Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzania's economy. Contributing roughly 30% of the country's GDP, the agriculture sector sustains the livelihood of about 65% of the population who depends on it directly and indirectly. This is why farming is an important part of the culture and widely celebrated by Tanzanians, especially on Farmer's Day, more popularly known by its Kiswahili name, "Nane Nane."
Etymology
Nane Nane [Nah-nay Nah-nay]
Noun
The word Nane Nane is of Kiswahili origin, Tanzania's national language. The word "Nane" means "eight" in Kiswahili; thus, the term, in English, means "eight eight."
The name of this national holiday is a direct reference to the date when it is held, on every 8th of August (the eighth month). The celebrations also take eight days as agricultural fairs are organised in key locations nationwide from August 1 onwards and culminating on the day of the national holiday.
History
Nane Nane Day dates back to the early years of Tanzanian independence in 1961. It started as a small-scale farmers' celebration in rural areas, growing over the years to become a national event. The Tanzanian government officially recognised Nane Nane as a public holiday in the 1990s.
Activities
Nane Nane celebrations are marked by agricultural exhibitions with farmers, agricultural experts, and other stakeholders showcasing their products, innovations, and technologies. These exhibitions are held in various regional centres across the country, with the largest typically being in Dodoma, Tanzania's capital city. In Arusha, the place where the exhibition grounds for Farmers' Day are located, has become popularly known as Nane Nane.
At St Jude's Secondary School, Smith Campus is a plot of land commonly called the school shamba (shamba means farm in Kiswahili). It's one of the most beautiful places on campus, thriving year-round with fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock. The shamba also serves as a practical learning ground for our students' agriculture lessons and a source of nutritious, homegrown food for the school.
Although the farm is confined within the school walls, it has recently become a new outlet for St Jude's kindness, extending its benefits into the wider community.
"One of the common community outreach activities at school is volunteering to assist at local orphanages during weekends," explains Zuberi, a student at St Jude's Secondary School. "After doing this for a while, two of our schoolmates came up with a brilliant idea to go the extra mile," he adds.
The pair, inspired to make a more tangible impact, conceived an initiative to cultivate vegetables at the school shamba and donate the harvest to special groups of people within the community.
The proposal was well received by the school, and a small piece of land was allocated to the group. Soon, word started spreading around campus, attracting other students to join the initiative.
"I was one of the first volunteers to join the group," recounts Zuberi. "We immediately set to work, dedicating our spare time to bring the project to fruition," he adds.
The group comprises members from different year levels working in rotations, ensuring the farm is not neglected despite their busy schedules throughout the week. The group members consistently dedicate several hours to tending their vegetable garden on weekends and after-school hours. No wonder the farm yields bountiful harvests.
"Everyone is supportive, generously sacrificing their free time and effort for a cause," says Zuberi passionately. "It is truly the spirit of St Jude's in action," he adds. One of the active members of the group is Jastini, a St Jude's student particularly interested in agriculture and supporting children. Jastini comes from an agricultural background and loved farming from a young age. So, when he came across the initiative that supports the less fortunate through the school shamba, he quickly jumped at the opportunity.
"It's one of those activities that I look forward to whenever I have a few minutes to spare," says Jastini with a smile. "The fact that I get to do something that I enjoy and still impact others is enough motivation for me," he adds.
Though the group is only several months old, they have already harvested over 200 kg of vegetables, most of them going to orphanage centres around Arusha, with the rest supplementing the nutritional needs of students on special diets at school. On their last outing, the group donated fresh vegetables to a nearby orphanage centre in addition to assisting with manual tasks and playing with children.
"Our aim is to help the centres offset their operating costs for food while providing children with essential nutrients for their growth," explains Jastini. "Knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of the children at these orphanages makes all our efforts worth it," he adds passionately.
The St Jude's Spirit Program is a movement that unites our community in performing acts of service anchored on the school values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Kindness. Through this program, we celebrate and share stories of people who go above and beyond to help nurture Tanzania's future moral and intellectual leaders.
