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Senior Reporter
A Chisipite Senior School student in Harare whose painting now graces the China Space Station after winning the My Dream of Going to Space painting competition is in China to receive the Tainhe Award.
Hope Mafiko is among seven winners representing seven African countries and she will receive her award at a prize giving ceremony in Beijing today.
Other countries represented include Madagascar, Nigeria, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria.
Hope, who is accompanied by her mother Mrs Esperanca Mafiko was full of joy for her artwork being selected from a pool of more than 2000 participants across Africa.
“I am excited because representing my country has opened up doors including being able to visit China,” she said.
“It’s something I just challenged myself to try after our teacher showed us the poster inviting us to come up with a painting centred on a dream to go to space.”
The competition was organised by the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe.
Other embassies and consulates in African countries also coordinated the competition.
Mrs Mafiko said Hope has always been artistic as a little child and she had to buy her colours.
“She has always shown an interest in art from a very young age. When I received the call of her having won the competition I had to park on the side of the road because of excitement,” said Mrs Mafiko.
They both contend that China and the people’s hospitality was extraordinary.
Hope said her perception of China had changed completely as the infrastructure, ambience, greenery and widespread use of energy efficient vehicles had blown her away.
The winners have been taken of trips to witness China’s beauty, including touring the Great China Wall.
They were also introduced to Wushu, a Chinese martial art form, which rides on the principle of attack and Defence.
Proponents of the art form have gained worldwide a claim including Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan among others.
Professor Zhou Qingjie of the China Foreign Affairs University took the 10 winners and at least six journalists from the winning countries through their paces.
Prof Qingjie said Wushu and Tai Chi emphasised the perfect balance and harmony between nature and humans.
“We always seek to establish a perfect balance between nature and humans. Wushu and Tai Chi are key in maintaining the body, mind and soul healthy,” said Prof Qingjie.
“These Chinese martial art forms promote the use of mind over power. It also rides on the philosophy that humans learn from nature including animals. From animals we learn that different animals have different strengths and tactics of attack and defence.”
From years of observing animals, styles such as tiger, leopard, crane, mantis and monkey which ardent watchers of kung fu movies can relate to.
Online Reporter