Ham Serunjogi: Blazing a path across three continents
Look below for a video of Ham talking about his experience at the Academy.
Swimming from Uganda
Ham Serunjogi, age 23, grew up in Uganda and started swimming competitively at age 6. His parents encouraged his academics and his athletics, and Ham excelled in both. In 2010 he enrolled at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya.
On his way to Kenya, he competed in the Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010. At AKA Mombasa, he trained and studied hard, learning leadership and teamwork. He became president of the AKA Student Representative Council. At the Academy he became fascinated by digital communication. In 2011 he conducted a school project back home in Uganda, where he interviewed the IT manager at Cineplex Uganda.
To America
Ham’s drive got the attention of educators. After graduating from the Aga Khan Academy he received a scholarship to study in the United States. He pursued a bachelor’s degree at Grinnell College, where he majored in Economics.
With a fellow Grinnell student, Ham developed an app that allowed users to send short, encrypted voice recordings that would self-destruct after they were played. It was a smart solution that anticipated the rise of privacy concerns in technology. The app could work in places where voicemail systems weren’t common, like Ghana, where his app partner grew up.
The habits cultivated at AKA continued to bear fruit, he says. “The education I gained at the Academy had an emphasis on critical thinking,” Ham explains. That critical ability for problem solving fueled his achievement at Grinnell, along with a conviction that he had something to contribute.
Taking New Ideas to Facebook in Europe
As he prepared to graduate from Grinnell, Ham let himself dream big. He set his sights on the biggest social media giant he could find. “I took an unorthodox approach,” Ham said of his strategy for getting a job. “Instead of applying online, I sent an email directly to Sheryl Sandberg.”
He received responses to his email within hours, urging him to apply online. Soon recruiters were calling to set up interviews. The interviews led to an internship on Facebook’s Global Accounts Team in New York during the summer of 2015, before his final year of study at Grinnell College. There he enjoyed a surprising degree of autonomy to tackle issues that he cared about. In his first weekly one-on-one with his supervisor, she asked him, “What are you most passionate about?” He took that as encouragement and created a new initiative.
Ham is amazed by where life has taken him.
Keeping up Connections and Giving Back
Again and again, Ham has drawn on his experiences from AKA Mombasa, and the bonds among his Academy friends remain strong. Before starting his new job in Ireland, he visited friends and family in Uganda. He still connects often with his AKA Mombasa roommate, Aleem Mawji, now a student at the University of British Columbia. Ham’s friend from the AKA swim team, fellow Ugandan Joshua Tibatemwa, followed his path as a AKA swim team star and student president. Joshua also followed Ham’s example to Grinnell, where he’s now a student. Joshua competed for Uganda at the Rio Olympics last summer.
Ham took time away from settling into Dublin life to watch the Olympics on television, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend.
Ham has launched into a life of active engagement, creating networks that make people’s lives better. He has seen how such networks make a difference. He shows dedication to paying it forward.
This spotlight is republished courtesy of AKF USA.
Muriuki Njonjo (Class of 2017): Giving back through leadership and empathy
My goal in life has always been to be the very best version of myself that I can be. From the time I joined the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa for my International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme to when I graduated, that was the greatest period of personal growth in my life. The Academy changed my way of thinking, my way of doing things and informed my purpose in life.
Through a strong emphasis on the intrinsic value of education, the Academy had a lasting impact on me. I remember fondly living in residences which undoubtedly prepared me for living away from home in university. Residential life helped form bonds of friendship that I can confidently say will last a lifetime. The wisdom of dorm parents like Mr. Dudi and Mr. Prashant always helped me get through the rough tides of the IB Diploma Programme, and their words are still very much applicable to my daily life today.
In many ways, the Academy added great intrinsic value to me. However, there was more to that. The Academy demands of all its students a contribution. We lived in a space where we all felt we had to bring something to the table to the benefit of the larger community. It was in this sense of collective responsibility that I found my niche as an active member of the AKA Mombasa community. I was privileged to serve the Student Council as Secretary of the Finance Committee, a role that made me a steward of the student body’s finances. Alongside my committee, I approved the allocation of roughly US$1000 towards various service projects organised by students which had an impact on the local Mombasa community. The importance of giving back and empowering the less fortunate is built into the very fabric of the Academy’s mission and that helped me develop a profound sense of empathy.
