Armstrong Sezongo, 26, never thought that one day he would get the chance to enter university, despite having passed his Grade 12 final exams. However, a lack of sponsorship almost shattered his long-held dream.

Fascinated by Chinese culture from a young age, Sezongo was always drawn to watching Chinese movies, a predisposition that nudged destiny and led him to attend the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (UNZA) in Lusaka to study Chinese.

"It has been my dream since childhood to visit China one day, and I was always drawn to Chinese culture. I am determined to pursue my studies and realize my dream," Sezongo told ChinAfrica.

As a Chinese language student at the UNZA's Confucius Institute, Sezongo said he began his studies in February 2019 and described the course as inspiring.

"We have been learning about the general culture and history of China among other things. Apart from that, we also learn more about China's art and music through events such as the Chinese Corner and the 'Chinese Bridge' Chinese Proficiency Competition," he said.

Sezongo is one of many high school graduates in rural Zambia who dream of getting university education, but are prevented from furthering their studies because of financial constraints, and end up in the countryside or do odd jobs upon completion of high school.

Fortunately, for Sezongo, the story has a happy ending.

Global competition

In order to kindle the interest and passion of foreign youth to learn Chinese and better understand the language and culture, China's Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) in Beijing initiated the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign college students in 2002, while the competition for foreign high school students started in 2008.

The "Chinese Bridge" competition is a large-scale international language contest sponsored by Hanban, well-known in cultural and educational exchanges worldwide. Its objective is to arouse the enthusiasm of students in various countries to learn Chinese and strengthen the world's understanding of Chinese language and culture, according to the Hanban's official webiste. It builds a communication bridge between young people of China and other countries. There are three components to the annual competition: Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign High School Students and Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Students in China.

China's socio-economic, financial and cultural ties with Zambia have prompted the need for literacy in Chinese language. While the Asian economic giant has expanded cooperation in various fields with African countries (and elsewhere), language education policies in the Southern African country have also been proactive and receptive to the emerging needs and demands in Chinese language and culture.

Promoting harmony

In its quest to promote the development of Chinese language education in Zambia, the Confucius Institute recently held the Zambia finals of the 19th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for College Students.

Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the Confucius Institute at UNZA's Great East Road campus held a virtual competition. Nine contestants from UNZA and Mulungushi Universities vied to be crowned champion, and three won top prizes.

In his virtual address during the competition, Political Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Zambia Lai Bo expressed his appreciation to Chinese and Zambian educators for their efforts in promoting the development of Chinese language education in Zambia.

Lai noted that the competition, held under the theme of One World, One Family, reflects the Chinese nation's pursuit and advocacy of harmony, adding that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the common enemy of all humankind, people of all countries should uphold the theme's spirit and work together to fight the pandemic.

"China and Zambia have set an example in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, vividly illustrating the core principle of One World, One Family. I hope the contestants will take this competition as a new starting point, continue to deepen their understanding of Chinese history and culture, and make positive contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples," said Lai.

Sande Ngalande, Acting Director of the Confucius Institute at UNZA, thanked the Chinese side's support of the competition and praised the contestants for their perseverance and aptitude in reaching the finals of the competition.

Deepening cultural cooperation

Ngalande said the "Chinese Bridge" competition is a major event for Chinese language learners.

"It is hoped that Zambia and China will further expand cultural exchanges and cooperation, so that Zambian students can deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and national conditions through learning the Chinese language. They can continuously enhance the level of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries," said Ngalande.

The virtual competition, which attracted representatives from various Chinese enterprises and communities in Zambia, consisted of four parts - namely, keynote speech, impromptu speech, questions and answers and talent show. The contestants demonstrated understanding of the Chinese language and culture with their excellent performances.

Finally, Armstrong Sezongo emerged victorious, winning prizes that included cash and a bespoke bag. But probably, the most important part of the win is that Sezongo will represent Zambia at the global finals in China and get a scholarship to further his studies in China.

"The competition has given me courage to soldier on in life amidst challenges, because at first I never thought that I would make it; but the more I practiced, the easier it was for me to end up scooping the final reward," he said.

Katie Murphy, First Place Winner of the Eighth "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, summed up what most students feel about the life changing event. "The 'Chinese Bridge' brings us a kind of luck. I will keep the luck and the friends [I made during the competition] in my heart. We will get together again, because our future will always be linked to China."

Reporting from Zambia

(Print Edition Title: Communication Bridge)

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