STORY: Young Ethiopian endeavors to enhance Sino-Ethiopian cultural, language exchanges
SHOOTING DATE: June 15, 2024
DATELINE: June 20, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:06
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of language school
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): KALEAB ZELALEM, Founder of Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): KALEAB ZELALEM, Founder of Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): BETHLEHEM ABERA, Student at the Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): SENAY ALEMNEW, Student at the Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): KALEAB ZELALEM, Founder of Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School

STORYLINE:

Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School in Ethiopia is the first private institution in the East African country dedicated to teaching the Chinese language.

Founded in 2022 by Ethiopian young man Kaleab Zelalem, the school reflects his deep passion for Chinese culture and language.

This passion developed when Zelalem traveled to China for study in 2017.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): KALEAB ZELALEM, Founder of Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
"The (Chinese) culture and the norm, and the way they think is absolutely different from the rest of the world. You have to fit into that community. So, in order to fit into that community, you have to learn the language. That's when it gets interesting."

After returning to Ethiopia, Zelalem noticed an ever-growing demand among his fellow Ethiopians to learn Chinese.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): KALEAB ZELALEM, Founder of Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
"(I saw) the gap and the demand. A lot of government officials and businessmen are now looking to learn (the Chinese language). That is when I was like, okay, this is the time to open a Chinese language school.
The unique thing that we give at this Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School is that we not only teach the language. We teach their culture, we teach their norm, we teach the Chinese people's perspective towards the world. That's unique. We need to understand China. We need to understand the Chinese people and everything."

This holistic approach has attracted learners from all walks of life.
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (English): BETHLEHEM ABERA, Student at the Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
"In my time of working together with Chinese people, we used to communicate in English at first. But now, after I started my Chinese class, somehow, we communicate some words in the Chinese language. I see their happiness on their faces, and I really feel proud, too. That is why I feel like I need to learn more every day."
   
SOUNDBITE 4 (English): SENAY ALEMNEW, Student at the Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
"The class is interesting. It has jokes. It has history classes as well, and it is very nice. My fascination with China is because of the history of China, which is very nice. It is amazing. The people, the culture, and also the level of country that they are right now. It is very nice."
   
SOUNDBITE 5 (English): KALEAB ZELALEM, Founder of Ni Hao Habesha Language Training School
"I have been teaching once an Austrian diplomat who wanted to go to China for work. After I taught him some Chinese. He called me, and said Kaleab, I never thought an Austrian guy would learn Chinese from an Ethiopian guy. That was one of the best impressions I got from my students."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)