I had the opportunity to establish a service club known as the Leo Club with the help of the local Lions Club. We went ahead to raise money for corneal transplants. With the help of my mentors Adnan and Aalia Visram, I co-founded the Academy’s first ever TEDxYouth event with my friend Preyansh Kaushik. Through TEDx we provided an incredible platform for members of our AKA Mombasa community to share their unique perspectives with millions of people across the world. TEDxYouth@AKAMombasa remains one of my proudest achievements at the Academy. Alongside my friend Inaara Savani and the constant guidance and support of Ms Alex Holland, I organised a workshop for Year 9 students on the Syrian refugee crisis. This opportunity eventually led me to Uganda in the Summer of 2016, where I volunteered as an English teacher at the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. I was also honoured to be the Finance Executive of the CanCare club which organises the Academy’s annual blood drive. All these incredible opportunities have taught me valuable skills and have made me a driven person. Of course, all this would not have been possible without the support of my peers and faculty members.
One cannot speak about their time at the Academy without mentioning the rigorous academics geared towards creating critical, analytical and reflective thinkers. It’s through Mr. Vlad’s classes that I discovered my passion for politics because of the power it has to effect change in everyone’s lives. The strength of the curriculum and the way the teachers delivered it definitely prepared me for university workload. This combined with the numerous opportunities to get involved afforded to me ultimately won me a full scholarship to the University of Waterloo in Canada where I am currently majoring in political science and financial economics with Honours.
I still carry the spirit of AKA Mombasa with me. Since joining Waterloo, I have been involved in the organisation of the annual TEDx event, I have delivered a start-up pitch for funding at Velocity, the world’s largest free business incubator, and I have been privileged to join the first incorporated blockchain community management firm in North America as the Head of Public Relations. For now, I will continue to do what the Academy taught me to do best: contribute to my community and live out my potential in my truest self. In future I hope to go back home to Kenya and use my education and skills to help make a difference in people’s lives. Until then, I continue to live in a permanent space of gratitude for the person I am today, which I owe to the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa.
Student Orientation
Diploma Programme
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo has received authorisation as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the IB Diploma Programme (DP). The programme is offered to students (aged 16–19) in the final two years of school.
The Diploma Programme is a demanding, pre-university-level course of studies. It is internationally recognised by over 2,000 universities worldwide.
The DP has a reputation for rigorous assessment of student achievement. Each student’s performance and levels of knowledge are examined internally by teachers according to set criteria. They are also assessed externally by independent examiners according to global standards applied to all IB schools.
Our students study all the subjects covered in a traditional, broad curriculum, including languages, social sciences, experimental sciences, mathematics and the arts. The DP also takes the curriculum a step further through three unique programmes:
- theory of knowledge
- creativity, activity, service
- extended essay.
Theory of knowledge
Theory of knowledge (TOK) is an interdisciplinary requirement unique to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. It encourages students to reflect on the knowledge they gain both inside and outside the classroom.
One hundred hours of classroom time are dedicated to the TOK programme. We challenge our students to question the nature of knowledge across disciplines, to recognise biases and to analyse evidence using rational thought and argument. By making our students consider and appreciate different perspectives, TOK contributes towards a pluralistic outlook.
Creativity, activity, service
Creativity, activity, service (CAS) is an important component of the IB curriculum and is required for every DP student at the Academy. Our students participate actively in a variety of creative endeavours, physical activities and community service projects. They develop self-confidence, teamwork and leadership skills, and a sense of civil responsibility.
Students take part in sustainable projects that have real and lasting effects on the greater Maputo community. They develop strength of character and an understanding of their ability to bring about change.
The CAS programme is valued for its power to transform the lives not only of students but also the people they work with. It serves as a platform for interpersonal exchange, personal growth and greater understanding of the issues we face as a global community.
Extended essay
The extended essay requires students to pick a subject of their choice and research and develop it into a 4,000-word essay. Students may choose to investigate a subject from one of their higher-level courses more deeply. Or they can broaden their academic experience by researching a subject in a field they are not currently studying.
Through the extended essay, we introduce students to the kind of independent research and writing skills expected at the university level.
Career-related Programme
The Academy is a Candidate School* for the Career-related programme.
*Only schools authorised by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorisation will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.
For further information on the IB Diploma Programme at the Academy, please see the admission requirements or contact us.
Harriet Chadwick: Committed to students’ success
Before we enter the 2019 – 2020 academic term, we would like to spotlight a few staff from AKA Mombasa who are going on to pursue new adventures in the upcoming academic year. Here, we take a look at Harriet Chadwick, who worked in the Humanities department, and her time at the Academy.
