Several Chinese vocational schools have sent support to Kenya to train locals on the operation of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway.
The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway has been operating safely for 5 years since its launch in 2017.
Teachers from Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College and their African students in a training program in 2018. [Photo: Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College]
In 2018, Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College sent 8 specialists to Kenya to help with its operation and train local people.
Yu Wentao was the instructor on the team.
We taught them theories in the first half of the session, about the structure of passenger trains, operation management, freight train management, braking and so on. After that, we had operation drills before having them move onto the real depot.
Although Yu and his team were happy to take on the task, it had its challenges.
He says his students had uneven academic levels, and Kenya's education system was different from China.
But the instructors and interpreters worked hard together to ensure high-quality teaching.
We would go through the courses together and conduct trial lectures in advance. We would also do reviews after class to see if there was anything that we neglected, and adjust our teaching methods accordingly.
During their time in Kenya, Yu and his team established good personal relations with their students.
Today, they still keep in touch with their students in Africa.
Our students would share with us about their work in the workshop, the awards they receive, and their other achievements. They also let us know when they get promoted.
On February 23 this year, the first train to be driven by an all-Kenyan team of drivers started operation, marking another milestone in ensuring that jobs in the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR are filled by locals.
Zhang Zhongyang is the dean of School of Mechanical and Vehicle at Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College.
He says sending experts to Kenya was not only about supporting the Belt and Road initiative, but also about promoting education.
It's necessary for us to develop the internationalization of vocational education, to promote our educational standards and educational programs abroad. But of course, the first purpose was to support the development of the Belt and Road.
Today, China continues its cooperation with African countries on programs to train drivers.
Earlier this year, more than 30 Ethiopian drivers got their driving certificates for locomotives on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, another key project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
