Chinese language proficiency inspires Kenyan youth to spearhead cultural ties

NAIROBI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- With tears of joy, Miriam Achieng was carried shoulder high by a rapturous crowd to the podium when she was announced the overall winner at the national finals of the 25th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition in Kenya.

Dressed in a sparkling green dress on Friday night, the geospatial engineering student from the University of Nairobi had earlier electrified the crowd with a powerful drumming performance themed around the courage of a female general.

Achieng, also pursuing the Chinese language as a minor, won accolades from judges and spectators after delivering a speech in fluent Mandarin.

"It was my first time to participate in a (Chinese) Bridge competition, and my first time to be on any stage. It felt nice and exciting to find my new self. Sometimes it was overwhelming, but I was reassured by my strong support team of teachers and friends," Achieng said.

Achieng said that being declared the overall winner of this year's Chinese language proficiency contest has inspired her to champion the Kenya-China relationship to a new level.

Held at a packed auditorium in the University of Nairobi's Taifa Hall, the 25th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition's national finals for college students in Kenya was characterized by elegance, pomp, and adulation.

Twenty participants shortlisted for the finals put their best foot forward during the competition, which included speech and cultural performances, such as a cappella music, dance, martial arts, and drumming.

Alice Usla Wanjala, a microbiology and biotechnology student at the University of Nairobi, wowed the audience with her rhythmic moves while performing a lion dance.

Wanjala defied earlier nervousness to deliver a speech in fluent Mandarin, highlighting how language creates bridges of friendship and how it can bring diverse cultures together for a common cause.

"We should use language to bring Kenyan and Chinese communities together," said Wanjala, who won in the Outstanding Talent category for displaying prowess in blending lion dance, Kungfu, singing, and acting.

She noted that the Kenya-China friendship is getting better as more local youth take up the Chinese language while immersing themselves in culture, culinary delights, and costumes from the Asian country.

Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, principal secretary in the State Department for Higher Education and Research, hailed the competition for creating a platform for local youth to hone their skills in spoken and written Mandarin.

Kenyan and Chinese ministries of education have already signed a memorandum of understanding(MOU) to foster cooperation on joint Chinese language education in the East African Nation, Inyangala said

Thanks to this MOU, Kenya has set high standards for teaching the Chinese language in local schools and colleges, with the annual Chinese Bridge competition attesting to the growing appeal of Mandarin countrywide, according to Inyangala.

"We endeavor and promise to continue mobilizing more and more people to participate in this particular competition so that we can jointly witness the achievements of Chinese language education in Kenya," Inyangala said in a speech read on her behalf by Carol Hunja, secretary for higher education and research in the Ministry of Education.