Mahek Shah: Taking flight to her dreams
Mahek Shah, a Diploma Programme student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, believes she knew she wanted to fly as soon as she learnt to walk. A young aviator who is driven to change the fact that the aviation industry is male-dominated, Mahek attended a 12-day British Aviation Camp from 16-27 July in the United Kingdom. She is also the curator of Wings for Women, a project she started as part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme curriculum that educates teenage girls in Kenya on becoming pilots.
Captain Irene Koki Mutungi is the inspiration behind her project. As the first African female captain of the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” aircraft, Captain Koki actively emboldened Mahek to spread awareness among young girls through her initiative.
“Captain Koki encourages women to break stereotypes and work hard to achieve their dreams,” Mahek said. “She has held several motivational sessions within Kenya and has played an important role in shaping careers of numerous women.”
Wings for Women is currently based in Mombasa, with workshops being successfully conducted in both Mombasa and Nairobi. At present, Mahek’s 14-member student led team, is focusing on scaling up the project by expanding their target audience across Kenya.
Born in the UK, Mahek was raised in Mombasa, and looks forward to attending college in the UK. The summer camp organised by Brookfield Aviation has fortified her ambition of becoming a pilot.
The camp comprised of flight training courses which consisted of three, one-hour flight lessons in a light aircraft (Piper A28). In addition, Mahek underwent ground school training in Air Law, Navigation and Communications. She also attended aerobatic flying and helicopter lessons.
According to Mahek, practising on simulators at the Emirates Full Motion Simulators was the most challenging and exhilarating aspect of her training.
“Flying two different simulators took some getting used to,” Mahek said. “The A-380 simulator used a joystick, and it was only after two trials that I managed to land the plane. The B-777, on the other hand, was much easier to fly using a yoke.”
Another important facet of her training was meeting airlines and touring headquarters, as part of which she underwent Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP) Training at British Airways, and visited the British Airways Heritage Centre.
Mahek’s passion and ambition to be a pilot has snowballed into a bigger mission of advocating for gender equality in her chosen field. According to Mahek, the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and the guidance of her teachers have been instrumental in shaping her experiences in steering through the aviation industry.
“I use the Academy’s learner profile attributes, specifically caring and open-mindedness to engage with people from the aviation industry,” Mahek said. “This experience has enabled me to become a more ethical decision-maker, who is also very tolerant and pluralistic.”
Sarah Keshvani (Class of 2018): using biology to tackle environmental challenges
Sarah’s love for the sciences flourished during the Diploma Programme (DP) at the Academy in Hyderabad. Through her extended essay, she found the opportunity to learn more about how biology can provide solutions to modern challenges faced in local communities. She decided to tackle the issue of water shortages and soil nutrient deficiencies hindering large scale rice cultivation in the state of Telangana, leading to reduced crop yields. Due to zinc deficiencies in the soil, farmers resort to using huge amounts of fertilisers, which further degrade soil quality.
Sarah’s research centred on hydroponics as a possible solution to this problem. Plants are grown in water-based, nutrient solutions instead of soil.
“This technique has recently garnered a lot of attention because experiments have shown that growth is more than doubled when compared to traditional methods of agriculture,” Sarah explained. “Nutrient uptake is more efficient, and farmers can control the type of nutrients the plant is exposed to, in order to enhance different features of the yield. The use of water in hydroponics is still much more efficient than how it is used in open paddy fields that need to be covered in water during certain times of the crop cycle.”
Sarah’s conclusions were positive. Rapid growth was observed and the flexibility to control the nutrient uptake played a huge role in optimal plant health. She realised that a closed system would have provided more accurate results, as the higher evaporation rates disturbed the pH levels. Overall though, she deduced this technique could definitely tackle the challenges faced by paddy farmers.
