For the love of the language

The biggest challenge was how to make the difficult Chinese language lessons interesting for African students.

"I take back my complaints," says Cheng Anxin, Zhang's husband, "Her work is so meaningful and I am happy to support her."

With an amicable and helpful personality, Zhang has been able to easily blend in with the African students and make friends. Many African students regard her as their "Chinese mother".

"She has all the qualities of a mother," says Frederick Sumaye, the former Prime Minister of Tanzania. "She's caring, she really looks after them, and she's very friendly to the young people she's staying with."

However as a mother, Zhang feels guilty about her own daughter. "I have left my own daughter at home, and can see her only once a year. I always think that I owe her the most."

But, fortunately, her daughter has chosen to support her and plans to be a teacher after graduation.

"That's what prompted me to return to Africa for the second time," Zhang says.

At present, Zhang and her colleagues have organized 13 cultural activities of various kinds, such as the preliminaries of the "Chinese Bridge" Competition for College Students and "Chinese Day". The events have attracted over 20,000 participants and have been welcomed by the local community in Tanzania.

"Zhang is a very charming Chinese lady," says Asha-Rose Migiro, the former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and a native of Tanzania. "She can blend very easily with the people here, and teach us the Chinese language and various other aspects of Chinese culture."

Xing Yi contributed to this story.