12 Chinese volunteers set off for Ethiopia on Thursday, the
first time the country has dispatched volunteers to Africa.
The 12 volunteers will stay in Ethiopia for six months and help
local residents develop the use of marsh gas, improve physical
education, develop information technology and upgrade medical
treatment.
The project was jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce, the
Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Young League and the
Chinese Youth Volunteers Association (CYVA).
"The services provided by the Chinese volunteers are in
accordance with the demands of Ethiopia," said Hou Baosen, an
official from CYVA.
China does not often send professionals in marsh gas technology
and physical education abroad, according to Hou.
Of the 12 volunteers on this trip to Ethiopia, four are
professionals in marsh gas technology and three are specialists in
physical education training.
Used to dispatching people to other Asian countries, the CYVA
anticipates a whole new set of problems for volunteers in Africa.
"The environment will be totally new for the volunteers," Hou said.
"They will face challenges from language to culture shock."
All the volunteers have received training on the local language
and customs as well as instructions on how to deal with
emergencies.
"Although it is a tough task, I am still glad to have this
chance," said Feng Ai, who is still pursuing her doctor's degree at
Shanghai's Fudan
University.
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(China Daily August 4, 2005)