“The IB curriculum followed at the Academy has played a pivotal role in building many essential skills for university life,” Sarah reflected when asked how she has settled into this new phase. “The emphasis on academic integrity and independence have served me really well here. I was taught to think critically rather than blindly follow textbooks. Its skill-based learning approach, and connecting classroom learning to the real world, also prepared me well for higher education.”
Samy Natho Jina: Using information technology to better the world
Samy Natho Jina is an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Year 12 student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. In addition to being an informed global citizen, Samy is a skilled and talented self-taught computer coder. Currently pursuing Information Technology in a Global Society at higher level as part of his IB Diploma, he strives to derive ways through which he can use information technology (IT) to create value in today’s society and tackle social and ethical issues. He says, “Building systems is not enough; for me, considering the impact on the stakeholder’s life is also a key factor.”
Samy’s passion for computers began on his sixth birthday when he received a “slow and old Acer laptop.” He says that because the laptop was too slow to play computer games, he used his time to explore the computer’s settings and discovered all the features that were being offered by Windows XP. As a result of his vivid curiosity and experimental nature, Samy unknowingly installed virus software which caused the computer to crash. Determined to fix his computer, Samy tried all the possible methods to restore it: he sought advice from many adults, attempted creative problem-solving techniques, and even visited a computer scientist to figure out what was happening.
Ultimately, Samy’s curiosity and determination led him to discover that this – dealing with computers and software – was what he wanted to do for a living in the future. Samy now aspires to develop his skills at university through studying software engineering and computer science.
Along with being a hardworking IB student, Samy is constantly working on new applications, coding new projects, and making apps for various companies. The first app he created was for his parents to help their pharmaceutical company handle online business management, archive files and track sales. He created another security software for a non-profit organisation for referencing and tracking individuals for an event. Samy also designed an advanced website for a TEDx event in Mombasa, Kenya where he added security and ticketing features. Samy comments, “As my understanding increases so does my passion.” An extremely driven individual, he also uses online platforms such as OpenClassrooms to learn coding languages like HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, PHP5, jQuery and others, for which he has also gained many certificates. “With each new language I learn, I become more excited about that field,” Samy explains.
Samy believes that in five to 10 years, the whole world will depend more on information technology than it currently does today. He believes that there is a great future in developing modern technologies for medical applications, and wishes to be at the core of the technological development that will advance medical health applications. Samy believes in practical application along with theoretical learning and is working hard to bring about a positive change.
Samy is extremely grateful for the opportunities he has been granted to use his skills for the betterment of the local community with support from the encouraging environment at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Samy says, “For each and every project, I have spent countless nights out of my own free will fixing incorrect lines of code. It is my dream to make sure this talent and passion I have for software development and computers can be used to make this world a better place.”
By Khushboo Shah
Aga Khan Academy, Bishkek
The Aga Khan Academy, Bishkek, part of an integrated network [JMC1] of schools located in Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East offering girls and boys an international standard of education from pre-primary to upper secondary levels with a rigorous academic and leadership experience.
Bishkek is targeted as one of the first four complete Academies (in 4 different regions) serving as a test bed of the network of Academies. The first Academy opened in 2003 in Mombasa, Kenya and is the first school in Kenya authorised to offer all 3 IB programmes (PYP, MYP and IB diploma
The project is progressing...
The market study was completed in September 2008, The Academies Unit and land planning teams have visited two sites and specific parcels of land have been identified and negotiation is underway to establish land ownership.
The initial site visits to the land review zone have provided an important and initial opportunity to
assess the zone in relation to site programming and planning needs. Among these needs to which the land must be evaluated to provide a positive response are:
• Long-Term Expansion
• Access and Accessibility
• Infrastructure Support
• Urban Context
Whilst the evaluation of academy site will include the assessment of the development programme and the ability of the site to physically accommodate the programme in practical terms, design criteria inevitably embrace issues that are more subjective in nature but have important impact to the evaluation process.
