HuangHongxiang,FounderandCEOofChinaHouse
InnovativeNGOinKenyafacilitatesthesmoothtransitionofChinesecompanieslandinginAfrica
ByXiaYuanyuan
HuangHongxiangparticipatesinKenya’sbiggestivorydestructioninitiativeWhenaskedwhyhemovedtoAfrica,28-yearoldHuangHongxiangsaid,“InAfrica,everythingisdifferent.Africahasbrightprospects.”
ManyofHuang’sfriendsadmirehimforfollowinghisdream,becauseaftergraduatingwithaMaster’sDegreeinPublicAdministrationfromColumbiaUniversityinNewYorkin2013,wherehefocusedonsustainabledevelopmentpractices,insteadoffindingajobintheUnitedStatesorreturningtoChina,hechosetopursuehiscareerinAfrica.
In2014,HuangfoundedChinaHouseinKenya,withanaimtohelpChinesecompaniesmakea“smoothlanding”inAfrica.InthepasttwoyearstheorganizationhasresearchedChina’sinvestmentinAfrica,andprovidedguidancetoChinesecompanieswantingtosetupoperationsinAfrica.Inaddition,witheffortsmadebyChinaHouse,moreChinesecompaniesandindividualsareinvolvedinAfricanwildlifeandnatureprotection,somethingclosetoHuang’sheart.
SettingsailforAfrica
Huang’sinterestinChinesecompanies’overseasdevelopmentgoesbackto2011,whenHuangtraveledsolototheRepublicofEcuadorinSouthAmericatoconductresearchonthistopic.Whiledoinghisfieldresearch,hefoundthatChina’soverseasinvestmentwasplaguedbynumerousproblems.
“MoreandmoreChinesecompaniesaregoingglobal,andIwanttohelpwiththesustainabledevelopmentoftheiroverseasinvestmentwiththeknowledgeIlearnedintheuniversity.AsAfricaisthefirstchoiceformanyChineseenterprisesgoingglobal,IdecidedtosettledowninAfricaaftergraduation,”hesaid.“ChineseenterprisesinAfricaneedagoodserviceplatformtoguidethemandhelpthembetterdevelopinAfrica.”
InApril2014,Huangcalledonagroupoflike-mindedyoungChinesepeopletojoinhiminAfrica.Together,theyregisteredChinaHouseinKenya,thefirstChineseNGOinAfrica.
ChinaHouseislocatedwithinaresidentialareaofNairobi,capitalofKenya,withthreefull-timeand10part-timestaffwhoseaverageageisbelow30.Asyounggraduates,accordingtoHuang,theyarefullofpassionandeagertomakeapositivedifferenceinAfrica.
“WehopetogrowtogetherwiththosewhowanttoexploreopportunitiesinAfrica,”saidHuang.Ontheonehand,histeamconductsresearchontopicsrelatedtotheproblemsaffectingChineseoverseasinvestment,includingoperationmanagementissues,laborconflictsandenvironmentalimpacts.Ontheotherhand,theyalsoprovideservicessuchasprojectmatching,premarketresearch,strategyformulationandcorporatesocialresponsibilitymanagement.
Solvingproblems
AsAfricabecomesoneofthefastest-growingregionsintheworld,Chineseinvestorsaremakingtheirmarkonthecontinent.Theylayrails,buildroads,andsetupelectricityandcommunicationnetworks,andotherinfrastructure.“ChinaisthelargesttradingpartnerofAfrica.Butbehindsoaringnumbers,therearealotofproblemsintheprocessofenterprisecooperation,”saidHuang.
Huangnotedthatbackhome,Chinesecompaniesaregoodatdoingbusiness,butpaylessattentiontocommunication,which,accordingtoHuang,isnotgoodfortheirdevelopmentinAfrica.
“WeneedtoremindChinesecompaniestopromoteeffectivecommunicationandunderstandingwithlocalNGOs,whicharecrucialaspectstoensureChinesecom-panies’smoothlandinginAfrica,”Huangadded.
HuangHongxiang(thirdleft)takespartinanantipoachingactivityLaborconflictsarethemostcommonchallengefacedbyChineseenterprisesinAfrica,andareoftenworsenedbypoorcommunicationwithlocalcom-munityandworkers.Problemsinaspectssuchasinformalemploymentagreement,wagestandards,benefits,andrelationswithlaborunionsareimpedingtosomeextenttheirhealthydevelopmentinAfrica.
“Chinesecompaniesshouldcoordinateandworktogethertodefinecorporatesocialresponsibilitynorms,andenhancethetransparencyofcorporatemanagementsoastoachievelong-termandhealthydevelopmentinAfrica,”HuangtoldChinAfrica.“Inthisregard,wecanprovidehelp.”
Corporateresponsibility
In2014,ChinaHouselaunchedtheAfricaTechChallenge(ATC)projectforChina’sAVICInternationalHoldingCorp.inNairobi.Theprojectaimsatprovidingtechnology,careerandentrepreneurshiptrainingforlocalyoungpeople.Huangbelievessustainabilityisvitalforbusinesssuccess.ATCcreatesemploymentopportunitiesbygivingKenyanyoungpeopleachancetoenrollintechnicalcourses,whilealsodemonstratingChinesecompany’scorporatesocialresponsibility.
ChinaHouseisalsocommittedtoreducingsocialandenvironmentalimpactsofChineseoverseasinvestment.AccordingtoHuang,regardlessoftheirsize,businessesallleavearelativelylargecarbonfootprint.Anystepstheycantaketoreducethosefootprintsareconsideredgoodforboththecompanyandsocietyasawhole.HuangisafrequentparticipantinmanyAfricanwildlifeprotectioninitiatives,andheisalsoanactivewildlifeconservationist.
“Environmentalprotectionisoneofthetopissuesanycompanyshouldpayattentionto,”Huangsaid.ChinaHousemaintainsgoodcooperativerelationshipswithwildlifeconservationorganizationsinAfrica,includingSavetheElephant,WildlifeDirectandMaraConservationFund.Everyyear,theNGOorganizestripsforyoungChinesepeopletovisitwildlifeconservationareasinAfricaandparticipateinactivities.
“WeneedtoletAfricanpeopleknowthattherearemoreandmoreChinesepeoplewhoaregettinginvolvedininitiativesofprotectingwildlifeinAfrica,whichiscrucialforChinesepeopleandChineseenterprisestobetterintegrateintoAfrica,”saidHuang.
Thornsindevelopment
OnAugust9,HuangwasinvitedtoparticipateinChinaAfricaPublicDiplomacyForuminTanzania’sDaresSalaam,wherehediscussedwithofficials,businesspeopleandexpertsaboutfuturedevelopmentopportunitiesbetweenChinaandAfrica.Aftertheforum,Huanghasaclearervisionforthefuturedevelopmentofhisorganization.
“ChinaHouse’sgoalistobeapublicdiplomacyplatformforChinesecompaniestobetterintegrateintoAfricaforsustainabledevelopmentonthecontinent.WealsohopetoreducethedivergenceofopinionswhichcouldleadtomisunderstandingsbetweenChinaandAfrica,”saidHuang.
ThemainproblemfacingChinaHousenowisitsfinancialcondition.Thoughmanyprojectshavebeenrolledoutsinceitscreation,fewbroughtasignificantincometotheNGO.ButHuangremainsconfident:“Aftertwoyearsofexplorationanddevelopment,thebusinessmodelofChinaHouseisnowwell-established.Thisyeartherewillbeafund-raisingactivityinShanghai.”
Lookingahead,HuangisconvincedthatChinaHousehasabrightfuture.CA
*