By GASIRIGWA SENGIYUMVA, 6th October 2010 @ 16:00, Total Comments: 5, Hits: 7840
She is soft spoken, innocent looking and down-to-earth young girl. Aged 17, Grace Kaaya has lots to admire from. Once you see that big, genuine smile she wears every time she talks to people, you will never doubt anything that comes out of her mouth. “She is bright and has all the things you need in a student; intelligence, discipline, leadership ability and many more”, says Madam Halima Kamote, her Headmistress.
She adds that she is very proud of her and is a perfect example of those who hail from humble beginnings and make it to the top. “You see, it is very encouraging when you give someone an opportunity and you see her or him exploit it properly. She has built an image
that others will emulate”, Madam Kamote points out. “From a very young age, I started excelling in studies, emerging top of my classes. For this I have been recognized with several awards from school and external academic associations”, says Ms Kaaya.
She was adopted and raised by her uncle, following the loss of her mother at the age of three. According to her, they were very strict parents who raised us (she and her cousins) in a principled and God fearing way. “I learned to be disciplined, hardworking, and independent at a very early age. I also imitated my cousins(who are way older than I am, the last born being eight years older than I) who not only behaved the same way, but also were very determined to study hard and to have a bright future”, she tells.
This, according to her, was because the parents valued education so greatly that to them it was important that all of them attain quality education. They took them to good schools, and made sure that they took education seriously as a vital life tool, and that they performed well enough in their studies. All of these things combined, greatly influenced her
educational background. “It isn’t that my family was so privileged, rather they had moderate earnings and had to work hard to ensure that they afforded all our school fees which, is obviously not an easy task, but they never gave up till they saw to it that we pursued one academic level after the other”.
“All my cousins (two sisters, altogether much older than I) have all either graduated or are studying at the university where they have acquired successful careers in fields such as medicine, graphic design, computer science, human relations and others, something I find remarkable and thank God for; making me highly motivated to work hard to reach greater heights”, she says. All of these relatives have always played a role in supporting her choices in studies. For example opting for science subjects and they acknowledge all her achievements, whenever she ranks among the best at school.
Ms Kaaya started kindergarten at The Little Angels’ Nursery where she also did her first primary school year till the end of 1999, from 1997. She then went to Shree Hindu Mandal Primary School in 2000 and completed grade seven. She later joined Barbro Johansson Model Girls’ Secondary School, located in the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, along the Dar-Morogoro highway in 2006. She has been here ever since and she is doing her advanced level studies taking PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics).
Her academic excellence, behaviour and determination to succeed at Barbro Johansson made her obtain a sponsorship to a certain percentage for the general school fees, which comprise both tuition and accommodation for a full academic year. “I am grateful to God for that”, she says. “Barbro Johansson has as other schools enhanced my academic skills, given the present competition posed by the number of students who are equally academically smart; it gives me a challenge to work harder to become the best”.
However, she also attributes her success to an adequate availability of very qualified and experienced teachers who work hard to provide the best and produce the best in all of them. Moreover, the school administration with the aid of the Joha educational Trust, have ensured the availability of ample teaching and learning resources like books and computers,
large equipped classrooms as well as a conducive environment present at the school campus by the extensive vegetation and many more.
“Being a boarding school, the administration has taken proper care to provide adequate
social services and amenities such as water, electricity, food, health services and the like which allow us to concentrate well in our studies”. “Ours is a community with girls from all over the country, this has in turn improved my ability to live and cope with people of differing norms, lifestyles and behaviour. This hasn’t helped me academically only but also socially as a person. The peaceful atmosphere that prevails helps us achieve our desired goals” she attetsted.
She is highly inspired by her siblings and cousins, as well as young people who have
excelled academically at some or all points in their life. Also adults who hold key positions or have great careers and professions which fascinate her in various fields especially Science, both in and out of the country. “I attribute my success mainly to my Lord the Never-failing God who is the Mastermind behind my achievement, since He is responsible for directing my path of life, for the people I have met and lived with and all the thing I had ever experienced or gotten involved in so far that have together built my character to become the person I am today, and to grow better each day”.
She is grateful to the parents, guardians, teachers and other people she has stayed with,
through whom she learnt a lot that helped her morally, financially, intellectually and spiritually to strive for and achieve success. If fellow girls wished to learn something from her, what would it be? “The power of our success lies in what we believe, and what we say of ourselves which is where the fruits of our actions result from”, she answers. “As we think, believe and speak, so are we. Also, it is high time that we youth got up and lived to our full and proper potential and use our time wisely for the right objective.
Success comes along with the ability to sacrifice what is not necessary at the moment in order to obtain a far more rewarding thing in life. We therefore ought to learn to make the right choices, however undesirable they might be”. Her dream is to become a successful Civil Engineer. Why? Because she admires the cities and building plans, designs and wishes to develop one of her own sometime in the future.
“Also, this particular field of engineering involves a lot of concepts in physics,one of my favourite opted subjects. Furthermore I like the idea of pursuing a career in a field that is not common for many women, thus raise society awareness and create an example that other girls can follow”. In few years from now, she sees herself as a young blossoming and successful woman on the pursuit of her God-guided and destined career in one of the excellent higher level institutions, whether in the country or abroad.
Total Comments on the above stories (5)
Comment
Grace, keep the spirits up. All the best in achieving your goals.
Comment
Congrats GRACE! :)
Comment
wishing you good luck my dear
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grace success are always from the rough road of education, ahead from the road is were all your dreams lie .Keep on going dear you are almost there, ALL THE BEST
Comment
May GOD be your light so that you achieve all that you are aiming to achieve. Barbro Johansson is certainly one of the best schools. I say so becuase I was a student there for six years...
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