As part of the wider St Jude's community, we invite you to unite with our students, their families, staff, and alumni in the spirit of giving.
mahafali /mah-hah-fah-lee/ noun
Definition
"Mahafali" is a Kiswahili word that means "graduation" in English. It typically refers to a gathering of people to celebrate an achievement, often related to education.
"Mahafali" is of Arabic origin, derived from "Mahfal," which means "gathering" or "assembly." The adoption of this word into Kiswahili highlights the historical influence of Arabic on the language, particularly due to trade and cultural exchanges along the East African coast in the 8th to 19th centuries.
The use of "mahafali" in Kiswahili aligns with the cultural importance of educational milestones and the ceremonies associated with them. It signifies the completion of academic requirements and a communal celebration of achievement and progress.
It’s a chilly April morning at St Jude’s Smith Campus. There are no classes today. Instead, the campus transformed into a vibrant hub of innovation, the halls filled with tables displaying a huge variety of incredible work from the students. Over in the school’s dining hall, visitors, staff, students, guests, and even a local news station gather for the official opening of St Jude’s 13th Annual Science Day.
“Today is a special day that brings together our entire community to celebrate innovation and creativity,” says Mr Tsingay, St Jude’s Secondary School Headmaster in his opening speech. “Over 50% of our secondary school students are pursuing science subjects. Today, we will see first-hand how they turn their ideas into solutions,” he adds.
Following the opening ceremony, Mr Tsingay invited everyone to explore the diverse projects and engage with the innovators. Projects included generating electricity out of potatoes, an automatic earthquake sensor, a solar-powered mower, a vacuum cleaner, and even a clever mouse trap from St Jude’s primary school students.
“What do you do with your bar of soap when it gets too small?” asks Marko, pitching his soap recycling prototype. “The most common solution is to simply throw it away. But we have developed a soap recycling machine that could save you on resources and money while conserving the environment,” he adds.
Marko then proceeds to demonstrate how his prototype works, which involves grinding the soap leftovers, followed by boiling, chemical disinfection, and eventually cooling the final product into a ‘new’ bar of soap.
Since the first Science Day 13 years ago, students have set the bar higher and higher, coming up with innovative and creative solutions to challenges that they or their communities encounter in real life. At this year’s Science Day, students have capitalised on the rise of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop customised and highly efficient prototypes.
One such project is the “Bean Sorting Machine” designed to reduce workload for farmers by automating the painstaking process of sorting and cleaning crops.
“One of the biggest challenges for farmers is maintaining the quality of their products through an efficient and consistent sorting process,” says Veronica, one of the innovators of the project. To address the challenge, Veronica and her team designed and built a machine that could efficiently sort up to 150 kilograms in an hour.
“Potential updates to our machine include incorporating AI and laser technology to improve its efficiency in removing impurities,” explains Veronica.
Another highlight of the day was the creative application of art in conserving the environment through the recycling and reusing of waste products. Students turned discarded plastics, worn-out clothes, and even wood scraps into decorative items in a beautiful “trash-to-treasure” display.
The Science Day is a platform from which our students demonstrate their keen understanding of science principles to address problems they see around them, and we have seen outstanding ideas emerge from this school event over the years. This year’s Science Day was partly sponsored by Edgar, an award-winning St Jude alum and founder of a start-up that recycles plastic waste into useful construction materials. Edgar showcased his prototype of plastic bricks at a St Jude’s Science Day as a student and continued to refine his idea to eventually launch his own company.
“When we started the Science Day competition 13 years ago, most projects were just made out of wood and glass” reflects Mr Mcharo, St Jude’s Academic Senior Manager. “Today, our students are demonstrating working models and turning their ideas to businesses. It’s a testament to the power of innovation and the opportunities brought alive by St Jude’s holistic approach to education,” he adds proudly.
One of the most enduring cultures at St Jude’s is the spirit of compassion and helping those in need. Throughout the year, students and staff support the community in various ways.
“Every other weekend, our students are out volunteering at an orphanage, cleaning the marketplace, or sharing their skills and knowledge with students from neighbouring schools,” says Focus, a staff and mentor of Interact Club at the school.
