20 students leave for China to learn kung fu

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Speaking before the departure, the trip coordinator from Confucius Institute, Amber Zheng, said the students were drawn from six secondary schools in Dodoma, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam regions.

Dar es Salaam. Twenty Tanzanian secondary school students left the country yesterday for Beijing, China, where they will lean Chinese kung fu.

Speaking before the departure, the trip coordinator from Confucius Institute, Amber Zheng, said the students were drawn from six secondary schools in Dodoma, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam regions.

Apart from learning Chinese kung fu, the students will also learn Chinese culture during their two-week stay in China in a programme known as Chinese Bridge Summer Camp, which is specifically tailored for secondary school students.

Those making the trip include Masatu Ngereja, Keneth Gilbert, Mariasante Ndumbaro and Josephat Kisa, all from Dodoma Secondary School, and Alex Bundala and Kitu Mode from Dar es Salaam’s Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School.

Others are Lilian Maiko, Mary Revocatus, Gloria Mitti, Doris Onesmo and Suzan Simwayi from Zanaki Secondary School of Dar es Salaam, while Salma Mussa, Almas Mtyani and Elizabeth Ramadhani were selected from Dodoma’s Kiwanja cha Ndege Secondary School.

The delegation also includes Shafii Mushi, Filigoma Randa (Morogoro Secondary School) and Mawata Matukuta and Rhobi Mwita (Kilakala Secondary School). The students have been accompanied to China by the coordinator of Chinese language studies in the President’s Office, Mary Msungu.

Amber said the students would attend kung fu training at Songshan Shaolin Wushu College (Confucius campus) before visiting the famous Shaolin Temple and continuing with martial arts training at Duyu campus. They will also visit the Great Wall of China.

“This is a continuous programme for Tanzania students. We want to provide them with experience in kung fu and teach them the Chinese language. We are sure that in the next few years, many Tanzanians will be well versed in kung fu, which is an integral part of Chinese culture.”

Msungu said they were looking forward to the programme in China, adding that she hoped their trip would inspire more Tanzanians to learn Chinese culture and language.