Nigerian, Chinese friends pen anti-COVID song

"Health is more important than anything else. Think about life, no matter the stress. We are one people, no matter your race. Together we fight COVID-19, not any one."

So go the lyrics of the song, We Are One.

After about two months of organization and preparation, the special song－created by Chukwuonye Pat Chike, once a singer in Nigeria, and his Chinese friends, music lovers Zheng Jiafeng and Cai Chunlan－was recently recorded in Guangzhou, Guangdong's provincial capital.

Chike, 48, said he hoped the song would soon become popular at home and abroad, encouraging people from around the world to join hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Music has no borders, and I believe that music can deliver strength and love, encouraging everyone to unite and fight COVID-19 together," Chike said.

The Nigerian had the idea of creating a song to encourage people to unite in the fight against the pandemic when COVID-19 was reported to be quickly spreading around the world more than two months ago.

His idea was quickly echoed by his Chinese friends Zheng and Cai, both police officers who love music.

The trio quickly started to compose the song together.

"When Chike told me he wanted to create a song to encourage the fight against COVID-19, I thought it was a very good idea," said Zheng who is in charge of managing and serving foreign residents at his Songzhou Police substation. He works very closely with foreign volunteer groups in his community.

Cai, Zheng's colleague, said the song is very positive as it demonstrates people's determination to fight COVID-19, and she hoped residents would like it.

Both Zheng and Cai like singing and writing songs in their spare time.

Chike, who engages in foreign trade, has been living in a housing estate in Guangzhou's Baiyun district for about 15 years. He and his family chose to remain in Guangzhou after the outbreak hit.

In addition to actively cooperating with local police and relevant departments to fight COVID-19, Chike frequently goes door-to-door and patiently explains the policies and measures Guangdong has introduced to help control and prevent the spread of the coronavirus among foreign residents. He also reminded those who come from high-risk countries and regions to get tested.

"The Guangzhou city government has done a good job preventing and controlling the pandemic in the previous months," he said.

According to statistics, the Songzhou community in Guangzhou's Baiyun district now has registered more than 600 foreign residents from around the world.

Whenever he goes out, Chike wears a mask and has his temperature taken, with his latest nucleic acid test result in his pocket.

Chike, who speaks fluent Chinese, and his family, including his Chinese wife, volunteered to be quarantined for two weeks when some of his Nigerian compatriots became confirmed cases in Guangzhou at the beginning of April.

"Officers and neighborhood personnel were very nice to the foreign residents who had been quarantined," Chike said.

A local police officer established a special WeChat group for the foreign residents who were quarantined, and the police and the community have helped them a lot, he said.

Chike then became a foreign volunteer in his neighborhood committee.

"I wanted to do something to help and serve local residents as they have helped us a lot in the previous months," Chike said.

Chike has now become a well-known figure in his neighborhood committee, as he is frequently seen wearing a red vest and cap, patrolling the housing estates to help promote the city's latest anti-pandemic policies and measures, distributing protective equipment and materials.

Chike said he hoped the pandemic would be soon be brought under control worldwide and that Guangzhou businesses could soon return to normal.

Having visited many Chinese cities, Chike said he loves China very much and that he has found that life in Guangzhou, known as a commercial city, suits him very well.