• Environment: or the ability of the academy and its surroundings to facilitate the creation of a living and learning environment. In this regards the emphasis is on the quality of the site and not just the adequacy of size.
• Identity: or the potential for the creation of a special “sense of place”. The physical complex of architecture and landscape that will embody an inspirational environment, tangible to the students, faculty and visitors, is in many ways also affected by the surrounding land forms and uses.
• Position: or clarity of location within the surrounding landscape or community.
Aga Khan Academies Alumni Update
Aga Khan Academies Alumni Update
Thank you for visiting the Aga Khan Alumni page. We want to be sure we have your current information so that we can stay in touch.
We ask that you kindly fill out the information request below. Rest assured that your personal information will remain confidential and will be for the Academy’s purposes only.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
The MUN Press Corps
Reporters and photographers were on their feet at all times, running to capture a crisis update, to jotting down the points. As director, chasing them to do their work was a bit tedious, being left with a sea of words to look over. At the end of the day, the array of words and pictures will keep the memories of the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad Models United Nations alive for years to come.
By Nikita Madhani
Sazil Ramani – an ‘Academy advocate’ for service and social change
– Sazil Ramani, grade 10, Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
Sazil joined the Academy at its inception in 2011 and has since discovered many passions and predilections. “After coming here, I realized that I have a talent for photography, and am pretty good at design too. This year, I got to not only act in the annual summer productions as part of our drama class but also designed the posters and brochures. The Academy has given me many opportunities to prove myself, and I am sure this will help me in choosing a career in the future.”
His favourite subject is science, because he likes discovering new things, especially with regard to the realities of life and our surroundings. In particular, he enjoys scientific pursuits because they provide appropriate evidence to back the claims they make, and this makes it possible to persuade others towards positive social, economic and political change. Sazil aspires to be a mechanical engineer.
“As I am a residential student, I get a lot of opportunities to experience different aspects of life at the Academy,” says Sazil. “What I find most unique is the studious and peaceful environment, the greenery around us, the people from different backgrounds and cultures living with us, the facilities provided and the number of opportunities we get to prove our talents.”
Sazil’s biggest role model is His Highness the Aga Khan. “His hard work and dedication, his vision of a better world and his mission to improve the quality of life of those less fortunate. I have a similar vision and that’s why he inspires me.”
Watch a video Sazil made compiling visual anecdotes of diverse service experiences of his classmates and himself at various government school sites.
AKA Alumni - Mentor Application
Please fill out the questionnaire below, giving as much detail as you can. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at: alumni@agakhanacademies.org
Raghuveer Vyas (Class of 2016): Advocating for change and development
Raghuveer Vyas graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in 2016 with a desire to be a change-maker in our world. Due to his experience at AKA Mombasa, this desire has become a reality.
Raghuveer Vyas, far right, at a UN Initiative event at NYU.“My time at the Academy undoubtedly influenced where I am now,” Raghuveer said. “The Academy's strong emphasis on contributing back to society certainly further influenced my academic choices.”
Raghuveer pursued his undergraduate degree at New York University (NYU) in Global Liberal Studies with a concentration in Politics, Rights & Development. Currently during his final year, Raghuveer was admitted into NYU’s Bachelor of Arts (BA)/Master of Arts (MA) programme.
“Through this programme I hope to graduate with an MA in International Relations by 2021,” Raghuveer said. “I will be concentrating on Sub-Saharan African affairs and peace and conflict resolution in the International Relations programme.”
Since joining NYU, Raghuveer has been a member of the United Nations Initiative at NYU, which was created to increase the dialogue between international leaders and the youth/students who have become disconnected from the global political process. During his final year as an undergraduate, Raghuveer became the director of the Initiative because he believes “the UN Initiative’s mission and actions to be absolutely critical to the political discourse at NYU.” Due to his commitment and passion, Raghuveer said he has made some impressionable strides in the Initiative.
