My name is Nanjiba Sayara and I’m currently studying in grade 10 at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. I am from Dhaka, Bangladesh and this is my second year at the Academy. As a student here, I am able to access endless opportunities to explore myself, and have learnt the importance of being open-minded and caring towards all communities. I think it is our responsibility to support the less fortunate around us, and I aspire to be a social worker and establish my own NGO in the future. However, I didn’t want to wait until I was older to begin helping people. I wanted to start now.

My desire was realised through the grade 10 International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) personal project, a community project that focuses on service learning through practical exploration and a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. As part of my personal project, I went to a village school in Bangladesh where I taught a group of about 20 students how to recycle plastic bottles, and the importance of such an activity. I chose to focus on this, because recycling plastic is needed to keep our environment safe and it’s a fun activity that would keep the students interested. Please click here to see a video of my experience at the village school.

I was privileged to work with those students, as they were very enthusiastic to learn and contribute. Spending one day with children from different backgrounds made me a better communicator. My parents and I have always believed that extracurricular activities are as important as academics because they contribute to being a balanced individual. I am happy to have done this activity at the village school because it made learning enjoyable and therefore memorable.

The IB MYP personal project was challenging, educational and exciting. My parents always ask me to share my happiness and knowledge with others because it might brighten up someone’s day. I believe my session at the village school accomplished this, so I wish to continue sharing my knowledge, what I have learned and will continue to learn, with my society.