Achiever of the week: Awande Mchunu

This week’s feature is Awande Mchunu. Awande is from South Africa. She holds a degree in Geological Science from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Awande is an ESL Teacher at Learnroom Zhangjiagang Foreign Language School. She has been living and working in China for 3 years. After graduating, Awande struggled to find job offers in South Africa. As a result, she decided to broaden her horizon and apply for opportunities outside her profession and outside of her home country. Awande decided to teach English in China because she had always been fascinated by the Chinese culture and had been interested in learning the Chinese language. When she was moving to China she thought she would stay for only a year, however she ended up staying longer because she is enjoying her expat experience in China. While in China she successfully launched a cosmetics brand. She sells quality matte liquid lipstick, rose infused lipgloss and a velvet lipliner. When she is not working she creates content for her YouTube channel (Awande Mchunu), where she encourages and informs people that might be considering coming to China as teachers about her experiences and what they might expect should they make the move to China.

Awande shares her TEFL experience, her preparation process, how she found her job, how she managed to settle in, pros and cons of being an expat in China, her cosmetics brand that she launched in China and tips for people who plan to move abroad in the future.

What made you decide to teach English abroad and why did you choose to move to China?

After completing my degree in South Africa I was unfortunate in that I spent a long time looking for a job but none of my applications were successful. It was on the fifth month of staying at home that I realized that I had to broaden my horizon and perhaps even consider opportunities outside of my qualification. That was when I saw a tweet from Jacqualine Mchunu who was teaching at English First at the time describing her experience as an ESL teacher in China and encouraging other South Africans to consider it. China was the obvious choice for me since I had always been fascinated by the Chinese culture and had been interested in learning the language as well.

Moving abroad can be quite expensive, did you pay for all the costs yourself? How long did it take you to save for this big move?

Moving abroad can certainly be an expensive feat. I paid for all the initial expenses by myself and was later reimbursed for the flight by my school. I had taken out a loan to cover all the expenses and was able to pay it after three months of teaching.

How much did you have to budget when you were moving to China for the first time?

Admittedly I did not have a large budget when I moved to China, infact I had to call home and ask for some financial assistance in order to secure my first apartment. The total was roughly R25000.

Do you regret moving to China? (What have been your highlights and lowlights?)

Absolutely not! I had initially thought I would stay for only a year however this will be my third year in China due to the fact that its one of the best decisions I could have taken for myself. My favourite part of living here has to be my kids. Every child I teach becomes my own baby and I love them so much. The hardest part has to be dealing with Covid-19 and the aftermath especially not being able to visit my family for over a year with no certainty as to when travel will resume as normal once again.

Did you move to China alone or with famiy/friends?

I moved to China alone but was lucky to have my aunt move to the same city a year later.

How did you find the opportunity to teach in China?

While online looking for information on teaching in China, I saw an ad on Gumtree which led to me finding my recruiter who was extremely patient and helpful. His name is Nelly Agboola and his website is www.worldteacherstefl.com.

Do you work in a training school or kindergarten or primary school? What do you like or dislike about the school you are currently working with?

I am currently teaching at a kindergarten after spending two years teaching at a training school. I absolutely love my current school. I'm enjoying the consistency of my work schedule as well as my work load. My only struggle is adjusting to the internal hierarchy especially where communication is involved.

Do you ever do demo classes?

I do not do demos at my current school as it is a kindergarten. Demos are usually performed at training schools.

How many cities in Asia have you visited? Which one is your favourite?

Unfortunately I had not gotten to travel as much as I would have liked before Covid-19 hit. Right now we are restricted to traveling within China only. I think out of all the places I have been, Thailand is the best. I think what makes it my ultimate favorite is the fact that at a reasonably young age, I had the courage to solo travel and I have not looked back since.

Which food did you try for the first time in China and enjoyed?

It has to be hot pot. Its so delicious, we definitely need more hot pot back home.

What do you wish you knew before moving to China?

I came to China at 22 years old, and have definitely learnt a lot along the way. The most important lesson I wish I had known prior to my move is of saving and learning to be more conscience of my spending habits.

When was your beauty brand, A Mchunu, launched and what products do you sell?

I launched my cosmetics brand on the 1st of February 2021. It was definitely one of the most exciting endeavors for me and I'm so proud of this accomplishment. You can find quality matte liquid lipstick, rose infused lipgloss and as well as a velvet lipliner.

Where can people buy your products and do you deliver locally and abroad?

All the products are available in South Africa and can be bought via Instagram and WhatsApp.

What is your YouTube channel’s name and what is it about?

The name of my Youtube channel is Awande Mchunu and it was created to encourage and inform people that might be considering coming to China as teachers about my experiences and what they might expect should they make the move to China.

How do you overcome homesickness and loneliness?

Homesickness and loneliness are a constant element of living and working abroad. Part of overcoming it is learning to handle it functionally. I try my best to keep in contact with my family and friends as often as I can with the time difference. This always lifts my spirit and makes it easier to handle being so far apart from them.

Please list 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages about moving abroad. You can list more if you would like.

Three advantages of living in China for me include:

• Traveling.

• Meeting new people.

• Saving and earning well.

Three disadvantages would be:

• Being so far from friends and family.

• The regular stares you receive from the locals.

• Language barrier.

Please list 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages about working in China.

Some advantages of working in China are:

• Good salary.

• Cultural immersion when in a good working environment.

• Career development and advancement opportunities.

The disadvantages would have to be:

• Poor hygiene.

• Lack of proper communication.

• Internet censorship.

What would you recommend as the best hacks for surviving in China as an expat?

I would definitely recommend that you start by finding a reliable vpn otherwise you might not be able to communicate with your family and friends upon arrival. Find out as much as you can about the city you are moving to and even reach out to other South Africans or foreigners that are living there as this will make your transition a lot easier.