Harriet Chadwick is from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England and has worked at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa for three years as a Global Politics, Integrated Humanities and Theory of Knowledge teacher.
During her time at the Academy, Harriet said she has had a positive experience in her professional and personal life.
“I have learnt a lot about my subject, the IB Diploma Programme and the Middle Years Programme,” Harriet said. “I have enjoyed living in Mombasa and learning more about the local history and culture. I have also enjoyed some of the supportive relationships I have had with colleagues and support staff.”
As she will move on to new opportunities, Harriet said she will miss many things about the Academy and Mombasa in general.
“I will miss the best students who I have ever worked with; they are kind, hardworking and charming,” Harriet said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the African continent through the curriculum I have taught and developed in both DP and MYP. I will miss the beautiful, tropical sites of Mombasa, such as the palm trees and beaches, minus the sweaty weather.”
As a teacher at the Academy, Harriet said she was able to help students appreciate Humanities with different learning resources.
“In year 7 I have embedded more creative and interactive learning approaches into the curriculum and contributed new resources,” Harriet said. “I have upheld and improved the popularity of Global Politics across the Academy and supported students to achieve their potential in their assessments. Some of the new approaches I have embedded in my DP teaching are to encourage continuous self-reflection, openness and communication from students about problems they are facing, as I believe mentorship is a key ingredient of good teaching, and the importance of collaboration, as opposed to competition, as a way to succeed.”
Although Harriet was teaching the students on how to succeed in Humanities, she said the Academy was also teaching her on how to succeed and become a better teacher.
“The Academy has taught me how to have more confidence in myself as an educator, that teaching involves multiple roles that I have learnt to balance and how to deliver concept-based, rather than content-based learning,” Harriet said. “Moving to another IB school, I will also feel more equipped to deliver the IB programme and I am very grateful to the Academy for providing me with this opportunity to grow.”
Harriet said she will begin a new teaching position that will help her plan her future better. However, she will be dearly missed by her colleagues, according to Susan Abuto, the head of department for the Humanities department.
“Harriet is one of the most passionate teachers I have ever interacted with in all of my teaching life,” Susan said. “She has a strong commitment towards the students and the lessons she has to deliver. She takes a lot of time and consideration into the quality of work she produces, whether it is a write-up, an assessment, a lesson plan or even departmental duties. She works very well with minimal supervision. While observing her lessons, you can see the student engagement and enthusiasm in the lessons. She motivates students to strive for the best they can achieve. To her students she is a darling. She cares about their welfare - feelings, engagement, performance, association, among other things. We will miss this commitment in the department and I know her students will miss her too.”
Shouquot Hussain: encouraging academic and holistic growth at AKA Mombasa
Shouquot Hussain was born and raised in India and has been the Vice Principal of the Diploma Programme (DP) at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa for seven years. He says his time and experience at the Academy have been the best seven years of his life, both professionally and personally. “To put it simply, the experience has been magical, happy, growth-inducing and memorable,” Shouquot says.
Shouquot says he will miss everything about the Academy; its diversity, the relationships he built with students and colleagues and the numerous events he got to be a part of. “I will miss it like I miss home,” Shouquot says. “My son literally grew up here. He was in Year 4 when he came here and has now completed the Middle Years Programme (MYP). In fact in all ways barring the passport, he is more Kenyan than he is Indian. Likewise, I will miss the home I built here – within the campus and without. I will miss the Mombasa vibe, which engulfs you with warmth, not frenzy.”
If there’s one thing the Academy has taught Shouquot, it’s to be respectful and accepting of the differences of others. “There are many ways to be right; I always knew this theoretically as an educator, but I got to really practice it experientially here,” He says.
While at the Academy, Shouquot has contributed to several academic achievements. As a teacher in the English department, the Higher Level English class he taught in 2016 achieved an average of 5.92, the highest to be attained thus far at AKA Mombasa. The English Extended Essay (EE) that he supervised went on to score the highest marks yet in Africa. Furthermore, he initiated the Extended Essay Fair where students could visit subject-specific specialists to better understand the expectations of the EE, discuss possible topics and learn about the resources available to students before beginning their EEs.
