In a recent conversation on Mwelekeo TV, Phabians Olungah sat down with host Samuel Lunani to share what it was really like for him to live, study, and work in China for a full year as a Kenyan international student.
He spoke openly about the everyday realities he faced, clearing up many ideas that people in Kenya often hold about the country, its people, and the way of life there. The discussion covered everything from food and culture to education, governance, and the opportunities that exist for young Africans who might want to go there.
Phabians began by addressing common misconceptions. Many Kenyans, he said, believe that all Chinese people look the same or that they are all short. Once he arrived, he saw that this was not true. China is a huge country with many different regions, provinces, and ethnic groups. There are about 56 ethnic minorities, though the Han make up the large majority.
People come in different heights and appearances, just as they do anywhere else. He also talked about the food. Stories circulate about Chinese people eating frogs, snakes, or other unusual things, but that was not his experience.
The meals he tried were tasty and varied. In Beijing he found Beijing duck, and in other places there was pigeon, horse milk, seafood, noodles, and many ways of preparing chicken or beef. He could even find maize flour to cook something closer to Kenyan food, though it was yellow corn rather than the white maize he was used to. Pakistani restaurants offered familiar dishes like chicken biryani.
The difference was mostly in the preparation styles, not in strange ingredients.
On the question of governance, Phabians noted that China runs a one-party system rather than the multi-party democracy many African countries follow. He did not claim it was perfect for everyone, but he said it has worked for the Chinese people.
In about forty years the country moved from being a developing nation to the second-largest economy in the world.
Nearly 800 million people were lifted out of poverty. Literacy rates rose sharply, and infrastructure expanded across the country.
He pointed out that development should be judged by what people can actually see and use, not by words on paper. In Kenya, many ordinary citizens notice that Chinese-supported projects have delivered roads, buildings, and other visible improvements. He suggested that any system should be measured by whether it improves the daily lives of citizens, reduces poverty, and builds the economy.
Living as an African in China brought its own observations. Phabians said he never faced discrimination during his stay. People were generally warm and willing to help, even when the language was a barrier.
Chinese citizens seemed focused on their own work and the progress of their country. He rarely saw homeless people on the streets in the cities he visited. Security felt strong, with cameras present in many places. One day he left his phone at the Temple of Heaven, a historic site hundreds of years old, and returned later to find it still there, untouched.
He compared that to the risk of leaving a phone unattended in Nairobi. Curiosity sometimes appeared when people saw a Black person for the first time and asked to touch his hair, but it did not turn into hostility. The focus remained on study, work, and national development rather than on outsiders.
Education stood out as another strong point. Most schools and universities are government-run, so costs for local students stay relatively low. Food on campus is also priced so that most people can afford it. The system emphasizes skills, research, innovation, and technology.
Phabians saw young people finishing advanced degrees at ages when many Kenyan students are still completing their first university courses.
Classes for international students were often in English, with basic Mandarin lessons included. Translation apps helped bridge the language gap after the first few weeks. He felt the overall approach prepared students for real work and problem-solving more directly than systems that rely heavily on theory alone.
Looking at the job market, Phabians mentioned that artificial intelligence is changing opportunities quickly in China.
Young people there adapt early and work with intensity. His advice to Kenyans thinking of studying or working in China was practical.
Learn some basic Chinese before you go. Be ready to work hard, because the pace is demanding. Show resilience, the same quality many Kenyans already have. And if you go for studies, plan to return and use what you learn to help build Kenya. Opportunities exist, but they reward effort and a clear sense of purpose.
The conversation left the sense that China is different from Kenya in many ways, yet not as distant or strange as some stories suggest. Tangible progress, strong institutions, and a focus on practical results stood out in Phabians’ account. For young people considering options beyond the usual destinations, his year there offered a grounded view of both the challenges and the possibilities.
Mwelekeo TV is the video platform of Mwelekeo Insights, a Kenyan research organization.
It turns data and public opinion into conversations about governance, society, the economy, and the concerns of young people, aiming to inform viewers and encourage open discussion on issues that shape the country.
