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Caring from family

As a home providing a family atmosphere, the center also helps its members when they are in trouble.

In February 2009, the Bridge Art Center hosted an African food festival for 48 wives of African ambassadors in China. Each was asked to contribute a dish to the festival. It was a grand international occasion with more than 600 participants from home and abroad.

On the occasion, the wives of African ambassadors learned that a Chinese girl named Sun Zhen, who suffered from liver disease, was in need of a liver transplant, but could not afford it. Without hesitation, all of them agreed to raise donations for the girl and promised to help her in the future. "Chinese and African people are families and should support each other," Sophie, one of the wives of African ambassadors said when handing over the donation to Sun.

Chinese people are equally generous to Africans in need. In the same year, a rare drought hit Kenya, causing a lot of Kenyans to suffer from famine. To express Chinese people's caring, the Bridge Art Center called for Chinese enterprises to donate food for people in the famine-stricken area. About 100 tons of foodstuffs were raised and supplied. "We did something we could to help Kenyans to fight against the natural disaster," Ma recalled.

With all of these specific efforts, Ma Zhenxuan won the hearts of Africans and his art center was given the title of "Home for Africans" in June 2011. "I don't expect instant benefits by contact with Africans, but hope to establish solid friendships in the long run," Ma told ChinAfrica.

At the opening ceremony for "Home for Africans" the center was commissioned to host annual celebrations for Africa Day in the future and activities such as China-Africa trade fairs, economic forums, cultural exchanges and tourism promotion. 

Knowing the frequency

Ma Zhenxuan is philosophical about what makes friendships, relationships and cross cultural connections. He believes when people resonate on the same frequency, irrespective of their culture, they can talk, learn and understand more about each other. This ultimately leads to sharing in the fruit born from these relationships. Ma said, when he spoke about frequency he meant a common ground in fields such as life habits and folk customs. 

Ma further explained that knowing the likes and dislikes of others was part of the process of developing relationships.

"The thing you regarded as noble may not be understood in the same way by others," Ma said. "To make true friends with others, we should actively adjust our frequency to others' and find the most appropriate way of communicating with them," he told ChinAfrica.

Currently, a new building to be named "Africa Center" with an area of about 24,000 square meters is under construction. Ma hopes the center will attract more Africans and that they will regard it as their home.