When Ayubu Damiani Teweleis first learned about the TAZARA Railway – a 1,860-kilometer infrastructure marvel linking Tanzania and Zambia built with Chinese expertise in the 1970s – he saw more than steel tracks. The Tanzanian student recognized a tangible embodiment of Ubuntu, the African philosophy meaning "I am because you are."
"The railway wasn't just about moving goods," Teweleis told KhabarAsia.com during a recent interview. "It connected communities, created economic pathways, and showed how collaboration across continents can uplift millions." His perspective gained depth after arriving in China for postgraduate studies, where he witnessed firsthand the enduring cultural ties forged by projects like TAZARA.
From Infrastructure to Human Networks
The railway, officially known as the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority line, remains a symbol of South-South cooperation. Completed in 1975, it enabled landlocked Zambia to export copper via Tanzanian ports while strengthening China's diplomatic and economic ties with Africa.
Teweleis argues that modern global challenges require reviving this spirit: "Climate change, pandemics, and inequality don't respect borders. Just as TAZARA required engineers, laborers, and visionaries from three nations to work as one, today's problems demand collective solutions."
Educational Exchange as Modern Bridge-Building
Now studying international relations in Beijing, Teweleis participates in cultural exchange programs that mirror the railway's connective role. "Every language exchange, every joint research project with Chinese classmates – these are today's tracks for mutual understanding," he remarked.
His insights come as China and African nations mark 50 years of TAZARA's operational legacy, with recent agreements to modernize the line reflecting renewed commitment to transcontinental partnerships.
