One of Sierra Leone finest philanthropists and Cultural Ambassador, Mariatu Kargbo popularly known as the black pearl of China has been spotted on the front line in the fight against COVID in Beijing China.
Residents of Beijing experienced an increase in cases of the Sars-CoV-2 which brought restrictions in the Chinese capital with the hope of curbing the spread.
In 2020 when China went into COVID-19 lockdown, Mariatu Kargbo was one of the first foreign nationals to sign up for volunteer work in her local community in Beijing. In recognition of her selfless work monitoring temperatures and ensuring the safety of the neighbourhood at that time, she was invited to join other outstanding volunteers at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People where she was presented with a special award.
Through this strong culture of volunteerism, China has had great success in controlling the spread of the virus, therefore when new cases were discovered recently in her district, Mariatu was quick to once again volunteer to help manage the mass testing programmes now underway in the Chinese capital.
In addition to helping preserve order among those queuing for tests, the black pearl of China also took on the task of delivering healthy cooling drinks to people living in the vicinity. To the amazement of the locals, she used the traditional African method of carrying the heavy pot on her head to ensure the refreshments were distributed quickly and efficiently.
Mariatu's status as a major star became big news and the local population were quick to ask for photographs with her dressed in her protective clothing and to circulate their pride at having such a high-profile volunteer via social media. In particular, many older residents who were wary of leaving their homes to take COVID tests were encouraged to do just that when they saw Mariatu on the frontline.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The black pearl of China experiences her joy to serve humanity,
"I am humbled by the response of my neighbours and the local authorities, including the police, and their support truly makes me feel like a member of the family. Although the work is tiring, when I see so many people willing to give up their time to support the community, it gives me the extra strength to keep going. I will continue to do this work as a way of giving back to the community and promoting relations between Africa and China".
In 2021 Foreign Affairs Ministry, Africa Department Director, who was part of the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi five-day visit to five African countries recently, Ambassador Wu Peng showered praises on Mariatu Kargbo good work in China and Africa.
Ambassador Peng said that an African proverb says, 'Sharing the way forward is a true friend' and that China-Africans' perception of each other has gone from being African brothers in news broadcasts to classmates, mutually beneficial business partners and friends travelling together.
"Sierra Leonean singer Maria trekked to the disaster area at the first moment after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, taking the lead in raising money for China at the beginning of the outbreak of Coronavirus."