This year, St Jude’s launched another impactful initiative to support the community, particularly patients in need of blood transfusion. In March, the school introduced a bi-annual blood donation drive for eligible staff and students to voluntarily participate.
“We saw the need to step in and help local hospitals around our communities replenish their blood banks,” says Irene, who helped organise a recent blood drive at St Jude’s. “From medical emergencies and accidents, to supporting mothers during childbirths, our hospitals could always use the extra blood units,” she adds.
The first round saw 81 volunteers, including students at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School and staff participate in the blood drive. The turnout was so good that it earned St Jude’s special recognition from Arusha’s largest referral hospital as the biggest blood donation drive by a single institution in its history.
“It was a pleasant surprise,” says Irene excitedly. “We only had a few weeks to organise the drive and had initially estimated the blood drive to only take a few hours. In the end, it lasted the entire day! It was wonderful to see the St Jude’s community coming together once again in support of such an impactful program,” she adds.
The blood donation drive was a collaborative effort between St Jude's welfare and academic teams, with support from Arusha's biggest referral hospital.
"We wanted to ensure that the drive was organised efficiently," says Irene. “The hospital helped organise an information session for our students and staff ahead of the drive and the school arranged a special lunch for everyone who donated their blood,” she adds.
Fatuma, one of the talented hosts of our monthly podcast, was one of the 63 students at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School who participated in the blood drive. Beyond the podcast, she is an incredible athlete aspiring to become a P.E. teacher and understands the importance of donating blood in saving lives.
“I first learned from my sister, who is a nurse, that blood can be used to help people, particularly mothers during childbirth,” says Fatuma. “So when this opportunity arrived, I immediately volunteered,” she adds excitedly.
It’s also quite fitting that the record-setting blood drive happened at St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School during a month dedicated to celebrating women. Soon, St Jude’s will conduct another blood drive at Smith Campus and continue supporting local hospitals with extra blood. It’s part of a new tradition at St Jude’s where students and staff unite to save lives.
One of the most coveted opportunities at St Jude’s is a chance to serve in the school government. Every year, students across St Jude’s three campuses contest for a spot in one of the many leadership roles within the student government.
“You need to be influential to stand a chance to win,” says Long'ida, the newly elected Student Government Chairperson at St Jude’s Secondary School. “This means developing a relatable personal brand among your schoolmates and having strong interpersonal and people skills to earn their trust,” he adds.
Long’ida joined St Jude’s 12 years ago as a Standard 1 student. He had never imagined that he would rise to become the chairperson of the student government one day. In spite of his calm and composed personality, he demonstrated strong personal values and leadership skills that gradually caught the attention of his peers and teachers.
“I was appointed as a Table Leader a few years ago,” recalls Long’ida. “At the outset, it looked like a fairly easy task but it’s amazing how simple responsibilities shape you as a person. Through this role, I learned invaluable lessons of patience, empathy, management, and even conflict resolution,” he adds.
This experience opened new opportunities for him within the school. He has since served as a Level Coordinator, a Dormitory Leader, and ultimately the Student Government Chairperson, the highest position in the student government.
Along with Long’ida is Vivian, St Jude’s Student Vice Government Chairperson. Unlike Long’ida, Vivian discovered her flair for leadership at an early stage and has held various positions since joining St Jude’s 11 years ago.
“I think being a leader makes you understand yourself better,” reflects Vivian. “My perspective and attitude have improved over the years of my leadership experience. For instance, I no longer see problems as challenges anymore but opportunities for growth,” says Vivian.
In addition to the personal growth she gained through leadership, Vivian has also benefited from St Jude’s extensive resources and support. Regular training sessions and access to a wealth of resources, such as the school library and computer rooms, contribute significantly to students' development as leaders.
In spite of her responsibilities, Vivian is charming and outgoing. She enjoys playing netball and decorating. In her free time, she practises poetry and reads inspirational books at the school library.
“I approach life one step at a time,” says Vivian. “My dream is to use all the experience and skills that I have to help my country and community,” she adds.
At St Jude’s, the Student Government enables aspiring leaders to develop their skills and personal attributes. It instils the spirit of solidarity and cooperation on campus whilst nurturing the future leaders of Tanzania.
