November-December 2022

Neil, atop The Big Rock, overlooking the valley where USAP is located.

Hello from Zimbabwe! I’m Neil, a PiAf Fellow working as a teacher at USAP Community School, an A Level school for low-income, high-achieving Zimbabweans. I teach Research Methods to fifth form students (11^th grade), a final year Capstone and college counseling course to sixth form students (12^th grade), as well as an elective on Music Theory. Over the past several months, not only have I had the privilege to teach incredibly talented students, but I’ve also learned so much about Zimbabwe and being an educator.

Here are three lessons I’ve gathered so far from being at the school:

Taking risks help you learn culture. In my final year of college, I took an ethnomusicology course on the music around the Mekong River delta. My professor told me that there are three things you need to embrace to learn about a new culture: (1) learn their music, (2) eat their food, (3) and learn their language. In my four months here, I’ve attempted to play traditional instruments including the mbira and marimba, clap to insanely challenging poly-rhythmic African pieces, and danced to songs that are awfully familiar to Leonard Bernstein’s America from West Side Story. Although I’m a classically trained musician, I’ve struggled a lot to play and clap along to traditional music but have learned so much. The same goes for language – when I attempt to speak in Shona, I am greeted with smiles and often confused stares, though am always welcomed to speak. Eating every meal in the Dining Hall at school allows me to try new foods, share stories, and laugh with students. Sharing a meal of sadza and beans at supper reminds me that to learn about culture, I must be willing to try new things.

Neil with Esther Alaran (2022-23 PiAf Fellow from Joburg) at Mukuvisi Woodlands in Zimbabwe.

Knowledge is a power but can also be a burden. I just finished teaching a unit on hypothesis-testing statistics in Research Methods and feel that my students have just unlocked a powerful new skill: discerning if two numbers are significantly different from each other. With new knowledge, however, comes a lot of responsibility. I’ve been trying to implement systematized research methods into my everyday life so students can see how they can make change with statistics – whether it be through surveying students to decide if porridge should be served for breakfast or while helping students see if their own research projects should target a certain population. What I’ve noticed is that acquiring knowledge results in people expecting you to do something with it – whether you like it or not. Talent and intelligence may be present, but opportunity is not always promised. Education is the tool to ensure that you are ready for when opportunity is present.

I am horrendously bad at mopping. This one does not have a hidden meaning – I just have struggled to mop because I did not bring my Swiffer with me.

I’m excited to continue learning about Zim, education, and myself throughout the rest of my fellowship and hope you can follow along with me!

↑ Back to Top

Heran and KF student/scholars (First day in Lusaka and meeting some students at the tuition centre)

Muli bwanji ! Hello hello everyone, my name is Heran Abiy and I am a Princeton in Africa Fellow working as a Program Coordinator at the Kucetekela Foundation here in Lusaka, Zambia! I have now been living in Lusaka and working at Kucetekela Foundation for a few months now.

Heran and KF colleagues interviewing students at Zambian Government schools

Kucetekela Foundation (KF) is a non-profit organization that provides academically promising but financially disadvantaged Zambian youth with comprehensive scholarships that fund vulnerable youth education at a private secondary school. KF scholarships cover more than tuition. KF’s philosophy is that a holistic approach is needed to maximize the chances of success. In addition to an excellent education, KF provides our students with one-on-one mentoring, community service, internships, counseling, and support to attend university. A day in my life, as Programs Coordinator at KF, has consisted of visiting our high school students at our two partner schools and our gap year students/alumni at their many job locations throughout Lusaka. I facilitate various leadership and youth development and capacity-building programs and workshops with our high school students and assist our gap year students with their applications to different tertiary programs around Zambia and the world. In addition to this, I write articles and work on student recruitment and marketing.

Maddy, Heran and Maddie meet up in Nairobi, Kenya right before fellowships begin.

My time in Lusaka has been filled with quality time with our brilliant and thoughtful high school students and their welcoming families, enjoying stunning pink-orange-yellow sunsets over Lusaka, and connecting with my colleagues over long drives around the city. There is so much beauty in Lusaka and throughout Zambia that I have come to appreciate. Outside of work, I spend time attending Zambian artists’ concerts, learning salsa, attending art shows, learning Nyanja from my colleagues, café hopping around Lusaka, and checking out local farmers’ markets.

Giraffe in Lusaka in Lilayi area

A little bit about me, I am originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. Before coming to Lusaka, I completed my Master’s degree from Clark University’s Department of International Development, Community, and Environment (IDCE) in Worcester, MA. My journey with Princeton in Africa spans many years before I even knew PiAf existed.  To read more about my serendipitous relationship with Princeton in Africa and a past PiAf host organization, Project Mercy, please visit Princeton in Africa’s Impact Stories.

