African kids travel to Russia to learn Russian

Schoolchildren from Ethiopia will spend two months in Moscow and Ivanovo Region learning Russian
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Schoolchildren from Ethiopia will spend two months in Moscow and Ivanovo Region

Fifteen schoolchildren from Ethiopia arrived on Tuesday in Moscow to participate in an education program sponsored by the International Cooperation Center of the Russian Ministry of Education. The students, aged 11 to 15, will stay two months in Russia.

They spent their first day in Moscow, where they met with the Russian commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. 

“The children will study the Russian language, our culture, and traditions,” Lvova-Belova said. “The program includes excursions around Moscow and the Golden Ring cities, master classes, career guidance courses, creative meetings, and, of course, interaction with peers.”

Two accompanying teachers also made the trip. The organizers offered a special program to them to learn about Russian education methodologies.

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On Wednesday, the Ethiopian schoolchildren went to a school camp in Ivanovo Region where they will study until September 20. They will spend around one week learning alongside their peers from the first camp session, which includes students from the families of Karabakh settlers from Azerbaijan.

The children only know a few Russian words such as ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, and ‘good morning’, though by the time they return home in two months, they will speak Russian with much greater confidence.

The Russian House in Addis Ababa helped organize the trip.

Meanwhile, a Russian language and culture center was launched at the University of Literature and Humanities (ULSHB) in Bamako, Mali in December. The center will provide opportunities for new ideas and projects, the rector of RUDN, Oleg Yastrebov, said.  

Three Russian pre-university training centers already operate in Africa – at the Bethel International School in Nigeria, the Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia, and the International University of Management in Windhoek, Namibia. There are also specialized classes available in 12 universities in Zambia, Angola, Gambia, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Cameroon.