At the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Ham Serunjogi – CEO and co-founder of African fintech giant Chipper Cash – realised the importance of staying connected to something larger than himself. The Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree is now serving as an advisor to the US President on African diaspora engagement.
Nanjiba Sayara: Teaching students in Bangladesh to recycle plastic
My name is Nanjiba Sayara and I’m currently studying in grade 10 at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. I am from Dhaka, Bangladesh and this is my second year at the Academy. As a student here, I am able to access endless opportunities to explore myself, and have learnt the importance of being open-minded and caring towards all communities. I think it is our responsibility to support the less fortunate around us, and I aspire to be a social worker and establish my own NGO in the future. However, I didn’t want to wait until I was older to begin helping people. I wanted to start now.
My desire was realised through the grade 10 International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) personal project, a community project that focuses on service learning through practical exploration and a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. As part of my personal project, I went to a village school in Bangladesh where I taught a group of about 20 students how to recycle plastic bottles, and the importance of such an activity. I chose to focus on this, because recycling plastic is needed to keep our environment safe and it’s a fun activity that would keep the students interested. Please click here to see a video of my experience at the village school.
I was privileged to work with those students, as they were very enthusiastic to learn and contribute. Spending one day with children from different backgrounds made me a better communicator. My parents and I have always believed that extracurricular activities are as important as academics because they contribute to being a balanced individual. I am happy to have done this activity at the village school because it made learning enjoyable and therefore memorable.
The IB MYP personal project was challenging, educational and exciting. My parents always ask me to share my happiness and knowledge with others because it might brighten up someone’s day. I believe my session at the village school accomplished this, so I wish to continue sharing my knowledge, what I have learned and will continue to learn, with my society.
AKA Alumni - Welcome to our Potential Mentors
The Aga Khan Academies is looking to enhance its offerings to its graduates, in an effort to improve communication and aid these individuals as they launch into the working world. As a result, The Aga Khan Academies invites you to be part of the inaugural career mentorship initiative. It is through this one-on-one mentorship programme that we hope to connect AKA mentees (graduates) with professional mentors (alumni/other professionals). We would like for students to be able to do the following with a mentor:
- Discuss potential career choices/moves.
- Get experience that complements and gives them context to their academic pursuits.
- Practice industry-specific, transferable & self-management skills.
- Guidance to improve chances of landing jobs.
- Increase self-awareness and understanding of how to contribute to the work world.
- Expand career options by learning job search strategies.
- Exchange knowledge, insights, and experience with a mentor.
The career mentorship program would run a year in cycle, with an opportunity to renew your capacity as a mentor, if you so desire. In order to make the appropriate career matches, and understand your availability and commitment, we have a few questions to help us with the pairing process.
We ask that you kindly fill out the information request in this form (click here) 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!
AKA Alumni Office
Meet Our School Community
The students, faculty and parents of the Aga Khan Academy are a socially conscious group of people committed to the development of their communities, their nation and civil society in the world at large. They understand that knowledge is a lifelong process of inquiry that leads to intellectual and personal growth. In this section we offer vignettes of members of the Academy family who are driven by the common goal of making a positive contribution to their society.
View spotlights on:
Samson Suhas – swimming to a better life
“I came to this school searching for better opportunities and better facilities through which I can improve in sports and excel in music and studies,” says Samson. “I didn’t have these opportunities in my previous school and didn’t get a chance to play any sport.”
Samson Suhas Srungarapti, a grade 10 student at the Academy and a professional swimmer, represented Rangareddy district at the 2nd Telangana State Winter Aquatic Championship held in Khammam district in December 2016. He came away with the bronze medal in 100mts free style and a renewed desire to participate in not just regional, but national swimming tournaments. This was the first time he had participated in a state tournament.
