Beating all odds to find love, new life in China

Growing up in Mbale, Uganda, she never imagined that one day she would find love in China and settle there permanently.

The saying that life is full of twists and turns truly defines the life of Rose Adikin, a 31-year-old Ugandan married to Wu Jianyun, a Chinese man from Suichang County, Zheijiang Province. 

During a recent visit to China, a team of journalists from Kenya was privileged to visit the couple in their rural home.

Rose had just given birth to their second child a month before our visit but that did not stop her from receiving us warmly and even granting us an interview.

It was heartwarming to see Wu hold her lovingly and wipe her tears when she got emotional during the interview.

“I have already come here but I really need to be with him whether he is poor or not. In the future life will change,” she said reaffirming her resolve to stay in her newfound home.

Rose was introduced to Wu in 2015 through his sister, and they kept communicating on phone before she eventually flew out to China for a physical meeting.

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The couple first lived with Rose’s sister-in-law before they moved to their own house.

The first hurdle in their relationship was language barrier. But not one to be deterred easily, she turned to the phone for translation.

Her husband, however, later advised her not to rely on the phone a lot as that would mean she won’t learn the language.

She heeded his advice and they started communicating by pointing and voicing out objects like children would. She says she was amazed at how fast she was able to learn the language.

Today, she speaks Chinese fluently.

It also took her quite some time getting used to the food. Ugandans are known for their love for matoke (cooked bananas) which is not common in China.

Noodles diet

Initially, Rose mostly survived on noodles, but her husband told her that eating noodles alone was not healthy.

She expanded her diet to chicken, duck, pork, Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, which her husband prepared with a lot of chili and she had to ask him to tone it down a little. Today, she can withstand more chili than she could before.

What does she love most about China?

“I love the weather, the rains, the water and even the people. I love them and they also love me,” she says.

The love from her neighbours and even extended family has been overwhelming. Whenever they make meals that they know Rose hasn’t had, they take some to her to try out.

Rose missed kalo, millet ugali in her Jopadhola language, in the initial days of her relocation to China.

Last year, she travelled back to Uganda with her husband who went to pay dowry. He did not take cows but gave Rose’s family money.

Payment of dowry exists among the Chinese as well. It is the man who pays dowry. In Chinese, culture one presents gifts and money, unlike in African culture where cows, goats or camels are given to the bride’s family.

What compelled Wu to travel to Uganda and pay dowry was a dream that Rose had about her grandmother.

She had lost her grandmother in 2013, but she had a dream that the old woman was asking her for food. She called her mother to ask her about the meaning of her dream. Her mother in turn consulted Rose’s father who told her she needed to come home and that her husband needed to come and see the family.

Home travel

Rose had travelled home in 2018 and spent a month. She travelled alone because they could not afford to travel as a family.  At that point her family consisted herself, her husband and son. Last year, the couple was able to travel together.

Both visits made her family comfortable about her stay in China. Initially, they were worried about her being so far away and not knowing whether she way okay or not.

After staying in China for about nine years now, Rose is so much at home in her new home. She has taken advantage of her experience and newfound love for Chinese food to share her story on social media.

She has a huge following on Facebook and Tiktok where she shares her life in rural China and shares cooking tips on various Chinese foods. A Chinese friend approached her to start documenting her stories.

Rose has over time gained hundreds of thousands of followers from all over the world. This gives her immense joy.

“I never knew that one time I would be like this,” she said.

Rose took us to a modern house she is building which is nearing completion. From the smiles, it was evident that this was a great feat for the family.

As we parted ways, Rose got so emotional she shed tears.