In 2012, for the first time, a faint light of my childhood dream appeared. At the Confucius Institute at University of Rwanda, Dr. Zeng Guangyu and Kung Fu master Cheng Tao guided me into the world of Kung Fu and the Chinese language. The patience, discipline, and trust shaped not only my movements but also my spirit. Two years later, fate gave me an unexpected gift\u2014I was invited to participate in the \u201cChinese Bridge\u201d competition held in China (Hunan-Changsha) for the first time in the history of Confucius Institute at University of Rwanda. That competition became a key that opened the door to a life-changing opportunity: in 2014, I won a scholarship to study Chinese Language in Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stepping onto Chinese soil for the first time felt like entering a living museum of human civilization. Five thousand years of splendid culture unfolded before my eyes. China not only welcomed me but also embraced me gently. The more I learned, the more deeply I understood that China is not just a country on the map\u2014it is a life epic, passed down through generations, written with resilience and hope. In China, I successfully earned my Chinese proficiency, Master\u2019s, and PhD degrees. I gained not only knowledge but also personal growth. My supervisors taught me the power of knowledge, the meaning of responsibility, and the qualities of acting swiftly and bravely taking responsibility\u2014values that have shaped me for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During my postgraduate studies, I established an International Students\u2019 Union with the mission of \u201cinternational students serving international students.\u201d I hoped that every student struggling with language barriers could receive support. What began as a small act of kindness gradually became a bridge connecting cultures and remains a warm home for students to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet the moment I truly witnessed the \u201cChinese spirit\u201d was during the outbreak of COVID-19. I saw firsthand the unity, dedication, and courage of the Chinese people. Inspired by this spirit, I launched a \u201cDoctor\u2019s Kitchen\u201d on campus, cooking and delivering meals to students facing food shortages. It was my small way of expressing gratitude to this second homeland that treated me like its own child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studying in China became a journey of my intellectual growth and spiritual transformation. Through Kung Fu and the Chinese language, the dreams of my childhood finally found their wings. The leadership, decisiveness, and action-oriented mindset that China instilled in me have shaped the person I have become today. These priceless gifts from China will forever illuminate the path of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
III. Fulfilled through this Mission: Dedicating myself to advancing local Chinese language education<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n More precious than achievements is the global \u201ccircle of friends\u201d I built through Chinese language and Kung Fu. These two treasures of Chinese culture not only taught me knowledge and skills but also served as a golden key that opened the door to others\u2019 hearts. They allowed me to truly enter a community that was once unfamiliar but later became my second home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After returning to my homeland, Rwanda, I could not bear to see this connection slowly fade with time. I wanted more people to experience the warmth, sense of belonging, and strength that China had given me. Therefore, I founded a Chinese language center in Rwanda, hoping to pass on China\u2019s beauty and build \u201cChinese Bridges\u201d for more dreamers seeking a path to China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment I was born, I drank the water brought by Chinese engineers. That water flowed through my childhood and into my very blood. Later, in China, I earned my master\u2019s and doctoral degrees\u2014experiences that shaped and made me who I am today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment I was born and drank the water brought by Chinese engineers\u2014water that flowed through my childhood and into my bloodstream\u2014to earning my Master\u2019s and PhD degrees in China, which shaped who I am today. Chinese and Kung Fu then became part of my daily life, a living part of my soul. So, when I say the words, \u201cI am the best Made in China,\u201d it is spoken with pride and with gratitude. It is the story of my life\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, my life is inseparable from China. This encounter has changed my destiny\u2014an encounter that will never fade, and that continues to illuminate my future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I. Born of this source: Growing up drinking China\u2019s clear spring water<\/p>\n In 1984, Chinese engineers were building a water supply project as part of China\u2019s aid efforts in Byumba. I was born there. As soon as I learned to speak, I would stand at the door of my home every day, waiting eagerly for them to pass by, and shout loudly \u201cNihao!\u201d in Chinese! They always responded with warm smiles. Some would gently pat my cheek and speak to me in Chinese\u2014though I couldn\u2019t understand a single word at the time, I could truly feel the kindness of these friends from the East.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000105132,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"byline":[723],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000105131","opinion","type-opinion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","byline-lindagato-philemon"],"bylines":[{"id":723,"name":"Lindagato Philemon","slug":"lindagato-philemon","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":723,"name":"Lindagato Philemon","slug":"lindagato-philemon","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000105132,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1429,"height":804,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg","width":150,"height":84},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg","width":300,"height":169},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg","width":768,"height":432},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg","width":1024,"height":576},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg","width":1429,"height":804}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/2000105131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/opinion"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000105131"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/2000105131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000105135,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opinion\/2000105131\/revisions\/2000105135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000105132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000105131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000105131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000105131"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000105131"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000105131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c60f435-4766-448f-a20f-f58ce4f51c96.jpg\")