▲ Old photos of Wang Leehom and Suma when they were studying.
0 1 Understanding Uganda
Wang Leehom, a Beijinger with a father, a mother and a brother, is a family of four. From birth, she was the "little princess" of her parents and brother, and the whole family loved her very much. Wang Leehom is a very clever boy. He studies hard, makes progress in his studies and never lets his parents down. In the third year of senior high school, I was admitted to the Foreign Languages Department of Tsinghua University with excellent results and became the talent of our dreams.
In the early 1990s, China's economy was in the take-off stage of comprehensive national strength. In order to be more closely linked with the international market, many domestic universities exchange students with foreign universities and sign international student cooperation agreements, including Uganda.
▲ Tsinghua University plaque
Uganda is relatively remote and located in eastern Africa, with a total area of about 24 1.550 square kilometers. Most of Uganda is located in the East African Plateau, where there are many lakes and the altitude is relatively high. The average elevation reaches 1000 ~ 1200m, which is called "highland water town". However, due to the British colonial aggression in Uganda's history, there were many wars after independence, the industrial base was weak, and domestic agriculture was dominant. Therefore, Uganda's economy has not developed.
▲ Old photos of Ugandan capital Caparra.
Since 1983, China has helped Uganda develop in all directions. Not only has the government sent many medical teams, but some famous universities in China also provide scholarships for Ugandan students.
▲ Wang Leehom and her boyfriend Suma in college.
02 the arrangement of fate
As a member of Ugandan students studying abroad, Su Ma Chenggong was given the opportunity to study in Tsinghua University and set up a school in Tsinghua University.
A foreign language major and an architecture major, to put it bluntly, Wang Leehom and Suma should not meet in such a big Tsinghua University. They have no communication, but their fate is so wonderful. During the summer vacation in the first half of freshman year, Wang Leehom wanted to use the summer vacation time to go out and earn some money, so he borrowed a tricycle and started selling some clothes and snacks. I happened to be near the construction site and happened to meet Suma who was working on the construction site.
▲ Beijing in the 1990s.
Wang Leehom was surprised to see a foreigner working on a construction site, so he watched it for a long time, but he was still curious. It was not until the beginning of next semester that Suma appeared on the campus of Tsinghua. Wang Leehom discovered that the foreigner he had seen on the construction site before was an international student in Tsinghua. This time, Wang Leehom was not shy. She generously walked over and introduced herself to Suma, and they gradually became familiar with each other.
03 international love
As a Beijinger, Wang Leehom was born in a relatively wealthy family, and her father, mother and brother always loved her. Suma from Uganda is the son of a local chief, but the economic situation in Uganda is not particularly rich compared with the family situation of the chief. In addition, the distance between China and Wang Leehom is too far, which makes Ukrainian parents who are not optimistic about Suma even more opposed.
▲ Uganda Street View
Just like all love stories, Wang Leehom's family didn't agree to be together, but Wang Leehom, who was thoughtful since childhood, had a big fight with his parents. From that day on, Wang Leehom seldom went home, totally immersed in the love life with Suma.
Love across mountains and rivers
When Wang Leehom and Suma graduated from school, Wang Leehom quietly returned to Uganda with her boyfriend, regardless of family opposition, and wanted to go back to Uganda with Suma for development. After arriving in Uganda, Wang Leehom was shocked, because she never thought that Uganda would be so backward. A country's "chief's house" is so inconvenient to eat and bathe, and its lifestyle is very backward. Of course, all this has not changed Wang Leehom's love for Suma. Seeing this situation, she decided to stay here and help Su Ma make his hometown rich together, so Wang Leehom and Su Ma began to build his hometown together.
▲ A recent photo of two people
Due to the low status of Ugandan women, it was not convenient for Wang Leehom to go out. At first, she was subject to various restrictions. In addition, what Wang Leehom can't understand is that polygamy is practiced locally. Suma's father has more than a dozen wives, that is to say, she has more than a dozen mother-in-law. Wang Leehom was particularly shocked to see this system, which only existed in ancient China. As you can imagine, Uganda is still learning this tradition, which lags behind the development of China for many years.
▲ Wang Leehom gives classes to local students.
Fortunately, Suma disapproved of this system and promised Wang Leehom that she would be the only one in her life. After living in Uganda for more than 20 years, Wang Leehom, who has lived in Uganda for 24 years, established a local school, with Wang Leehom as the principal. This Chinese language school is also the most direct way for Uganda to link China culture.
▲ Wang Leehom was interviewed by CCTV.
After Wang Leehom reported her story in China, her classmate, a former rich businessman, went to Africa to visit her. When they saw her, they hardly recognized her as Wang Hongli. When talking about her experiences with her classmates, Wang Leehom said that she wanted to give up several times and go back to her hometown for development, but she felt it was a responsibility to stay here. Looking at Su Ma, she feels that life now is also a kind of happiness for her.
▲ Recent photos of Wang Leehom and Suma.
summary
In 24 years of love, Wang Leehom and Suma lived a simple and full life. At the same time, the image of Wang Leehom, a Ukrainian, is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and sets an example for the friendship between China and China. This is not only the power of love, but also a perfect interpretation of the profoundness of China culture and China's mind. I also hope that the love between Wang Leehom and Suma will be so sweet and lasting forever.