ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- When Abdallah Msofe Abdallah joined China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) six years ago, he started as an ordinary worker on a construction project in Dar es Salaam.
Today, the Tanzanian serves as a human resources manager on the Zanzibar Mangapwani new port project, a transformation he attributes to the training, experience and opportunities the Chinese company provided.
Abdallah's career with CHEC took him from the Dar es Salaam port project to the Kilwa Masoko fishing harbor project in Tanzania's Kilwa, and eventually to Zanzibar, where he has taken on greater responsibilities in managing personnel and coordinating with local authorities.
"My career has grown step by step," Abdallah told Xinhua. "I have been given numerous opportunities, and that has enabled me to reach the position of human resources manager."
His responsibilities now include handling personnel matters, liaising with government authorities and ensuring the welfare of local employees working on the project.
For Abdallah, the experience has helped him develop professional skills and strengthened his desire to use his career to contribute to the communities where he works.
"I have learned to be effective in performing my duties, but also to bring positive change to the community," he said.
A similar journey unfolded for Abdallah Mwaliko Mndeli, a laboratory technician who joined CHEC in 2023 at the Kilwa Masoko fishing harbor project before moving to Zanzibar on July 26.
With more than 10 years of laboratory experience, the 33-year-old now works as a laboratory assistant and foreman, supervising local workers while testing soil, aggregates, concrete, rocks and other construction materials.
Mndeli said his technical skills have expanded considerably through training from Chinese managers and colleagues.
"My manager has trained me extensively in laboratory testing procedures," he said. "The Chinese team and the company have been very supportive. This company is excellent because it invests in teaching us what we need to know."
For Mndeli, the job has provided an important source of income for his family while giving him a chance to contribute to the wider community.
The experiences of Abdallah and Mndeli reflect CHEC's broader approach to local employment and skills development on the Mangapwani project.
According to Zhao Yaopu, construction manager of the project, about 500 people are currently employed, with local workers accounting for around 80 percent.
Many are seasoned employees who previously worked on CHEC projects, including the Dar es Salaam port, Kilwa fishing harbor and earlier port developments in Zanzibar.
The company also recruits new workers through community and university recruitment, providing training in technical skills, workplace safety and career development.
The Zanzibar Mangapwani new port is being developed with four berths along a 1,119-meter shoreline. Two berths are designed for 70,000-ton vessels, while their structures have been reserved to accommodate ships of up to 200,000 tons. The other two berths will serve vessels of up to 30,000 tons.
Once completed, the project is expected to have the only berth in East Africa capable of accommodating cargo ships of that size, according to Zhao.
A 200,000-square-meter yard is also being developed behind the port, with a designed annual capacity of 200,000 containers and 500,000 tons of bulk cargo. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.
The project is expected to ease pressure on the old Malindi port, allowing the historic city area to focus more on tourism and passenger transport while Mangapwani develops as a new commercial and industrial hub.
Plans for supporting infrastructure, including oil tank facilities, grain silos and dry docks, are also expected to attract logistics companies and other marine-related businesses.
For employees such as Abdallah and Mndeli, however, the project's significance is already being felt before the first large cargo vessel arrives.
It is being measured in promotions earned, technical skills acquired, families supported and new professional ambitions created, showing how a major infrastructure project can leave a legacy not only in concrete and steel, but also in the people who help build it.
