Engineer: How learning Chinese helped me excel

When George Obara was growing up, he had no idea that one day, he would learn Chinese language and be proficient in it.

Obara, who is an engineer, says he learnt the language out of necessity.

“It all started 25 years ago, when I decided that I wanted to pursue a course and a degree in engineering,” he says.

“I was passionate about engineering and I found myself being taken to China to study.”

Obara says he went to China when he was 19 years old to pursue his course. He was taken by his parents, who wanted him to be great and perfect at what he was doing.

“When I arrived to do my studies, I realised that we had issues of language barrier. It was becoming hard to communicate with the Chinese. But I only understood my mother tongue, Kiswahili and English," he says, smiling.

"In as much as I went to pursue my engineering course, I had somehow to find a means of survival in terms of learning the Chinese language, or I would literally be keeping quiet at all times."

Obara started taking Chinese classes, which he combined with his engineering course.

“So I would juggle between reading and going for the Chinese classes. But at the end of it all, I was able to communicate effectively with the Chinese,” he says.

"I had a few friends who also got interested because like they normally say, when you go to Rome, you do what they do. So we had to talk their language and we came out proficient in it," he says.

OPENED DOORS

Eventually, Obara came back home to apply his knowledge both as an engineer and as a person who is proficient in Chinese.

“I had interacted with many Chinese, I knew their way of life and even their language, which has really helped me when interacting with the Chinese in Kenya,” he says.

“Communication with them has become easier because I understand every single word and every single character when it comes to communication.”

The engineer says that when he returned home, he played a major role in the tourism industry.

“I understood the cultural differences and I had a better understanding of the tourism sector,” he says.

“The cultural difference was not only about being from Germany or even coming from the United States. It was about China and Kenya. Many people did not know about the China market.”

“All the trainings we had were based on Western ideologies, but we did not understand the Chinese better.”

With his skills, he came back and was contracted by many organisations, who needed his expertise both as an engineer and as a Chinese expert.

“I came onboard and went straight to Sarova hotels, where they needed me to help them in some consultancy. I did some computer engineering for them and helped them in matters translation,” he says.

Obara had another breakthrough when the now-President of China Xi Jinping visited Kenya.

“By then, he was not the president but a governor of a state. I was able to handle him well and he was so amazed by what I could do. This then opened other doors for me,” he says.

His constant link-up with Chinese nationals and organisations made Obara open his own firm, which is located in Yaya Centre, Nairobi.

The firm mostly deals with tourism business between Kenya and China.

“We are broad-based and we look at how Chinese nationals work through Kenya and the China market,” he says.

Obara says embracing Chinese characters and mastering languages made him who he is.

‘Today I can comfortably say that I can easily translate Chinese to Kenyan languages and vice versa. I can comfortable be in a conversation with the Chinese without feeling insufficient in language,” he says.

He encourages young people to diversify in language.

“Let them learn languages that will help them. Not only French, German, and so on. They can also look at China, which has a potential big market,” he says.

BREAKING BARRIERS

Civil suveryor Sarah Kipkemboi* (not her real name) says during her five years working with the Chinese at a construction site, she has realised that many Kenyans are embracing the language.

“Where I work, communication is not a challenge. Because most of us working on the site communicated directly with the Chinese,” she says.

“Some of them have learnt the Kiswahili language, so it’s even easier for them to Interact with us. So communication is not a problem.”

Kip says they would also have Chinese translators just in case the worst happened.

“I remember there is a day the Chinese man who knows Kiswahili did not come to work and then we did not know what to do. We had to quickly get a translator on the site because you know work has to be done,” she says.

He says there should be a mutual understanding between the Chinese and Kenyans so that both can learn the language and help each other.

“If every person can get interested in the learning the language, then no one will feel intimidated whatsoever,” she says.

She says there are many free online courses that one can venture into to learn more about the language.

"Many people are studying or wish to learn one of the types of the Chinese language. But the language is more valuable than admiring various aspects of China’s thriving market and entertainment industry," she says.

Your fluency in the Chinese language can provide job potential in various fields.  One such choice is a Chinese translator. It is a great career option."

China- Africa Cooperation scholar Adhere Cavince says language barrier is a major problem because it impedes communication and understanding between Kenyans and the Chinese. 

“Through the work of translators, much amity has been created,” he says.

“It is encouraging to see more Kenyans enrolling for Chinese language classes at the four Confucius institutes currently operational in the country besides Kenyans who are undertaking language learning in Chinese universities.”

He says for the barrier to be done away with, there should be more opportunities for intercultural exchanges among Kenyan and Chinese nationals. 

“This can help break down certain stereotypes, prejudices and fallacies that continue to define relations between the two countries,” he says.