Pursuing New Goals in Their Journey in China

Vimbai Audrey Tanakah Murungweni

"When I first came to China, in 2016, I could speak little Chinese. I thought it was going to be difficult for me to 'navigate' life. However, the Chinese people I met were so warm and friendly, and they made me feel like I was at home." Vimbai Audrey Tanakah Murungweni, from Zimbabwe, was a singer with Belt and Road Band before she graduated from Nanchang Hangkong University in the autumn of 2023. When she was studying in Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi Province, the band of her university was composed of four African students. One of her companions, Abel J. Chulu, was the bass player from Zambia. 

China impresses Chulu as "a beautiful and vast country, with nature allowed to be fully on display." He tells Women of China, "The country has a lot of places, which are adapted to promote internal tourism, as well as to allow its own people to experience wonderful sights." 

Abel J. Chulu

Since they graduated last year, both Murungweni and Chulu have continued to live in China, where they have been pursuing their new goals. 

During a recent discussion with Murungweni, she mentioned she had accepted a position with an air cargo carrier company based in Haikou, capital of Hainan Province. "As someone who enjoys shopping, I would like to see more foreign companies forming partnerships with China. In fact, there has already been steady progress in having more multinational companies here. This will not only benefit foreigners in the country, but China will also boost its own economy, as more companies will be showing an interest in investing in China. It has been a wonderful experience for me to explore the beautiful Hainan Island," Murungweni explains. 

Chulu also provided an update on his life in China, and on his impression of the country's progress, noting China's infrastructure and social welfare system are both better developed. "It is known to many that most Chinese are diligent. They seek to meet the goals and/ or expectations they have set for their work tasks, and they work tirelessly in their pursuits. I am currently working hard too, to become an aircraft-maintenance engineer. I hope to find a suitable place to master this skill, and to improve myself in this regard. I hope I will be certified to work on aircraft," he says. 

Murungweni recalls a song they have sung many times. "It is called 'Beauty and Togetherness,' which depicts how people in different skin colors, and/or of different races, come together to create a beautiful world."

Photos from Interviewees

(Women of China English Monthly October 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha