When Fang Yibo was dispatched to Africa in April 2003, he expected some surprises - but the biggest of all was being made a tribal chieftain.
On a November day in 2007, under the scorching sun of Nigeria, Fang was formally crowned chieftain by the Akam Oba (king) in Ogun State.
Along with the title came 33 hectares of land, which Fang, 44, can bequeath to his offspring.
"The title is not nominal. It is inheritable. But I won't participate in local affairs. After all, I'm a foreigner here in Africa.
"My status is an employee of a Chinese State-owned enterprise. So, this title is more of an honor to me. It means the local people no longer see me as an outsider, but rather as a member of their community and even their family," Fang elaborated in an email to China Daily.
Fang is a project manager with Shandong Third Electric Power Company. When he was sent to Nigeria to build a joint venture power station, the biggest of its kind in the country, he didn't know what to expect.
The project site was wasteland, Fang recalled, which did not intimidate him. But as soon as construction started, trouble ensued. Villagers gathered around his makeshift office and demanded jobs. "They blocked the road with logs and scared away all the local employees," he said.
Fang and his colleagues were isolated for three days. Food was running out and they had to turn to the police for help. Their logistics personnel hid in a police car to go and buy food.
"We could not depend on the police all the time," Fang said. "The only way out was to rely on ourselves. My idea was, as long as we treat locals with sincerity, they will understand and accommodate us."
Fang then started his one-man outreach program. He would carry a bag of candies in one hand, and a gun in the other, walking into village after village. His colleagues worried about his safety.
He still vividly remembers the first village he entered: People were holding a religious service and were aghast at the sudden presence of an unannounced outsider. Fang walked to them, sitting on the ground in the village square and greeting everyone with smiles and candies. They warmed up to him, shaking hands and talking.
"English is the official language, but some tribes cannot speak it. One tribe near our project is nomadic, with their own language and their own customs, such as not marrying outside the tribe," he said. "But human interaction is not limited to language. We can use our body language to communicate, to tell them that we're friendly."
Fang learned a few words of the local tongue, but mostly he uses the traditional Chinese way of greeting: Candies for kids and red envelopes of money for the elderly or new-born babies. "I'm not afraid. When you're nice to them, they'll be nice to you. There's nothing in the world that cannot be solved if you put your heart into it."
As he got to know the villagers, he also took on some of their perspective.
The contract stipulated that they could do away with everything on the plot his employer had bought. But Fang noticed that there was still some crop that was not harvested.
"This is the staple food for villagers. They've already grown it for so long. Let them reap it."
Under his instructions, a special path was left open for the previous owner of the crop until harvest time.
"African people are very hospitable. They love singing and dancing. But sanitation and other living conditions leave a lot to be desired."
Seeing that local schools are mud huts with no doors or windows, some even with no desks or chairs, Fang swore that he would build a decent school for them.
With his prodding, his company has pledged a facility with 10 classrooms, student dorms, teachers' offices, a canteen and a sports arena, covering 120,000 sq m.
"It'll take in 250 kids when it opens," he said.
The idea of the charity project sprang from Fang's love of his daughter. "When I look at the kids here, they remind me of my daughter. Why can't they go to school just like her?"
Fang misses his daughter and other family members, who live in Weifang, Shandong. They call or write to each other, and instant messaging has made communication easier. Every six months he is allowed a trip back home for a 20-day vacation. But since he is responsible for the whole undertaking, he makes it home only once in 10 months.
Fang is not sure how other Chinese expatriates feel about working in Nigeria. His advice is: Never turn down an invitation from villagers; don't look down upon them because they're poor or have different habits and customs. If you treat them with respect and friendship, you'll have an easier time merging into their community. Be brave."
(China Daily January 21, 2008)
