African male student studying at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, passionately loves Vietnamese history

Knowing about Vietnam through Mozambique's history books, Oraiden Manuel Sabonete was impressed by the brave and resilient Vietnamese people in every battle against foreign invaders. Therefore, he always wished to set foot in this country one day.

Oraiden Manuel Sabonete, born in 2000, is currently a student majoring in Electrical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Before coming to Vietnam to study, Oraiden studied Computer Science at a top university in Mozambique.

“Everyone was surprised when I decided to go to Vietnam. My parents even tried to stop me because they thought Vietnam was still at war,” Oraiden recalled of the time he left school in Mozambique. But the student said there were many reasons for his decision.

Oraiden Manuel Sabonete, born in 2000, is currently a student majoring in Electrical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

With a large family, for Oraiden, going to school was already a blessing. Many of his friends in the same situation had to go out and work right after finishing high school.

“My parents do not have enough money to support me. Therefore, when I heard about the Government Agreement scholarship that can cover all tuition and living expenses, I thought this was an opportunity for me.”

Another reason, according to Oraiden, is because he really likes studying History and Geography. In 8th grade, when he studied foreign history, Oraiden was impressed by the brave and resilient Vietnamese people through each battle against foreign invaders.

In particular, Vietnam and Mozambique are both members of the Non-Aligned Movement, have many similarities and have established diplomatic relations since 1975, right after the two countries gained independence. Therefore, the Mozambican boy always wished to set foot in this country one day.

With good academic achievements since high school, when he was in his second year, the 19-year-old boy decided to apply and was one of 10 students selected to study exchange in Vietnam.

The first time he was exposed to Vietnamese was when he studied at the University of Education, Thai Nguyen University. Oraiden was shocked because he didn't think Vietnamese was so difficult.

“In my country, people usually speak Portuguese, but the countries around the region all speak English, so I can communicate comfortably. Vietnamese is a really difficult language, and the grammar is different from English. Even after a year, I still get the grave and sharp accents wrong.”

However, Oraiden feels lucky because Vietnamese people love to communicate with foreigners and do not feel bothered by it.

“For example, when I study the lesson: “What do you do?”, I often go to a coffee shop or go to the street to find someone to talk to. There are many good people who are willing to help me and teach me the correct pronunciation. I really like talking to children – people who can talk about everything, and the elderly – people who like to talk about history, culture, society,” Oraiden said.

In addition, every time they come home from school, Oraiden and her dorm mates often challenge each other. For example, if they learn about Vietnamese costumes, the whole room will ask each other: “What is Ao Dai?”, “When is Ao Dai worn?”.

Although he has mastered the grammar and gradually acquired a good vocabulary, according to Oraiden, it is still very difficult to communicate fluently in Vietnamese within a year. "I just try my best, don't be afraid to speak and constantly practice on my favorite topics to get more inspiration," Oraiden said.

After passing the language test with 10 points in speaking, when it came to choosing a major, Oraiden chose Electrical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology because the knowledge he learned there was essential to building the energy industry in Mozambique. But the first classes were still stressful for Oraiden.

“The language barrier, which was only enough to communicate, made me unable to understand anything. Although I had studied Calculus in Mozambique, when I came to Vietnam, I still found it very difficult. I even had to retake some general subjects.”

For specialized subjects with many difficult words, Oraiden often has to ask teachers or classmates to help explain. He also often studies by himself 3-4 hours/day to be able to keep up with his friends. Oraiden admits that studying at the Polytechnic is quite "difficult". In fact, one of his two Mozambique friends had to return home because he felt stressed and could not keep up.

Overcoming the language barrier, Oraiden also got perfect scores in some subjects, such as Marxist-Leninist Political Economy.

The boy is passionate about Vietnamese history and culture

According to Oraiden, when it comes to a country's history, he really likes to learn about its economy and finance. Therefore, Oraiden often learns about Vietnam's history, culture, and economy through books, newspapers, and Youtube.

Impressed by the foreign student who was passionate about Vietnamese history, teachers at Hanoi University of Science and Technology encouraged Oraiden to participate in a number of competitions and scientific research. In 2021, Oraiden won first prize in the university-level scientific research student competition with the topic "Vietnam-Mozambique economic relations from the perspective of Vietnam's international economic integration policy".

Oraiden and lecturers participate in a political contest to defend the Party's ideological foundation.

In addition, he and his lecturers participated in a political contest to defend the Party's ideological foundation, winning the national prospective prize, first prize in the magazine category and second prize in the video category, awarded by the Hanoi Party Committee.

At the end of October this year, Oraiden and two friends from Laos and Cambodia participated in a Vietnamese speaking contest for foreign students studying in Vietnam. In this contest, Oraiden and his friends chose the topic "Great victories of the Vietnamese Revolution from 1930 to the present".

Although he only won the Encouragement Prize, according to Oraiden, through the competitions, he learned more about the history, geography, culture and people of Vietnam.

“Vietnamese history is not difficult, I even like it very much because I have known about Vietnam before through the pages of Mozambique's history books.”

According to Oraiden, Vietnam is famous throughout history for its resilient battles, not giving in to foreign invaders. Besides, Vietnamese people are very kind, bringing Internet coverage to rural areas in his hometown.

“Before, when they knew I was going to Vietnam, my parents tried to stop me because there was war in Vietnam. But I said that was just history, and that Vietnam is currently one of the safest countries.”

Oraiden and two friends from Laos and Cambodia participated in a Vietnamese speaking contest for foreign students studying in Vietnam.

After 3 years of studying at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Oraiden realized that his Vietnamese had improved a lot, and he could confidently talk to his friends and teachers. He loved Vietnam and the name his teachers gave him, Duc.

The wish of Mozambican students during their remaining time in Vietnam is to experience more about culture, cuisine, and geography before returning home as committed by the scholarship program.

Vietnamnet.vn