STORY: Chinese-sponsored technology contest for African youth launched in Kenya
DATELINE: July 25, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:52
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/EDUCATION
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Technical University of Kenya
2. various of launch of the competition
3. various of Kenya and AVIC officials
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ESTHER MUORIA, Principal secretary of the State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
5. various of the launch of the competition
6. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TAKUDZA KAMUTIMBE, Student from Zimbabwe
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ARIEKOT FAITH, Student from Uganda
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): TSASTI ITAI, Team leader from Zimbabwe
 
STORYLINE:
 
The eighth edition of Africa Tech Challenge, sponsored by a Chinese firm, AVIC International, was launched on Monday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
 
More than 70 youth from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, Zambia and Zimbabwe will participate in the month-long exercise to boost their competence in applying construction-related technologies.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ESTHER MUORIA, Principal secretary of the State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
"Because we want to train our youth to be skilled, to be able to do what they need to do, and as we continue to get industrialized, they will take advantage of the skills they learned, and in this way we are going to get to the next level of development, which as a government is what we are looking into. China has helped us with a lot of equipment that we are using in our TVET as well as university institutions, to learn these technologies. Therefore, my encouragement to the youth (is that) as much as possible to learn from our big brothers technologically."
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TAKUDZA KAMUTIMBE, Student from Zimbabwe
"Chinese are introducing good technologies to the African youth, which is very good to us in order to upgrade our skills."
"Actually, I look forward to upgrading my skills, and also opening my own workshop."
 
SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ARIEKOT FAITH, Student from Uganda
"Most of the youth in Africa think that technical education is for failures, technical education is for people that have failed in life, but I thanked God that this is going to change the perception that people have about technical education."
 
SOUNDBITE 4 (English): TSASTI ITAI, Team leader from Zimbabwe
"The benefits of the TVET cooperation of the Chinese government have brought a number of things to our country and also to a number of African countries."
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)