Taking up community change projects

For William John and his friends, having several talent shows in the past at their school was just a normal fun routine,little did they know that if they could link their talents with community service and doing something positive they could make a changein the community.

This wasn’t until when they had an opportunity to achieve their goal in a project in Community Change this year, by making a table and chairs for their school library: “I feel more responsible and for sure I know we can do so much more as students to bring positive changes in our community.” Says William, a student from St. Augustine Secondary School.

Engaging students and helping them to learn innovatively can help to create valuable learning experiences by delivering innovative solutions that meet their needs. This is a fact that needs to be the primary goal of every school and all learning institutions.

Understanding this, schools, government and organisations have taken initiatives through various projects to ensure that students talents are recognised and well groomed.

One of such projects is Uwezo Award Projects where students had an opportunity to work on various projects and awards were given to the Outstanding Community Change Projects to Secondary Schools Clubs that had participated.

It was a long journey that started with four schools and ended up with 20 participating of which 12 of them finished and submitted the projects reports to Great Hope Foundation team.

Theckla Mathew from Zanaki Secondary School is one among the students who believes that engaging students in various school projects can help create responsible citizen.

“ One thing I can say is, having community change project can really open our eyes on social responsibility and it can be a great learning opportunity to us. I believe as students we can do so much more. Though projects I have also learnt on how to work as a team and also nurture our talents. It has been a great experience and I plan to keep on doing Voluntary activities even after I finish my A level studies,” explains Theckla.

For her part,Diana Wilson a student from Charambe Secondary School also believes that participating in community changing project helps students to learn that as young people they are still powerful, “ We have talents and abilities that may not be openly seen in our daily school activities. But when we are motivated, we can bring a lot of change on our surrounding communities through our talents. But we also need to develop our talent.” comments Diana.

However, to ensure that students understand how important it is for them to embrace their talents and using such talents to find solutions within their community, living testimony from those who have made it can be an important aspect.

Millard Ayo, a renowned young presenter who owns a media company shared his life experience to encourage students to step up and be courageous and bold as they try to develop their potential.

Like many successful people ,he did some significant personal efforts to understand his talent and passion since when he was young.

“I wouldn’t lie that I passed my form four examination. I got division four, and my credits were not good at all. My mother wanted me to go on with school but later she accepted my uncle’s advise to allow me to do what am passionate about. That is when my journey started.

I had to work for a Radio station for free to secure a job and when they gave me a job my salary was shillings 20,000 a month,’ he explain

“Clouds Media was my dream Media House and applied for a job six times and I wasn’t successful. Later I was called for an interview. The rest became history. This is one thing that I want young generation to understand.

I am not coming from a wealthy family, my mother was a teacher and my father was an ordinary businessman. I took those low paying jobs because they were taking me to my dream,” he says.

He went further saying nowadays young people can’t do this anymore as they want a job that will give them car, house and other luxuries within a very short period of time.

“If you choose that path, you have a narrow chance of achieving your dreams. I am working towards starting my own TV station, I am heading there but I know it shall take one step at a time. You can do anything you want to do as long as you don’t give up easily.” he said.

For his part, the country’s Director of Trademark East Africa, Mr John Ulanga said every time that he looks at people who are successful, all he sees are three things in them, but one that comes first is persistence.

“These people keep doing what they think is right over and over even when they meet several obstacles on their journey,” he says.

Idris Sultan, a Tanzanian comedian and winner of Big Brother Africa-Hotshots in 2014 encouraged the students to add value in everything they are doing.

“One basic thing that you need to do is to look for knowledge in everything you want to be successful in. How much do you know on what you want to do? How much do you know about what you are doing? Then you need to have courage and be bold. You should always look at adding value on what you are doing now for people to pay for that value.” Idris explained

Noelle Mahuvi, from Great Hope Foundation says her organisation acknowledges people who have done enormous effort to unleash their potentials in the midst of all challenges and when they look at them, they are the models for young people to follow.