However, not all of his achievements were academic. Shouquot has always been a champion of activities that encourage the holistic growth of students beyond the classroom. In 2013 he revived the boys cricket programme in Senior School, which has since won a championship. There is now a girls cricket team too. He also established the annual DP play and supported many other programme and events such as TEDxYouth@AKAMombasa and the annual graduation ceremony among others.
“For the last seven years that I have worked with Shouquot, I have come to know him as a passionate teacher who finds his spark working with students,” says Francis Kariuki, Principal of Senior School. “He is also a compassionate person who has the interest of students and colleagues at heart. As a leader, he is firm and supportive with a strong sense of fairness and justice. He has a spontaneous and fun-loving personality with unmatched love for books and movies. He is generous and always looking for opportunities to bring fun to others. We will miss him in the Senior School leadership team.”
For his next stop, Shouquot will be joining the Beacon Academy, an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Jakarta, Indonesia. There, he will navigate the DP English and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) programmes and introduce DP film studies as a subject. He also says he will support the school reinvent the curriculum design to allow for more experimentation and differentiated pacing with a bigger focus on formative assessments.
Clare McLaughlin: Encouraging growth at the Academy
Before we enter the 2019 – 2020 academic term, we would like to spotlight a few staff from AKA Mombasa who are going on to pursue new adventures in the upcoming academic year. Here, we take a look at Academy fellow Clare McLaughlin and her two years at the Academy.
Clare McLaughlin is from Warren, Vermont and was an Academy fellow at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Clare was focused in the Service Learning programme
and involved in other programmes around the Academy.
During her time at the Academy, Clare said she is grateful for the various people she was able to work with.
“My time at AKA Mombasa has been an incredible opportunity to learn and grow,” Clare said. “Foremost I’ll miss the students who were immeasurably thoughtful, hilarious and motivating. Students were the center of everything I did and valued in my time at the Academy so I’ll miss them the most. I’ll also miss the friendships I’ve made with staff across the Academy - from the Administration block to the dorms - the Academy staff always kept me laughing and learning.”
Clare said she was able to recognise the value of pluralism at the Academy, which she believes will help her in her future.
“I feel fortunate that on each team I worked with, I heard different perspectives and had to challenge myself to see problems and solutions from every angle,” Clare said. “I value this immensely and will carry with me this standard of listening and collaboration.”
Throughout her fellowship, Clare said she enjoyed the opportunities she was given to work on various projects and programmes, while also improving the Service Learning programme for the years to come.
“The best part of the fellowship is its flexibility to try new things, work with an array of groups and interests in the Academy, and propose creative solutions to challenges,” Clare said. “I especially enjoyed serving as a mentor, working on the girls’ football programme, working on the Exchange Programme with the Academy in Hyderabad, and working to make Service Learning more community-centered, effective and sustainable.”
For her next adventure, Clare said she plans to go back to school for her Master’s degree.
“I am attending Stanford University to pursue a Master’s degree looking at education for sustainable development,” Clare said.
George Kamau Gachoya, an Environmental Systems and Societies teacher at the Academy who Clare worked with as a teacher’s assistant, said he admired Clare’s work ethic and the various new ideas she introduced to his class.
“Clare is a diligent and an outspoken person with whom I have had an opportunity to work with in the last two years as my protégé in the ESS class,” George said. “She is meticulous in planning; the resources she prepared for the lessons she helped deliver were always enriching and promoted deeper understanding of concepts. She introduced Freakonomics radio to the class and organised for class discussions initiated by students on hot environment topics of the week that they could pick from the media. She is friendly, but also very firm when dealing with students. Her keen eye could quickly pick students who were not using their lesson time productively.”
Kelvin Njue (Class of 2015): Changing lives through education
“I believe that with education, people have the power to tackle and solve problems that affect their communities,” reflects Kelvin Njue, a graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa.
Upon graduating from the Academy in 2015, Kelvin was unsure if he would be able to pursue higher education until he received an email about the Ontario Tuition Waiver Programme from his university counsellor at the Academy.
“I intended to go to university straight after high school, but I needed to take a gap year so that I could find the means to attend university.”
During his gap year after graduating, he found out about the waiver programme.
“I applied as I knew acquiring a university education would change my life and would open up many other opportunities. Without the tuition waiver programme, I was going to struggle to attend an institution of higher education. It gave me hope and is something that has allowed me to access quality education.”
During his gap year, Kelvin interned at the Diamond Trust Bank in Nairobi, assisting clients with their day-to-day banking needs and providing customers with banking solutions.
