Source: People's Daily - International Channel Original Draft
"I've been on this train for years, except for weekends, every day without thunder, and the conductor knows me." Roselia said. Roselia, a math teacher at a secondary school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, commute daily by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. "When China was not rich, it helped Tanzania and Zambia build this strategically important transportation artery that runs through the hinterland of the two countries, which has become a symbol and witness of Tanzania-China friendship." Roselia said.
Roselia, who was in the car, greeted reporters. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Shen Xiaoxiao
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway is one of the largest foreign aid projects in China so far, which is organized, designed and built by the Foreign Aid Office of the Ministry of Railways on behalf of the mainland government, the predecessor of China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd., with a total length of 1,860 kilometers, from the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam in the east to Kapirimpohi in central Zambia in the west, and is a large trunk line running through East Africa and Central and Southern Africa. The construction of the Tanzania-Zambia railway began in October 1970 and was officially handed over to the governments of Tanzania and Zambia in July 1976. The railway played a huge role in breaking the blockade of the apartheid system and promoting national independence and liberation for African countries, and was called the "road of freedom" and "road of friendship" by the African people.
Recently, the reporter took the Tanzania-Zambia railway train and further felt its significance as a monument of China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. During the interview, the reporter met Hassan, a Tanzanian farmer who lives along the railway. He told reporters that the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia railway has brought earth-shaking changes to his life. "Before the railroad was built, we had almost no transportation and roads, and people had to walk for hours to get to the nearest town." Hassan said that with the completion of the Tanzania-Zambia railway, his produce could be transported by rail to markets farther away, greatly improving his life. In addition, many new towns and villages were built along the railway line, bringing more jobs to local residents.
Dar es Salaam Railway Station. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Shen Xiaoxiao
"The Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a road of freedom for China to help the African people achieve national independence and liberation, a road of friendship that symbolizes the friendship between the Chinese and African peoples from generation to generation, a model of South-South cooperation, and an immortal monument in the history of China-Africa relations." According to Musa, an engineer of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, the entire railway line is huge and technically complex, and some roadbeds, bridges and tunnel foundations are silt and quicksand, and the construction conditions are extremely difficult. The railway crosses plains, mountains, valleys, rushing rivers, dense primeval forests, and many areas along the route are deserted and infested with wild animals, which has caused great obstacles to construction, but China overcame multiple difficulties and handed over a high-quality railway to the people of Tanzania and Zambia. "Today, China's Belt and Road Initiative has become an extension and expansion of the spirit of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, and the African people are grateful for China's selfless actions." Moussa said.
As the builder of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, China Civil Engineering Group takes root in East Africa, inherits and carries forward the "Tanzan-Zambia Railway Spirit", and has been committed to the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and later economic and technical cooperation for many years, playing an important role in the operation and development of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, creating a large number of jobs and winning widespread praise in the local area.
Ronald Judy at work. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Shen Xiaoxiao
Ronald Judy, a 35-year-old local employee of China Civil Engineering East Africa Co., Ltd., studied in China and then worked for China Civil Engineering East Africa Co., Ltd. for 6 years, and has a deep affection for China and Chinese companies. "The company provides us with a good development platform, and I can give full play to my ability to implement my ideas into practical work. I enjoy working with my Chinese colleagues, they are very enthusiastic, competent and have had a very positive impact on me. Now that Ronald has become a project coordinator, he hopes that he can contribute more to the company in his work, and that he and the company can achieve greater growth in Tanzania, a land full of development opportunities.