ProjeKt Inspire Tanzania
Commonwealth Point of Light 127. Lwidiko Edward Mhamilawa
Lwidiko Edward Mhamilawa, representing Tanzania, is the co-founder of ‘ProjeKt Inspire’ which has introduced a child-centred approach to learning STEM subjects, reaching almost 20,000 schoolchildren.
Lwidiko and his team of 50 volunteers run bootcamps, workshops, and mentoring programmes to encourage children into science and the charity has positively changed the learning paradigm for students and teachers nationally.
Sarah Cooke, UK High Commissioner in Tanzania, said:
“I am delighted Lwidiko has won the Commonwealth Points of Lights award, he has done fantastic job in inspiring the young Tanzanians to be interested in STEM subjects. His work with ‘Projekt Inspire’ and ‘Next Einstein Forum’ will create a generation of innovative thinkers who will contribute to Tanzania’s development.”
Lwidiko said:
“It is with a heart full of gratitude that I accept the recognition by Commonwealth Points of Light Award, what a way to start 2020!
“For more than five years, myself and other passionate volunteers at ‘ProjeKt Inspire’ have been working hard to contribute to improving the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) to young people in Tanzania. Our vision is to create a generation that sees the value of STEAM education in the development of the nation, so that they become meaningful contributors to the same. Over the years, we have reached more than 9,000 children aged between 3 and 14 years and provided them a platform to explore science and get inspired by hands-on learning through our ‘Rising STEAM Stars’ program. Through our ‘Annual STEM Youth Boot’ camps, young innovators from secondary schools all over Tanzania are given mentorship, career guidance and are exposed to project-based integrated learning, which gives them an opportunity to apply what they learn in school in solving community problems. Now we are en route to creating science centres around the country, and we will start in Tanga through support from ‘Foundation Botnar’.
“I would like to express gratitude to all our supporters who believed in the vision of ‘ProjeKt Inspire’ since its infancy and supported it either from their pockets as individuals or through their CSR budgets. I call upon entities that are interested in supporting the young people in STEM education, to join hands with us, as we play our role as ordinary citizens supporting our government, volunteering in creating a better Tanzania and eventually Africa #SayansiTanzania.”