[Gee, some Africans think China is so rich that they can just go there and make a fortune. What a misconception! Just like those illegal Chinese immigrants thought about the US<g>]--Struggling Chadians Dream Of a Better Life -- in China
washingtonpost.com
By Stephanie McCrummen
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, October 6, 2007; Page A17
ABECHE, Chad -- It was midmorning in one of the poorest countries on earth, and the daily traffic of battered trucks, motorcycles and donkeys bounced along the lumpy sand streets of this hot desert town.
Behind the white archways of the old colonial market, Abdulkarim Mahamat, 24, was selling soap and batteries to the few customers who dropped by. Things were rather slow, and the young man explained how he often imagines himself elsewhere -- flying off to a promising new land of cheap socks and smoothly paved roads.
As resource-hungry China cultivates Chad, people there increasingly see the Asian nation as a land of opportunity. Said shopkeeper Abdulkarim Mahamat: "If I can go to China . . . I'll make a lot of money, and life will change.
"If I can go to China, life will be better than it is now," he said, adding that he has started saving up for his ticket. "I'll make a lot of money, and life will change. I can return to school, build a nice house and have a family. People say that China is a good place and everything is cheap."
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