When a classmate at the Chinese University of Hong Kong approached Innocent Mutanga and asked why the palm of his hand was white and the rest of his body black, Mutanga decided to have some fun with his response.
“I come from this village in Africa, and when the babies are born they are brought together and then put on a huge fire… [they] start barbecuing the babies,” Mutanga told the girl.
His classmate was shocked, going on to share what she had learned with her fellow classmates. Mutanga simply smiled and laughed.
Since arriving in Hong Kong 11 years ago seeking asylum from Zimbabwe, Mutanga has forged a new life in a city where he stands out not only from the local citizens but also most other immigrants, who mainly hail from the West and other parts of Asia.
After enduring homelessness and years of struggling to get by, the former refugee now holds a senior position at an American investment bank. At 32, his lofty status has afforded him the opportunity to begin building The African Centre of Hong Kong, a community facility that helps people build their home in the city.
“We’re trying to make sure that Africans in Hong Kong don’t see themselves as victims,” Mutanga says. “They should think of themselves as people who are blessed and can fight for opportunities.”
From nothing
Mutanga was a political activist in his homeland before running into trouble with authorities. Knowing he had no choice but to flee, he left in 2013. When he arrived at Hong Kong airport, an immigration officer asked him where he was going to stay, a question to which Mutanga had no response. The officer then asked if he was going to stay at Chungking Mansions. So that’s where he headed.
After just a few days, however, he ran out of money and left, eventually sleeping on park benches across the city. During the day, he would often visit the Tsim Sha Tsui Public Library and read books about Hong Kong and its history.
“I didn’t know what the future would bring, but what I did know is that I needed to learn as much as I could, because education has always been my way out,” says Mutanga, who only had about HK$200 in his pocket at the time.
Mutanga needed to turn his life around but there were obstacles ahead because of his status; in Hong Kong, asylum seekers are not allowed to work or become residents, according to Christian Action, a community centre for refugees and asylum seekers.
His life changed in 2017 when he was granted a student visa after getting his A-Levels from the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and subsequently graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong two years later with a degree in anthropology.
“Instead of giving up, he decided to pick himself up and build something that’s so inspiring and meaningful,” says Tinotenda Kelvin Muzariri, a business development manager who works with Mutanga at the Africa Centre.
Telling African stories
Mutanga established the African Centre Hong Kong in 2019 while he was still at university. The platform, which is based in Jordan, aims to provide meaningful interactions between African and non-African communities in Asia. Mutanga is the founder and chief executive.
Mutanga says he founded the centre to tell authentic African stories that avoid stereotypes of helpless Africans always in need of support from others. They are strong and determined enough to achieve their goals, he says.
The centre has grown to host a wide range of activities, including talks, film screenings, and workshops. In the Afro-Dance Workshop, participants are able to shake a leg with strangers and interact with a culture they may never have experienced before. Another event provided international students of African descent from Hong Kong’s universities with a rare opportunity to mingle.
The centre’s future is bright, according to Mutanga. It has a strong focus on adding value through addressing important issues that different communities in Asia face, including struggles with mental health.
“[We want] to add value to the Chinese communities in Hong Kong, to the Japanese communities in Japan, to the Chinese communities in mainland China,” he says.
His life today
Mutanga is now an associate at the bank, working his way up from analyst. He lives in Discovery Bay with his wife Chihiro and two-year-old daughter, who he hopes to raise in Hong Kong.
“I’m going to send her to a local school so that she’s able to speak Cantonese. That’s so important in a city like this,” he says.
Ali Mohamed Ali, who met Mutanga during his first year in Hong Kong, says Mutanga’s impact on his community cannot be understated.
“He’s one of a kind. Innocent has single-handedly changed how some people view Africans in the city,” Ali says.
Mutanga is now looking to his next public project: building an African international school across Asia.
“We’re going to build them in Hong Kong, China, Japan [and] Korea. Right now you don’t see that. You don’t see anything to do with Africa on a global scale. We’re going to change that,” he says.