Kelvin is currently enrolled in the faculty of arts and science at the University of Toronto, aspiring to complete the financial economics (specialist) programme with a minor in employment relations. Kelvin shares his love for economics.
“I have always had an interest in economics and have wanted to study it since high school. I wanted to find a job during my gap year that would allow me to apply concepts in economics. I felt that working in the bank aligned with both my academic and career aspirations.”
In his first year of university, Kelvin was enrolled in economics, mathematics and sociology courses, of which sociology has been his favourite.
“I am really enjoying looking at social inequality and social institutions and how society functions. It ties into economics really well and how society works in different ways.”
When Kelvin is not studying, he spends his time playing intramural volleyball, playing drums with students from his dormitory and exploring Toronto. For Kelvin, one of the biggest adjustments he had to deal with in his move to Canada was the weather.
“I have been away from my family for many years attending school, so that wasn’t as difficult for me. The hardest thing for me was getting adjusted to the weather in Canada.”
Kelvin has embraced the cold winters in Canada, learning to ice skate this past winter. Kelvin is hoping to become more involved with extracurricular activities offered by the University of Toronto next year.
“For next year, I would like to join the Business Board on the University of Toronto governing council board. The opportunity allows members to manage different business activities that take place around the university and I am very interested in this. I also want to explore different sports next year and would like to join intramural teams.”
One of Kelvin’s passions that began to cultivate throughout his time at the Academy is ensuring that all people have access to a quality education.
“Because I have had so much support from the Academy and different programmes that helped to finance my own academics, I would also like to give this opportunity to other children to get the same quality of education that I have been able to acquire. I want to start up an organisation or programme that can offer financial support or scholarships for students so that they can also attend school and get an education.”
During his time at the Academy, Kelvin was able to visit a slum in Nairobi and worked with students from Grades 1 to 6 for a six-week period, partnering with the Aga Khan Foundation to distribute reading materials, books, pencils and bags to students living in the community. Kelvin attributes his passion for wanting to make a change in the world to his time at the Academy.
“I think the Academy was able to give me self-confidence and motivated me to believe that I am an agent of change in making the world a better place and that I should always take every opportunity to make a change, no matter how big or small it is."
By Karina Hussein
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth in a network of Aga Khan Academies being established in countries across Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East. The first Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, the second in Hyderabad, India in 2011 and the third in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013.
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Admission is competitive and based on student merit, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Each Academy endeavours to meet the demonstrated financial need of each admitted student.
When complete, the network of Academies will form a global learning community of approximately 18 schools in 14 countries (map). They will eventually serve approximately 14,000 girls and boys of exceptional calibre, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
Aga Khan Curricular Strands
The Aga Khan Curricular Strands (AK Strands) are a unique part of the programme offered by the Aga Khan Academies. The AK Strands are areas of learning aimed specifically at developing knowledge, skills and attitudes required by future leaders.
Our goal at the Academies is to develop young people who have strong local roots and are also globally minded. They should be able to become leaders in whichever fields they choose.
To help achieve this goal, we have identified five areas of learning, the Aga Khan Curricular Strands, that we believe are important for our students. These are:
- Ethics
- Pluralism
- Cultures (with an emphasis on Muslim civilisations)
- Governance and Civil Society
- Economics for Development.
Implementing the AK Strands
The Aga Khan Curricular Strands are not taught as independent subjects. Instead, we weave them into the existing subject areas of the academic curriculum. They help inform the selection of content and themes for study. The AK Strands also provide direction for school life outside the classroom in areas such as policy making, recruitment, student life and residential life.
Two of the AK Strands, Ethics and Pluralism, help students develop values and dispositions required by ethical leaders. Our students learn about these areas in theory and are also encouraged to practice what they learn in their everyday lives.
Through the other three AK Strands, our students learn about ideas that are important to the functioning of societies. In particular, they learn about how these ideas impact people’s lives in countries of the developing world. The knowledge they gain helps them understand key issues from both local and international perspectives.
The AK Strands in practice
The Aga Khan Curricular Strands were developed at the first Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa and are designed to be used in different cultural contexts. Teachers from the Aga Khan Academy Maputo help tailor the AK Strands for the local environment in Mozambique.
Through the Aga Khan Curricular Strands, our students develop attitudes and values that will help them throughout their lives. They also gain knowledge and understanding that will allow them to contribute positively to their societies in the future.
For more information on the educational programme offered at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo, please visit the Academic Programme page.
