2023年元旦，哈桑邀请我和队长赵小军还有妇产科徐信兰主任到他家里吃午饭。
      与哈桑的相识始于2022年11月。周末的一天，我正在石头城海边散步，迎面走来一个20岁左右的男孩，中等身材，非洲人标志性的卷曲的短发，穿着一件穆斯林长袍。他很热情的跟我打招呼“Hello”，出于礼貌，我立马回应了。他很高兴，随后用比较流利的英语和我交流，他目前在Mwanakwerekwe职业培训中心（类似中国的高职）学习电器维修专业，业余的时候他经常通过网络学习各国语言，他学过西班牙语、意大利语，但是最近家里没钱了，交不起网费，所以无法再通过网络学习。得知我来自中国，他很想让我教他中文。看到这么好学的一个孩子，我答应他，周末只要我有空，就在同样的地点和他见面。我们互留了电话号码，从那以后，每周五哈桑就会给我打电话或者发短信，询问我周末是否有空，如果我回复周末要义诊或者出差，他就会说，他只是跟我打个招呼。他小心翼翼的样子让我有种别样的感觉，只要有空，我就会和他见面，教他一些简单的中文。在与他交往的过程中，他带我逛石头城，给我讲石头城以及桑给巴尔的历史，还带我去参观了他刚毕业的中学--Hurumzi Secondary School。我给他讲中国的文化，讲医疗队援非的故事，他很痴迷，对中国人大爱无疆的精神赞叹不已。
      后来，我又把哈桑介绍给队长和徐主任，一有空，我们周末就会和哈桑见面交流。
      元旦即将来临，哈桑说，他妈妈了解了他和我们相处的事，想请我们在新年去他家吃一顿午餐。我们欣然同意。元旦中午，司机带着我们到了位于Mchangani地区的一个村庄。村庄里到处是破旧的房子，一群孩子看见我们三个外国人，呼朋引伴，然后在我们身边围观，队长问哈桑附近有没有小卖部，我们花了一万坦先令，就把小卖部的糖都买空了（物资真的匮乏）。随后我们在村子里给孩子们发糖，孩子们脸上洋溢着大大的微笑，我们的心都被融化了。哈桑带我们来到他家，映入眼帘的是几间零散的房子，铁皮屋顶，什么装饰都没有，大门小得只能一个人通过，进入屋内，首先看到干净的地面，一间堆满杂物的屋子，继续往里走，是一小块有屋顶的空地，地上铺了一张毯子，哈桑说他母亲正在做饭，让我们歇一会。知道我们不习惯坐地上，他还出去借了三张小板凳。午餐很快端上来了，这是一顿非常用心的午餐。一大盆木薯糊糊，里面配了小鱼，蒸木薯和炸木薯，还有一碟鱼。要知道，在桑岛，普通民众正常都是面包配茶当午餐。随后，哈桑拿了了干净的杯子和一个热水瓶，给我们倒茶，茶很好喝，甜甜的带着生姜的香气。我们喊哈桑妈妈和家里其他的孩子一起出来吃饭，但是他们都不肯，说我们是客人，一定要我们先吃。队长说，真的太感人了，在有限的环境之下，尽他们最大的努力来招待客人，这顿饭让我们印象深刻。
      为了感谢哈桑和他母亲，我们相约第二天带哈桑去市场，给他买了书包和文具，哈桑抱着礼物爱不释手。在我们的影响下，哈桑也开始免费教村里的孩子们学习，并且他还到ASAM公司去做志愿者，帮助维修一些电器，并且获得了证书。
      我们和哈桑的故事还在继续，未来如果有机会，希望哈桑能到中国来看一看。

My Story with Hassan, a Young Man in Zanzibar

On New Year's Day 2023, Hassan invited me, Dr. Zhao Xiaojun, our team leader, and Dr. Xu Xinlan, to his home for lunch.
The encounter with Hassan began in November 2022. One day over the weekend, I was walking along the Stone Town beach when I was approached by a young man in a scruffy Muslim robe. He was about 20 years old, of medium height and with short curly hair that is a characteristic of an African. He greeted me warmly with "Hello", and I responded immediately out of politeness. He was very happy, and then he spoke to me in fluent English. He was studying electrical maintenance in Mwanakwerekwe Vocational Training Center (similar to domestic higher vocational education). In his spare time, he often learned foreign languages through the Internet and he has learned Spanish and Italian. But recently, his family was short of money and can't pay the Internet fee, so he can't study through the Internet anymore. Knowing that I was from China, he wanted me to teach him Chinese. Seeing such an inquisitive boy, I promised him that I would meet him at the same place whenever I was free on the weekend. We exchanged phone numbers. Every Friday after that, Hassan would call or text me, asking if I was available for the weekend, and if I replied that I had a free clinic or a business trip, he would say he  just greeted me. I was touched by his gingerly attitude, so whenever I had time, I would meet him and teach him some simple Chinese. In the process of communication with him, he took me around Stone Town, told me about the history of Stone Town and Zanzibar, and even took me to visit Hurumzi Secondary School, the high school he just graduated from. I told him about Chinese culture and the story of the medical team's aid to Africa. He was fascinated and admired the boundless love of the Chinese people.
Later, I introduced Hassan to Dr Zhao and Dr. Xu, and we would meet and communicate with Hassan on weekends whenever we were free.
As New Year's Day approached, Hassan said, his mother had learned about his time with us and wanted to invite us to his house for lunch on New Year's Day. We readily agreed. At noon on New Year's Day, our driver took us to a village in Mchangani district. The village was full of shabby houses, and a group of children saw the three of us foreigners, called out their friends, and then gathered around us. The captain asked Hassan if there was a shop nearby. We went there and bought all the candies in the shop for ten thousand shillings (the supplies were really scarce). Then we gave candies to the children in the village. The children's faces were filled with big smiles, and our hearts were melted. Hassan took us to his house, where we were greeted by scattered houses with tin roofs and no decorations. The front door was so small that only one person could pass through. The first thing we saw when we entered the house was the clean floor, a room full of clutter. As we went on, there was a small open space with a roof, the ground covered with a blanket. Hassan said that his mother was cooking, and that we could rest for a while. Knowing that we were not used to sitting on the floor, he went out and borrowed three small benches. Lunch was quickly served, and it was a very thoughtful lunch: a large pot of cassava mash, with small fish; steamed cassava; fried cassava; and a plate of small fish. You know, in Zanzibar, ordinary people normally eat bread and tea for lunch. Then Hassan took clean cups and a hot water bottle and poured us tea. The tea was delicious, sweet with ginger. We asked Hassan's mother and the other children to come out for dinner, but they refused, saying we were guests and we had to eat first. When we were all finished, they ate the leftover food. The captain said that it was really touching. Under the limited circumstances, they tried their best to entertain the guests. This meal made us unforgettable for a lifetime.
To thank Hassan and his mother, we made an appointment to take Hassan to the market the next day. We bought him a schoolbag and some stationery. Hassan hugged the gifts and couldn't put them down. Under our influence, Hassan began to teach the children in the village for free, and he also volunteered at ASAM company to help repair some electrical appliances, and obtained a certificate.
Our story with Hassan is still going on. If there is a chance in the future, I hope Hassan can come to China to have a look.