Gwamaka before presenting at a Uongozi seminar. PHOTOI COURTESY
What you need to know:
Since attaining his PhD in Geography at the age of 26 in 2011, Gwamaka is now part of a think tank team aimed at solving Tanzania’s and Africa’s developmental challenges.
A new generation of young scholars are changing common perceptions about people who hold masters and PhD degrees. Gwamaka Kifukwe is one of these people. Since attaining his PhD in Geography at the age of 26 in 2011, Gwamaka is now part of a think tank team aimed at solving Tanzania’s and Africa’s developmental challenges.
He currently works at the Uongozi Institute as a researcher and coordinator of the Green Growth Platform and Decision-Makers’ Forest Academy dedicated to building social capital and an environmentally sustainable society. Like many young people, Gwamaka was faced with the challenging task of picking a career path right after graduating from high school. However, his patient and pragmatic approach paid off.
“I wanted to study medicine in the first place, but I wasn’t so sure, so I took a year to make a decision about what I want to study in university,” he says. After deciding to study geography, Gwamaka realised the current job market would be difficult to navigate with only one degree. He joined University of Nottingham for an MSC in Economy, Space and found his calling.
He says that the decision to enroll into a PhD course was highly influenced by his supervisors . “It was an opportunity that came up when I was at the university. A supervisor who was impressed with some of my work advised me to pursue a PhD. After thinking on it for a while I decided to do it because I realised if I can do it now I might not be able to do it in the future when I start to have a number of responsibilities,” Gwamaka says.
Although now officially an academic, Gwamaka wanted to pursue a less scholarly career. Armed with a top-notch degree, Gwamaka returned to Tanzania but soon found that the job market was challenging. “They all wanted years of experience and all kinds of attributes I wasn’t sure I had or could prove,” he recalls.
But it didn’t rake too long before he landed a position at the Uongozi Institute as a researcher.
“At Uongozi I don’t have to be an academic, unfortunately people still believe that is what you should do if you have a PhD,” he says.
“Here I am a part of a great team which works on several researching topics. We put together publications and coordinate events that invite decision-makers and opinion leaders from all sectors of society to share their experiences,” he says. More than that, the group aims to generate discussions around possible solutions to the developmental challenges facing Tanzania and Africa.
“We conduct research on emerging leaders and the future challenges that the African leadership might face. We also support these emerging leaders by giving them the information they need to do a good job,” he says, adding:
“My PhD allows me to do a lot of other interesting things, especially here at Uongozi; it has prepared me to be part of a team in a dynamic and interesting way. We all have a role to play and I am glad I am part of it.”
Describing himself as fortunate, Gwamaka says he believes that people who work hard no matter what gender they will always succeed.
‘I always believe in patience, it’s sad that some people who are young want to have success within a very short period of time; they want short cuts in life something which isn’t good,” he says
He says despite a tight schedule he has always fiound time to balance between work and his personal life.
He encourages young people to find their own definition of success by setting their own goals and taking the necessary steps to bring them to fruition. “They should also try to keep a balance and never be afraid to be themselves. It is also important to look for opportunities rather than sitting around and letting others lead you,” he adds.
When it comes to himself, he says that he is not sure whether there is only one person who is responsible for who he is today.
‘I don’t know if it’s my parents or community, but am thankful to them all; my parents, colleagues, friends, all of them have played their role in making me who I am today. I think it’s a combination of all of these but mostly I believe everyone has a talent and opportunity,” he says, concluding:
“There are countless unsung heroes out there, a woman somewhere in the street begging, but she still cares for her family and feeds her children; to me those are people who moved me because I am more impressed by ideas and actions than individualism.”