“I personally have worked to increase the participation of the African international leaders, such as the ambassadors of Egypt, Nigeria and the African Union,” Raghuveer said. “I’m also working to expand our panel discussion series, which focuses on thematic issues as opposed to the affairs of nation-states.”
As part of the Global Liberal Studies programme at NYU, students are required to spend a year abroad at one of NYU’s satellite campuses, such as Berlin, which is where Raghuveer decided to go. Through this, Raghuveer discovered his passion for climate change when he started interning with Climate Analytics, an international climate science and policy institution.
Raghuveer Vyas, far right, at at UN Initiative event at NYU between an ambassador from Egypt and NYU students.“I truly began to understand that climate change poses the single largest threat to the human species, and would disproportionately affect lower economic classes and citizens in developing countries, with the African continent poised to be one of the worst hit, “ said Raghuveer.
While in Berlin, Raghuveer worked as part of the climate policy team at Climate Analytics where he conducted scholarly research on the policies surrounding climate change mitigation and adaptation. As part of the team, Raghuveer said he was able to co-author a report, “Decarbonising South and South East Asia”, for the Asian Development Bank and the UN Environment Programme.
“The report aimed to investigate the current state of fossil fuel consumption in South and Southeast Asia and analyse the potential of renewable energy forms to replace these fossil fuels,” Raghuveer said.
Due to his time at Climate Analytics in Berlin, Raghuveer said he rejoined as an intern at their New York office during his final year at NYU. In New York, Raghuveer worked with the Implementation Strategy team, which assists developing countries, specifically countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.
Raghuveer Vyas, far left, at a UN Initiative at NYU.“While the work I did was quite diverse, I worked quite closely with the small, and severely threatened, country of Saint Lucia,” Raghuveer said. “The country was attempting to receive financing from the international community to realise its ambitious National Adaptation Plan for climate change. I got to work on the national Private Sector Engagement Strategy (PSES), which chartered, among other things, a means through which the government could better engage with the country’s private sector in making them more resilient to climate change. This was submitted to the Saint Lucian government in early December, with the Cabinet of Ministers poised to read it in the new year.
Along with this, Raghuveer said he has worked on preliminary research for a universal Green Affordable Housing Project for Saint Lucia, which “aims to create a relocation and housing system that is resilient to the effects of climate change and compensate victims.” Raghuveer said he also drafted a funding proposal for Saint Lucia, “which aimed to revamp the national health sector and make it more resilient to climate change, both in terms of service provision and infrastructural soundness.”
Although his interests aren’t only focused on climate change, Raghuveer said he understands the urgency of recognising this phenomenon and the implications it can have on the entire world.
“Climate change is somewhat personal to me as I come from a farming family in Kenya,” Raghuveer said. “I’ve directly witnessed the impacts of a changing climate on the farm and seen how widespread the impacts are. For me, climate change has provided a unique lens through which to understand and question some of the perennial challenges facing the Global South.”
Reflecting on his time at the Academy, Raghuveer said he would not be where he is now had it not been for the various opportunities he received and the different skills he learned at the Academy.
“I first discovered my passion for global politics at AKA Mombasa through different platforms ranging from participating in Model United Nations, to having an incredible team of Humanities and Global Politics teachers who all really encouraged me to hone in my skills in the subject,” Raghuveer said. “A lot of necessary skills, such as critical thinking and analytical writing, were taught to us at the Academy, making it far easier for me to adjust to the demands of college.”
Raghuveer Vyas, far right, at the NYU Jordan Center.Although Raghuveer is unsure of what he’ll do after his Master’s at NYU, he said he is looking forward to what the future has in store for him.
“I’m excited to be a student during one of the most fascinating and influential eras in Global Politics and I’m looking forward to learning more about the various issues that grip us as an international community,” Raghuveer said.
By Anusha Lalani
Junior School celebrates Mother's Day
Junior School students at AKA Mombasa celebrated Mother's Day on 10 May 2020.