I am only just at the beginning of my fellowship here in Lusaka, and I have learned so much. My time as PiAf fellow has already significantly impacted my life. Whether it is appreciating the sun setting over the Lusaka skyline, searching for the best vitumbuwao, or trying Kapenta for the first time, to reflecting on thoughtful conversations with students, I am eager to continue moving through the city and keep finding beauty in every corner of Lusaka.

↑ Back to Top

Smiling after a day of biking through Mto Wa Mbu.

A view of Tumaini Senior from my third-floor apartment at school.

Hello from Makuyuni, Tanzania! My name is Ian Stiehl, and I am the current Fellow with Tanzania Education Corporation (TEC) at Tumaini Senior Secondary School. Its founders built Tumaini Senior in the middle of the savanna roughly halfway between Serengeti National Park and Mt. Kilimanjaro. During the dry season, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and more pay frequent visits to the area surrounding the school. In this remote but beautiful environment, I work nominally as the school’s computer science teacher but have worn many different hats so far.

In September, I began teaching my three levels of students. In year one, students learn to use Microsoft Office and Scratch. The next year, they transition to coding languages such as Python and programming robots. The final year covers web development in HTML and JavaScript. Although not a natural teacher, I improve every day. I’ve learned how to use student assistants to overcome language challenges, motivate students with class hooks, and challenge students to think outside the box.

Another of my roles oversees student projects. This term, the two main student projects were building a robot dog operating on Raspberry Pi OS and launching bottle rockets. The bottle rocket project was a collaboration with a Design Thinking class, which is part of the Project-based Learning (PBL) curriculum. PBL courses are a key part of Tumaini Senior culture because the school strives to enhance the student experience through hands-on learning that teaches real-world skills.

The Great Wildebeest Migration as seen in August in northern Serengeti.

As part of TEC’s partnership with another non-profit, Team4Tech, I’ve also developed girls in STEM and teacher computer literacy programs. One of the most rewarding parts of my work has been seeing students and teachers motivated to expand their digital knowledge. In November, I hosted an international guest speaker via Zoom to speak to a classroom of girls about her journey as a woman in STEM. The students prepared thoughtful questions to ask our guest. The teacher development program has consisted of open lab hours for teachers to practice skills such as typing and monthly workshops. So far, I’ve covered Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. With time and experience, I hope these programs continue to grow and encourage both girls and teachers to take advantage of the resources available at Tumaini.

The robotic dog my students built to present at graduation.

Beyond school, I have loved the opportunity to explore the culture and environment of northern Tanzania. My fellow teachers have graciously taken me to local restaurants, taught me to cook, and helped me take crowded public buses across the region. I’ve been able to visit breathtaking national parks, wander through bustling city markets, watch hours of football matches in town, and take long runs along dirt roads in the savanna.

I can’t believe almost five months have slipped away since I arrived. Already this experience has taught me so much about adaptability, patience, interacting with new perspectives, and how to find happiness. I am grateful to my fellow teachers for welcoming me with open arms and my PiAf cohort for creating such a special community across the continent.

↑ Back to Top

Me commemorating World Rabies Day at Kapiti.

Me seeing a little bit of Nepal in-between interviewing folks.

Hi from Nairobi, Kenya! I’m Maddie, a Fellow with the Communications and Knowledge Management team at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). My work at ILRI looks different every day as I interact with various departments and research initiatives, from One Health scientists to gender in climate experts. One of the busiest times was during COP27, when I worked with the rest of the communications team to produce daily summaries of ILRI events.

While I’m in the office most of the time writing blogs or posting on social media, I occasionally go to the field. I’ve traveled to ILRI’s Kapiti Research Station and Wildlife Conservancy in Machakos County to cover World Rabies Day, Farmer’s Field Day, and a visit from the Prince of Norway! I’ve also taken a day trip to Kisumu to interview households of chicken farmers for The Boma Podcast Season 3, continuing the work of the last two cohorts of PiAf Fellows at ILRI.

I grew up in New York City and, before ILRI, knew close to nothing about livestock. But the more I interact with smallholder farmers and scientists, the more I learn how livestock research can improve the livelihoods and climate resilience of many people, particularly youth and women, in the developing world. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to see how livestock research in East Africa is impacting communities in South Asia with a surprise trip to Nepal! Traveling to different parts of the country, I got to interview a range of folks, from women buffalo farmers to a city mayor, who interacts with ILRI’s new project on buffalo value chains.

Outside work, I’ve been enjoying AfroDance classes, bible study, and learning guitar from my flatmate. I’m slowly building a community here in Nairobi, and my co-fellow, Madison, and the other PiAf Fellows have made the transition much smoother. Thanks to them, I’ve collected special memories in November and December, including celebrating Friendsgiving and watching Wakanda Forever in a packed theater. It’s only been four months since starting my fellowship, but I’ve already grown so much. I’m grateful for my PiAf fellowship experience and my Fellow cohort for shaping the person I’m becoming!

↑ Back to Top