My story: From China to Zimbabwe for women and Children

Travelling thousands of miles from China, I joined the UNICEF Zimbabwe Country Office as an intern in the Nutrition and Child Development Section. I am a graduate student from Nanjing University, but my connection with Africa began long before I arrived in Harare.

I once heard a story about an agricultural project in Tanzania during my undergraduate degree, where improved maize seeds helped bring better harvests and better livelihoods. That story stayed with me. Later, I studied African agricultural economics during my master’s programme. Little by little, Africa became more than a place in books and articles—it became a place I hoped to understand more closely.

My First Field Visit to Mutoko

My first field visit in Zimbabwe was to Mutoko, where I joined colleagues in monitoring the Care Group project, which aims to promote behaviour change among caregivers to improve nutrition for children under five. I saw nutritionists, lead mothers, village health workers, NGO staff and government partners learning together. At first, I felt like an outsider, unsure of what to say or do. But as I listened and asked questions, I began to understand something important: development work is not only about plans and indicators, but also about relationships, trust and the quiet effort of people who keep showing up for children and families.

What stayed with me most were the small details: a mother taking notes with a child on her back, the walls covered with breastfeeding messages, the long journeys home after training. That was when I truly understood what fieldwork means.

Build the Positive Parenting Project with a Chinese Company

That field experience stayed with me and shaped how I approached my own work, especially the positive parenting project I was primarily responsible for. The project was piloted with a Chinese mining company, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, in the Goromonzi district. What I had seen in the field taught me that support is most meaningful when it feels practical and close to people’s everyday lives. With that in mind, we designed the project to include interactive elements such as cooking demonstrations and role-plays, so that parenting support would feel engaging, relatable, and easier to apply, rather than distant or overly formal.

What made this project especially meaningful to me was the platform UNICEF gave me to connect different strengths. I was able to contribute my own knowledge and language skills while linking UNICEF’s technical guidance with the practical resources of the Chinese company and the participation of government partners. Through this process, I saw more clearly how collaboration can turn ideas into practical support for children and families.

Looking Forward

Day by day, through following up on projects, I strengthened professional skills in project management and deepened my understanding of child nutrition and development. I have also come to appreciate the strength of the UNICEF team. The section I work with has been incredibly supportive, giving me both the freedom to help shape the project and the guidance of my supervisor and colleagues along the way. That sense of teamwork made a real difference to my internship experience.

There is a Chinese saying that a good childhood can heal a lifetime. Looking back on my internship, I am truly grateful that UNICEF Zimbabwe Country Office allowed me to contribute to early childhood development. This is the mindset I will carry with me: not only what I learned, but why this work matters.