The Final Week of ReCoding Africa at Ghomme Secondary School in Dar es Salaam

Before the final week of our ReCoding Africa 2024 program in Tanzania, we had the opportunity to do a fantastic weekend safari to Saadani National Park, where the bush meets the beach. Our memorable experiences included seeing many animals, admiring the sunset from the jeep, and catching a stunning night sky with our volunteers while we waited for a pickup after our wheel unexpectedly fell off of our vehicle. The bonfire under the stars on the beach a few steps from our bungalows was very special; the same spot where we watched a beautiful sunrise the following morning.

Our last week at Ghomme Secondary School continued to be a mix of challenges and inspiring connections with our curious and eager students. Here’s a look at the standout moments that made our program truly impactful.

We were finally able to get past some major technical obstacles and excitedly saw students make significant progress with their e-learning on the Cisco Networking Academy platform.  It became clear that students were interested and engaged when they were able to learn with devices that could deliver the course content effectively. Volunteers Eliya and Mariam’s explanations in Swahili of the complex concepts were invaluable to helping students gain a full understanding of the technological subjects.

ReCoding Africa co-founder Linda Stevenin started the week with a leadership workshop, setting the stage for an engaging experience. We collectively created a list of words that describe an effective leader, explored contemporary concepts of leadership, and closed with an activity where students experienced first-hand the value of teamwork in generating high-quality solutions.

Our volunteer, Mariam Nkya, described her journey from accounting to running a successful tourism business in Arusha. Her bold leap from being an employee to becoming an entrepreneur was highly inspiring. Mariam shared valuable insights and personal experiences that not only offered a glimpse into the business world but also motivated our secondary school students to broaden their thinking about possible career paths. Her stories about overcoming challenges in building her business resonated strongly with them. This talk was followed by a game led by Mariarosy Calleri, ReCoding Africa co-founder (formerly female entrepreneurship ambassador and mentor for the Lazio Region at the EU Commission), where students worked in small groups to develop their own business models using the Envision card deck, the output of a project funded by the European Commission to foster entrepreneurial culture among Youth. The activity was designed to encourage participants to think critically and creatively as they crafted strategies for their dream companies.

R.O.S.A. President, Mariarosy Calleri, carried on the videomaking course with an engaging "Intro to Cinema Language" session, showcasing her passion for the craft and her professional experience with film grammar as a screenplay writer and director. She provided practical techniques and exercises that encouraged everyone to explore their creative potential. Mariarosy and our social media expert and volunteer Jennahvy Nguyen followed this by guiding students through the essentials of film production, covering location scouting, casting, and directing. Students were very excited to have hands-on experiences at every stage of their audiovisual storytelling projects.

Jennahvy introduced the students to CapCut, teaching them how to use this editing app effectively for their Digital Journaling projects and providing basic knowledge of video postproduction. Our students gained practical skills that helped them bring their digital narratives to life.

In our final session, students worked in small groups on a Found Object Collage activity, amazing us with their creativity. They used recycled objects and materials to construct impressive three-dimensional collages, expressing their artistic flair in a unique way.

We wrapped up the second week with the First Ghomme Student Multimedia Festival, where all the students’ projects were on display. Despite the pressures of final exams and graduation prep, their hard work and creativity truly shone through. It was a great opportunity to see their efforts come to life and celebrate their achievements with their peers and teachers.

A standout moment during the festival was the poetry slam led by our dedicated volunteer, Chase Wade, who culminated his creative writing course with a reading of student poems, contributing poignant artistic expression to this groundbreaking multimedia event.

We were very pleased to recognize the accomplishments of volunteers Chase Wade, Mariam Nkya, and Eliya Sichone (a Ghomme graduate who volunteered with our ReCoding Africa team). All three were awarded Cisco Digital Badges for completing the Cybersecurity and Data Science courses with our Cisco Networking Academy. Their dedication to learning new strategic skills is commendable and will surely benefit their careers.

Lastly, a big thank you to Founder/Director Emmanuel Malangalila and his daughter Margaret for their tremendous support and collaboration. Their partnership was essential in bringing ReCoding Africa to Ghomme Secondary School, and we are deeply grateful for their trust and support.

As we look back on this week, we are filled with pride and excitement for the future.

The creativity, dedication, and talent displayed by all participants were truly inspiring. We can’t wait to see where these new skills and experiences will take everyone next!

What do you think you will remember most from ReCoding Africa?

“They exposed us to new things; I will remember their kindness, their love, their generosity. They were amazing people!"

Ashley, a senior student at Ghomme Secondary School