Service Learning

From an early age, our students learn to care about the people and environment around them. They put their theoretical learning into practice through sustainable work on local community projects, whether partnering with local organisations, working with branches of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) or initiating their own projects.

Community Outreach

Core to the vision and mission of the Aga Khan Academies is that students should be developed in terms of their values of giving back and contributing to the communities in which they live. This short film follows a group of students from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, who formed the group STEM for Growth to mentor younger students at a local school and help them gain higher achievement levels and greater confidence through hands-on experiments and activities.

Exploring New Perspectives

“As part of our service learning initiative, we taught students at Anexa School, a public school in Matola, Mozambique, how to use laptops and programmes like Microsoft Word for learning. Although my classmates and I were the teachers, we also learnt about the different features of Microsoft Word and explored strategies to make our lessons engaging.

The best part was connecting with the students. Soon, we all felt comfortable with each other and the students started asking us questions, which made the teaching process a lot more successful. Through this experience, I gained confidence and a new perspective on the world. Seeing the effort Anexa students put into showing up and learning made me appreciate the high quality education I receive at AKA Maputo. I also got to understand what it means to be a teacher and all of the hard work that goes into it.”

Marie-Claude Bonaventure Simbine, Grade 8, AKA Maputo

Stepping Into the Teacher’s Shoes

“I participated in a Service Learning project where my classmates and I taught English to students at Anexa School, a public school in Matola, Mozambique. With our teachers’ guidance, we created lesson plans with games and interactive activities. We worked in pairs, switching roles each weekend between the teacher, who prepared the lesson, and the assistant, who helped deliver it.

From the start, I was excited to step into a teacher’s role, give my best and learn from my students. I discovered the many steps involved in teaching, from planning to achieving goals. Managing the class and ensuring everyone participated was challenging at first, but I improved over time.

This project taught me that our differences make us stronger. It helped me understand teachers’ responsibilities, develop new methods and grow through an exchange of knowledge and skills.”

Chelsea Pascoal, Grade 8, AKA Maputo

“Through this experience, I gained confidence and a new perspective on the world. Seeing the effort Anexa students put into showing up and learning made me appreciate the high-quality education I receive at AKA Maputo.”

Marie-Claude Bonaventure Simbine

Grade 8, AKA Maputo

Service Learning in Action

Raphael Mwachiti: Using technology to advance the community

Since joining AKA Mombasa on a full scholarship in 2015, Raphael Mwachiti has turned opportunity into impact. From winning a Ryerson innovation prize to teaching tech skills and sustainable farming in his hometown, he combines learning with service.