SALUM Baraka Salum, 23, first year computer engineering student at the Karume Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Zanzibar, is celebrating after winning a contest dubbed ‘creating video on tourism, food, and culture’ in Zanzibar aimed to promote tourism in the Isles.
“I am very happy for the unexpected victory! My four minutes’ video named ‘Beauty of Zanzibar’ depict attractive tourism areas, including the historical ‘Minara –Miwili Cathedral in Stone Town, Forodhani leisure public park, Mizingani-Malindi, Maruhubi ruins, and Kizimbani spice farms,” Salum said.
He won after almost a month long (August 4-26) training titled ‘Developing videography skills of Youth in Zanzibar’ at the KIST Computer lab, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) – Tanzania.
The training involved 40 students, including twelve females, before concluding the course by having a competition in video production. Two students from the Zanzibar Commercial Secondary School were among the participants.
Salum used tools- a camera and a laptop he borrowed from a friend, to do the recording and editing and submitted it to the facilitators and instructors.
“After judges (a team of facilitators/instructors) watched the short video, comparing it with other videos from other students, I was declared winner. I was happy with my work, but I did not think of emerging the best,” he says Mr Salum was awarded a new laptop worth 2.3m/- and the second runner-up, Suleiman Saleh Kassim who produced a video named ‘spicy Island of Zanzibar,’ was awarded a laptop priced at 1.5m/- while the third winner, Kassim Mohammed Hamad who produced ‘Zanzibar Foods’ video was rewarded a smart phone worth 1.2m/-.
According to Ms Maryam Mjawiri Omar- coordinator of the event, the rest of the students who participated in the contest were also awarded school bags, smart watches and a scientific calculator, while all contestants and facilitators were awarded with a certificate of appreciation after the competition innovated by a Korean lecturer at KIST.
Facilitators and coordinators, Ms Pauline Mushi- program coordinator from Dar es Salaam, Mr Sumin Kangyoung professional /intern, Mr Mohammed Khamis Mohammed, Ms Mwana Said Suleiman from the electronic, telecommunications, and computer engineering department with the head of department Mr Juma Khatib Said and Mr Kyucheol Eo- Country Director KOICA in Tanzania all received certificates of appreciation.
Ms Omar explained that the 33m/- budget also included purchase of five cameras, five audio recorders, 20 flash disc, tripod, food for the students during the training and competition, and payments for supervisors and facilitators.
“The ‘Developing videography skills of Youth in Zanzibar’, project has motivated us to continue training young people so that they can be selfemployed by producing short videos that can be used in advertisements. We plan to introduce the short course of video production from next month,” she said.
All the students who participated in the first video training said that the knowledge they received from their facilitators is an asset they will use to advertise Zanzibar and its beauty, including attraction sites and culture so that many tourists can be attracted to visit Zanzibar.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues (students), Mr Mukrim Mussa Juma said through the competition, young people have been motivated to focus on creativity and innovation that will help to drive development, particularly through promoting tourism, one of the important sectors for Zanzibar.
He said that among the challenges they face is shortage or lack of working equipment and limited time for the training, “a period of one month is insufficient. The course requires enough time, mainly in practicing.” The Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Ms Lela Mohamed Mussa said after seeing the videos, she is inspired by the ideas and tips for effective promotion of tourism and travel.
“The tourism video production training project funded by KOICA is among the most important skills for young people, as it has enabled them to gain new professions and will also enable them to become self-employed,” she said.
She explained that the decision taken by KOICA and the Karume Institute Science and Technology (KIST) to teach young people video production skills will help significantly in boosting the country’s tourism industry.
Dr Mahmoud Abdulwahab Alawi, Director, KIST Zanzibar said one of the objectives of the video taking training was to ensure that students studying at KIST have knowledge of various aspects that will help them in their lives after completing their studies at the institute.
He also took the opportunity to thank KOICA for the excellent cooperation they have been providing to the institute that also promotes Karume Institute in achieving quality education.
Dr Alawi said video production training has enabled to bring out talents of young people because the issue of video shooting is an important thing where any young man who decides to develop himself well can be self-employed.
He said the type of work the students have been doing is very important because the country is currently striving to boost tourism and that the video production on tourism will help more people in the world to see Zanzibar as the best destination for tourists.
The Director of KOICA in Tanzania, Mr Kyucheol Eo said that there are opportunities that young people can use through learning video production, “It will help them invest in tourism industry.” He said that KOICA is a government development agency providing grant-aid programs such as project implementation, capacity building for government officials and dispatch of volunteers to schools and hospitals.
“KOICA has been cooperating well with KIST by dispatching KOICA volunteers for civil engineering, science education, math education, ICT education and electronics since 2003. As you know, all KOICA volunteers left Tanzania on mid-March, 2020 because of the global Corona pandemic,” he said.
KOICA resumed the volunteer program on December 2021 through online volunteer service followed by bringing in an ICT education teacher from Korea for KIST’s students, “To teach video shooting, editing, and filming to portray the beauty of Zanzibar, food, building, Islamic culture, and diverse heritages.”
“KOICA will upload all the short videos produced for KOICA volunteer projects at KOICA Youtube site to promote Zanzibar’s tourism and encourage more Korean people to visit beautiful and wonderful Zanzibar,” Mr Eo said.
He said KOICA remains “A good friend to Zanzibar and KIST. My mission is to make more and better opportunities for students. We plan to support video making to give people an opportunity to learn about Zanzibar. The growth of Information Technology (IT) is an opportunity to advertise Zanzibar.”
