BobuafricaencouragesresponsibletravelandhopesthatmoreChinesecanactasculturalambassadorsbycommunicatingindepthwithlocalAfricans.ThishelpsusgettoknowAfricabetterandviceversa.
ShiYingying,co-founder,Bobuafrica
MoreandmoreChinesetouristsinAfricaarelookingforexperience-baseditineraries,suchaslearningfromlocalcraftsmenIMAGINEhavingfront-rowseatsinthemiddleoftheAfricansavannahtoobservetheyearlygreatwildlifemigration-aroaringthrongofhundredsofthousandsofwildebeestsandzebrastravelingacrossTanzaniaandKenyainsearchofbettergrazing.
ThisiswhatZhangFang,ProfessorofAgronomyatZhejiangUniversity,experiencedinAugust2016,duringhistriptoEastAfrica,whichthe63-year-oldsaysisoneofthemostimpressivejourneysinwhichhetookpart.“Thankstothistrip,Ihadtheopportunitytoobservemanywildanimals,discoverpicturesquelandscapesthatareuniquetoAfrica,andtakepartininteractiveactivitieswithlocalresidents.Itwasmemorableandwonderful!”
HeowesthisextraordinaryexperiencetoBobuafrica,aChinesesocial-networkplatformenablingtravelerstodiscoverthecontinent.Totakefulladvantageofhistrip,beforedeparture,ZhangtalkedseveraltimeswithBobuafricaemployees,whoknowthedestinationsinsideout,provideddetailedadviceandarrangedacustomizeditineraryforhim.Then,inthecompanyofanexperiencedBobuafricaguide,heembarkedwith12othertravelenthusiastslikehimonanexceptional16-dayadventure.“WhatattractedmethemostinBobuafricawasitsrichandinspiringinformation,itspersonalizedroutesandpowerfultrackingservices,”ZhangtoldChinAfrica.
Createdin2014,BobuafricaaimsattellingtheAfricastorybyofferingengagingjourneysandsellinguniqueproducts,enablingChinesetouriststoenjoyamultidimensionalexperienceofthecontinent’scultureandcharm,explainsco-founderShiYingying.
AnAfricanstory
PriortobeingdispatchedtotheXinhuaAfricaRegionalOfficein2010,todealwiththeagency’smarketingbusinessinSub-SaharanAfrica,ShihadneversetfootinAfrica.SheconfessesthatherimpressionofthecontinentpriortocomingwasverydifferentfromtherealAfricasheencounteredthere.
“OnecanonlydiscovertherealbeautyofAfrica,whichislikeagirlhiddenunderaveil,afterhavingsetfootonherland,visitedhervillageslitupwithoillamps,walkedinKigali’sbusinessdistrictinRwanda,anddugupfromthegroundcassavarootswithlocalwomen,”ShitoldChinAfrica.
InMarch2013,whiledeliveringaspeechattheJuliusNyerereInternationalConventionCenterinDaresSalaamduringhisstatevisittoTanzania,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpraisedtwoChineseyoungpeoplewhohadcontributedtoSino-Tanzanianfriendship.Inspiredbythis,ShidecidedtodosomethingtohelpimproveSino-Africanrelations.Later,in2014,aftercompletinghermissionwithXinhuaNewsAgency,shereturnedtoAfricatostartanewprofessionalcareeraimedatbuildingbilateralrelations,hencethecreationofBobuafrica.
ShiadmitsthatitisraretoreadreportsaboutordinaryAfricansintheChinesemedia.Forthisreason,shewishestoshareonsocialnetworksexperiencesthatshehadinAfrica,soastobridgetheculturalgapbetweenthetwopeoples.OnBobuafrica’sWeChatplatform,userscanaccessinformationaboutalmosteveryaspectofAfricanculture:carefullyselectedtours,typicaldishes,emblematicfilmsandespeciallyinterestingandsometimesmovingstoriesthatreflectthereallifeofAfricans.
Bobuafrica-usershavethechancetoexperiencelifewithinlocalcommunities,muchlikeShiYingyingdidinRwandaCOURTESYPHOTOSArewardingjourney
HuangHe(pseudonym)isa26-year-oldbusinessman.HavingfreshlyreturnedfromhistriptoTanzaniaduringthisyear’sChineseLunarNewYearwithBobuafricalateJanuary,hedidnothesitatetosharehisimpressionswithChinAfrica:“Thisismythirdtriptothecontinent,butbeforethisyear,Africaalwaysseemedtomelikeaforeignfriend.Butthistime,Ishookherhand,tookherarms,laughedandtalkedwithher.Africaisbeginningtotakeaconcreteformforme.”
Inadditiontotraditionaltouristexperiences,suchassafarisandclimbingKilimanjaroMountain,Huangvisitedlocalfamiliesandpublicinterestorganizations,includingShangaShangaa,wheremorethan45Tanzanianpeoplelivingwithdisabilitiesareemployedtomakehandicraftslikeglassbeads.Witheffectivetraining,theylearnaskillandcanselltheseproductstoincreasetheirincome,explainedHuang.“InacountrylikeTanzania,wherebasicsocialsecurityisrelativelylow,IwasverysurprisedtoseeanorganizationsuchasShangaShangaa.Peoplewithdisabilitiesherecanprofitfromtheskillstheyacquire.It’sarealjoyforthem,”Huangsaid,addingthathealsomanagesapublicinterestprojectinChinaandthatthereismuchtolearnfromthestructureofthisTanzanianorganization.
“Africaismuchmorethanbeautifullandscapesandwildlife.Whatsetsherapartisherbrilliantculture.ThisiswhyBobuafricaencouragesresponsibletravelandhopesthatmoreChinesecanactasculturalambassadorsbycommunicatingindepthwithlocalAfricans.ThishelpsusgettoknowAfricabetterandviceversa,”saidShi.Thus,withthehelpofBobuafrica,ChinesetouristsmayconsiderorganizingtheirweddingceremonyinSub-SaharanAfricancountries,goingonastudytour,visitinglocalfamiliesorvolunteering.
Anoriginalproduct
Shihassetforherselfanotherimportantgoal:tointroduceandsellAfricanspecialtyproductsviaBobuafrica.“WheneverIshowmyfriendstypicalAfricanobjectslikeMaasainecklaces,theyaskmewhatarethemeaningbehindtheseobjects.ItgavemetheideathattransculturaltrademightbeagoodwaytopromoteAfricancultureamongChineseconsumers,”sheexplained.Today,BobuafricauserscanbuyAfricanproductsasvariedasthefamousSouthAfricanrooibos,Kenyansoapstonesculptures,Maasaibracelets,Rwandanhandicraftnecklacesandsoon.
“Bypracticingakindoffairtrade,IalsowishtocontributetothedevelopmentofAfricancraftsandcreatejobs,”shesaid.AmongstthesalespartnersofBobuafricaaremanyorganizationswhosemissionistotakeadvantageoftraditionalpracticestohelplocalwomenimprovetheirfinancialindependence.BasecampMaasaiBrand(BMB)isoneofthem.JemimahSairowua,BMBProjectManager,valuesherpartnershipwithBobuafrica,saying:“BobuafricahelpsourMaasaiwomenselltheircreations,thusearningthemanincomewhichtheladiesusetobuyfood,clothingandbuildmodernhousing.Iamverygratefultothemforhavingestablishedsuchacommercialandculturalplatform.”
Asforthefuture,ShihopestotakerootonAfricansoil,likethebaobabsthatovercomedroughtandsolitude,tofinallyrealizeherAfricandream.C
Commentsto