Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Gao Xiaoyu, a 24-year-old second-year student majoring in international Chinese education at Zhejiang Normal University, came to Tanzania with 13 other students in September this year to become a one-year volunteer teacher at the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam.
"At first, I was very nervous, afraid that I wouldn't be able to bring so many people. Gao Xiaoyu was a little overwhelmed when he first learned that he was in charge of four classes of Chinese electives. But the young girl from Hebei was quickly impressed by the enthusiasm and eagerness of the local young people to learn Chinese, and she wanted to do her part to help these young Africans.
Volunteer teacher Gao Xiaoyu
Zhang Xiaozhen, who has served as the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute since its inception, said that in 2013, the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam was established by an agreement signed by the University of Dar es Salaam, the China International Chinese Education Foundation and Zhejiang Normal University. Over the past 10 years, more than 100 teachers and volunteers from China have come to Tanzania.
Hamida Seif Allawi is a language studies student at the University of Dar es Salaam. "I love Chinese, it's the key to my progress in life," she said. In 2019, she successfully applied for a scholarship through the Confucius Institute to study at Zhejiang Normal University. She described it as the "highlight moment" of her life.
Asha Fum Kamis, 32, is a native Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute. As a native Tanzanian, she believes that studying XiChinese changed her life. "If it weren't for studying XiChinese and getting a scholarship to study in China, I might still be fishing in a boat in Zanzibar. ”
"I've started teaching my son Chinese, even though I know he doesn't understand it yet. Asha Fum Kamis said with a smile, "Learning Chinese starts with a baby." ”
Asha Fum Kamis said: "As Chinese companies gradually expand their investment in Tanzania, the demand for Tanzanian talents who are proficient in Chinese is also increasing. Almost every day, Chinese companies find Confucius Institutes in the hope of finding Tanzanian students who can understand Chinese. She strongly believes that Chinese Xi can create a better future for young people in Tanzania, so she has a strong sense of mission to teach Chinese.
On the streets of Dar es Salaam, there are many local vendors selling coconuts on their bicycles. Whenever they see Asian faces, they often blurt out, "Hello!"
Zhang Xiaozhen told reporters: "In the past ten years, we have trained more than 60,000 Chinese Xi in Tanzania. These students pass on Chinese what they have learned to their family and friends, and more and more locals will be exposed to and learn Xi Chinese. ”
Zhang Xiaozhen said that in the past decade, Confucius Institutes have played an important role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and Tanzania. The college not only provides Chinese teaching, but also holds many cultural activities, such as the Spring Festival celebration, Chinese speech competition, Chinese film week, etc. Through these activities, the Tanzanian people have gained a deeper understanding of China's history, culture and modern development.
"Many students have the opportunity to visit China through their Xi at Confucius Institutes, and some have found Xi and job opportunities in Chinese universities and companies. These experiences not only changed the trajectory of their personal lives, but also deepened the ties between the two countries. Zhang Xiaozhen said.
Aldin Mutebe, director of the Confucius Institute, believes that the Confucius Institute has made great contributions to improving the Chinese Xi of young Tanzanians, sinology research, talent training and employment training for local teachers.
Kenneth Hozia, Acting Minister of Education and Science and Technology of Tanzania, said in an interview, "Confucius Institutes play an important role in promoting Tanzania's Chinese language exchanges and strengthening people-to-people exchanges, and at the same time help us solve employment problems and promote the development of agriculture, tourism and other fields." ”
Source: Xinhua K25