I arrived in China from Rwanda in 2018 as a student to study civil engineering at the Beijing University of Science and Technology. One of the biggest things that happened to me during my stay in China was a chance to volunteer at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

My Olympics volunteering journey started last September 2021 with a volunteers' recruitment announcement in one of our WeChat groups. I was excited to see it as I am a sports enthusiast, and in my home country this kind of competitions have not taken place yet. It was a great opportunity for me to both watch and serve in the Olympics. Having served as a volunteer during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, I had an advantage and my application was successful.

After a training through video links and two weeks in an isolation camp, I was assigned to volunteer at the Wukesong Sports Center. The first time I went to the sports center, I was amazed by the presence of people from different walks of life such as the media, athletes and my fellow volunteers.

The volunteer teams were divided into two big groups: the "inner loop" and the "outer loop." The inner loop team was tasked with handling queries from athletes, journalists, and delegations of people from foreign countries. This team had its own facilities and it couldn't in any case meet the outer loop team. The outer loop team, of which I was a part, was in charge of handling the queries and needs of the spectators.

The Wukesong Sports Center hosted ice hockey games for both men's and women's teams. I will never forget how exciting the opening game of China vs. the Czech Republic was. The stadium was well decorated, and everything was well prepared. In this first game that featured the local team, there were hundreds and hundreds of spectators including local and international journalists.

I was overwhelmed with joy to be physically present and watch my first Olympic game. The remaining games were also interesting, and I watched them whenever I got some free time from my volunteering duties.

In our free time, we had culture exchange discussions. It was the best opportunity to learn more about the Chinese New Year celebration since this year, we, foreign students, had a chance to celebrate it with our Chinese colleagues. It was a grand celebration at the camp. We tasted unique Chinese dishes for that occasion such as dumplings, fish, spring rolls, etc. Of course, I also had a chance to write Chinese characters, calligraphy, and much more.

I took this opportunity to introduce my African and Rwandan culture to other colleagues. I introduced to them the real image of Africa that they never see on television. From geography, social life, and economy to entertainment, I made them understand more about the continent with examples from my country, Rwanda. It was a good platform for us, the young generation, to talk about our culture and discuss our nations' different initiatives and plans.

As an international volunteer in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, I have had unique and unforgettable experience to serve others in a noble cause. I felt delighted from the bottom of my heart, and this experience was very fulfilling. As the speeches and messages from all leaders urged us, I am committed to upholding the spirit of the Olympic Winter Games, bravely moving forward, and doing all of these together for a shared future.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)