You Jianhua, secretary general of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), talks to a China Daily reporter (unseen) in Beijing, Aug 23, 2011.  [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

BEIJING - More than 200 representatives from Chinese and African non-government organizations will gather in Kenya's capital of Nairobi from Aug 29 to 30, the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) announced Tuesday.

The meeting is part of the China-Africa People's Forum, the first non-governmental exchange China has co-hosted in Africa. NGO representatives will discuss climate change and food security, NGOs' credibility and transparency, and the relationship among governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses and communities. The group will also explore cooperation methods to fight AIDS in China and Africa.

Fifty representatives from China, 100 from Kenya and 50 from 18 other African countries will attend the gathering.

"The best thing about NGOs is that people can have private conversations," said You Jianhua, CNIE's secretary general.

Bringing China-Africa NGOs together has long been on the agendas of both China and Kenya, You said, recalling a workshop he participated in two years ago.

CNIE has been organizing visits of African NGO leaders to China since 2009. The participants were curious about what their counterparts had been doing, so they asked, "Why don't we get together?" You said.

Working with Kenya's Non-Governmental Organizations Coordination Board and a number of devoted individuals, CNIE was able to co-organize the forum and bring 18 Chinese NGOs to Africa for the first time in history.

In addition to the forum, CNIE will hold an AIDS prevention workshop with local young people and a photo exhibition of people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa.

To help fight against the current drought and famine in Kenya, CNIE and a Chinese enterprise have helped the local residents dig a borehole in a school community and named it China-Africa Friendship Borehole, according to the organization.

During the forum, Chinese entrepreneurs will sit together with African entrepreneurs to discuss business opportunities. They will also make various donations to the local people, including mediCNIE, clothes and computers.