Hope to see you again, Zimbabwe!

Gao Junya

Indeed, I fell in love with Zimbabwe before I set my feet on its soil. 

When the plane was descending, I was awed by what I saw on the ground: patches of palettes-like farmlands extending endlessly to the horizon. 

Stepping out of the airport, I was refreshed with bright sunshine, blue skies, clean air and big smiles on people’s faces that lifted my spirits. 

At that moment, I told myself I had made the right decision to work in this amazing country.

That was January 12, 2018.

Little did I know that five years would pass before my very eyes.

 Family and friends back in China often say I have been away for too long, yet for me, time seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye. 

The reason for this is simple — my life in Africa has been fulfilling and enriching beyond measure. Every second here is cherished and savoured, making these five years feel like a mere moment in time.

As I approach the end of my tenure in Zimbabwe as a correspondent for China Media Group’s Harare Bureau, I find myself reflecting on my time here and what it has meant to me.

 A Zimbabwean friend told me that once you are exposed to the spirit of Africa, you will never be the same. This is true. 

But what is it about Africa that has transformed me? What am I going to miss about Zimbabwe when I get back to China? 

For new residents, the climate is delightful, with trees blooming vibrant flowers throughout the year. The clear night sky, adorned by the milky way, stretches from horizon to horizon. 

The vast savanna and rich wildlife only add to the magnificence. It is honestly difficult to list everything that captures the magic of Zimbabwe.

But what I will miss the most are the local people. They have shown me so much love, care, and hope — they have given me the strength to keep going. 

Through my interactions with them, I have grown and been changed in ways that I never thought were possible.

I went to a village called Lumene in Matabeleland South Province in November 2021, where I tasted the most delicious eggs in my life. 

I was there to investigate how China-aided boreholes were impacting the lives of thousands of locals. Many villagers were so eager to share their stories with us. 

One particularly touching story came from a woman who used to travel for two to three hours just to find water.

But with China-funded boreholes being drilled right in her village, she could fetch water whenever she needed it. This convenience brought her great joy, as she now had more time to focus on other household chores. 

With a reliable water source, she even planned to start a garden and plant some vegetables, which was “a new-found possibility thanks to this life-changing initiative.”

During an interview, the local councillor said that the borehole not only provided easy access to water, but also ensured that the water was clean and safe to drink. 

This would greatly prevent locals from falling ill to water-borne diseases, such as diarrhoea. 

She expressed her gratitude towards the Chinese government and hopes that more China-aided boreholes will be drilled in Zimbabwe’s rural areas.

Duan Chuanxiu, the head of the drilling team, said it was quite a challenge to drill boreholes in the village. Sometimes they could not find a drop of water, although they had drilled a depth of over 100 meters. 

However, the local villagers provided him and his team with the drive and inspiration to face these daunting challenges. The villagers would accompany his team and help identify the right spot to drill, and if water did not come out, they would be just as disappointed as the team. 

But the moment water finally spurted from the borehole, the locals would celebrate. Duan said “our hard work proved worthwhile when I saw the joy on the faces of the villagers.”

After the interview, the local villagers generously offered us maize, beans, peanuts, and boiled eggs. I cannot overstate how delicious those eggs were – I ate three of them.

They were delicious not just because of their taste, but because they were offered with love from the villagers, as a token of their appreciation for Chinese help.

 I have seen the most beautiful and pure smiles on the faces of the kids in ‘Hosanna Love in Africa Children’s home’.

 Yes, on the faces of orphans there. These kids were underprivileged. Yet with the love from a group of “Chinese moms”, they are so well protected and cared. 

These “Chinese moms”, most of whom have been living in Zimbabwe for over two decades, established the children’s home in 2014 and inundated local children with love and care.

I have visited the children’s home for more than a dozen times and I have seen the transformation of the facility, with new classrooms and dormitories built to improve the living conditions there.

Munashe Aruferi, once underprivileged himself, received contributions from a caring Chinese mom to complete his junior and senior education. 

Today, he is preparing for college and seeking advice from his benefactor. Additionally, Munashe works as a volunteer teacher at the children’s home, where he spreads the love he has received to other kids in need. 

Of course, these people are only a small part of Zimbabweans I have come to know. They all gave me power and strength.

How are you? How’s Zimbabwe? These are questions most frequently asked by the lovely Zimbabweans. They are friendly. They pop up greetings to any strangers they meet. 

They are hard-working. Many of them are doing more than one job to support their families. 

During my visit to Matabeleland South, I went across Mtshabezi River in Gwanda. Local people told me that Mtshabezi means a small man with great power, which perfectly defines the people I encounter here in Zimbabwe. 

They have become my friends and mentors, teaching me valuable life lessons and helping me become a better version of myself.

Ten years ago, in his first visit to Africa after taking office, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests for developing China-Africa relations. 

They have been guiding China-Africa ties to yield new fruits in the new era.

Over the past five years, I have personally witnessed how China-Africa co-operation got deeper and how these principles brought Chinese and Africans even closer. 

My experiences in Africa have nurtured in me a strong sense of kindness, good intentions, optimism, determination…the qualities that are rooted in the minds of Africans.

Now that my stint in Africa is coming to an end, I find myself already missing it dearly. I hope to come back in the future.

Gao Junya is a Harare-based journalist with China Media Group.