to go out or be entertained.

It was then that I started to think about comedy. I realised people needed to laugh, to enjoy themselves again, and thought that with a little training I could do it. I took a few classes, tried to work out a routine, and finally plucked up the courage to get up on stage. That first time was terrifying. I had no idea what the audience would make of me.

In New York, comedians are typically young men with beards. It’s hard enough to break through as a woman, even harder as someone old enough to be their grandmother. As I stepped on stage that first time, people laughed nervously. They were clearly surprised to see me. I introduced myself, stated my age and tried my first joke. There was silence. But by the time I got to the third line, people were properly laughing, I was addicted.

Now my sets differ. I might be on stage for 10 minutes in front of a dozen people, or my one-woman show is a full hour in front of a crowd of 100. Even today, I’m nervous before I step out. My first line is, “Hello, everybody. I’m 88 and three-quarters years old. I’m telling you that in case I don’t make it all the way through the show.” Then people laugh and I relax.

After a show, people young and old come up to me, saying what an inspiration I am. They say they want to be as active as me when they reach my age. I’m pleased I can show that as an older person you don’t need to take a back seat in life.

I’ve no intention of stopping comedy. I’m taking all these pills, trying to stay alive, and I hope to still be performing when I’m 100. My goal is to still be up there making people laugh. It’s hard work, but it stops me being bored. I’d only be playing golf otherwise

【推荐3】An elderly man from a remote village deep in mountains became well-known nationwide for building a canal to bring water to local residents. The man, 85-year-old Huang Dafa, has lived his entire life in Caowangba village in Zunyi, Guizhou province.

For 36 years, he dedicated himself to one thing—leading villagers to create and then maintain a 9.4-kilometer-long “life canal" to bring fresh water to the village. With the irrigation channel in place, people in Caowangba finally had sufficient drinking water and could irrigate rice and other crops, boosting their incomes and improving their quality of life. The channel is named the “Dafa Canal” in Huang's honor.

Huang has been dubbed the modern “Yu Gong”, a figure in China's folklore. Like Yu Gong, his persistence also made the impossible possible. In 1959, Huang became a leader in the village. “I decided to do three things for the villagers: bring water to the village, build a road and provide access to electricity,” Huang said, recalling his early days. He found that a village near Caowangba had water to spare, but the problem was that a mountain lay between them. Nevertheless, he took on the task.

Things did not go well at first. After more than 10 years, water remained a pipe dream. Although some people said that Caowangba would never get access to water, Huang never lost hope. At the age of 53, he started to study water conservancy technology on his own. After three years, with his newfound knowledge and persistence, he raised money from the local government and had 200 people dig the canal. Their work paid off in 1995 when water finally rushed into Caowangba. The same year, the village gained access to electricity, and a new road was built. All three projects were overseen by Huang.

Huang's efforts won him the titles of “National Model Worker” and “Model of the Times” in 202l.