“I want to be an Olympic swimmer. I want to win medals in Olympics for India. And alternatively, I love music and would like to be a music director or a music teacher in the future,” expresses Samson, who trains at the Academy pool for four hours a day when school is on, and six during holidays. “My father is my coach and my role model. He is my inspiration for choosing sports as my career. Without his support and commitment, I wouldn’t have achieved as much as I have in my swimming career from when I started in December 2015 till today.”
Samson has joined a swimming club for extra support and to get his know his competition better. When he is not training, he enjoys playing football with his peers, and remembers the moment the school team won the interschool football tournament as one of the most rewarding experiences at school. His favourite subject is Mathematics, because he loves the challenge of solving a tough problem. Besides swimming, music is his other great love.
“I find the Aga Khan Academy very balanced in giving opportunities for students to develop their skills in academics as well as sports, and that is the most unique thing about this school.”
Samson feels confident of participating at a national level in 2017, and determined to continue working hard on his speed, endurance, and agility even if it involves longer training hours. He has his eyes set on the international swimming circuit, and we wish him all the very best!
Jimnah Kimani David: Promoting diversity through sports
“I think one of the biggest assets the Academy has is the diverse cultural background in the student body. Having players coming from all over the world from so many walks of life adds a unique element to playing as a team.”
Coach Jimnah Kimani At the Aga Khan Academy (AKA) Mombasa, Jimnah Kimani David wears a lot of different hats. He is the administrative assistant to the vice principal Diploma Progamme, the assistant sports coordinator, as well as a year 6 mentor. However, he is probably best known on campus in his capacity as the open boys’ basketball team coach.
Early in his life, Jimnah had never planned to coach a high school basketball team. “I was originally going to go into accounting,” he said. “I later realised I wanted to work with people, and more importantly, with children, which is why I decided to go into education.”
However, he was not entirely inexperienced in his capacity as a basketball coach. Before he graduated in 1999, Jimnah had already begun helping out his high school basketball coach at Mombasa Baptist High School. He was initially taken on as an informal translator for their Texan coach, Stan Littleford, but he quickly became a valuable mentor and role model for the younger players on the team. From then, he grew from strength to strength, eventually leading his team to win two national titles as a player, and one as a coach in 2007.
His stellar coaching skills did not go unnoticed. In the 2012–2013 off-season, Jimnah was approached to take on a role coaching the AKA Mombasa open boys’ basketball team. “I felt I had proven myself as a coach with Mombasa Baptist. But they are an established, well-known basketball school. I relished the challenge of taking on a fresh team and starting with them from scratch.”
Jimnah joined the Academy in August 2012. He had learned about the school from his brother Charles Mwangi Waweru, who attended the Academy and graduated in 2009. “What drew me to the institution was the commitment the Academy had to providing facilities for excellent education to students from all backgrounds,” he reflects.
Coach Jimnah Kimani (far right) with the AKA Mombasa open boys' basketball teamAs a coach at the Academy, he took an eclectic team of inexperienced players and whipped them into shape to become regional champions. Some of his students had never played the game before, but under Coach Kimani’s tutelage and grueling training, they have grown to work as a team and be viewed as contenders on a national stage against teams from schools with long careers in basketball prestige.
However, Jimnah is quick to acknowledge what this position has meant for him. “My time at the Academy has been very rewarding, especially with regard to my own self-management and personal growth.” Indeed, juggling so many responsibilities and within such different arenas of school life has made Jimnah a great role model for the holistic development encouraged in the students. His incredible feat of beating his own five-year plan for the basketball team and having them crowned regional champions after three years at the Academy speaks volumes about his commitment to the team.
Jimnah is currently pursuing a qualification in physical health education from Kenyatta University. He has completed one year of his course online and is looking forward to gaining his degree as well as building his work experience while he continues to work at the Academy.
By Sarra Sheikh
Kashyap Gohel (Class of 2011): Providing solutions to improve the world
"In developed countries many good ideas are funded while great ideas in developing countries are missed out on. I would focus on education and provide forums on creativity and innovation that listen to everyone’s ideas. This would go a long way to improving the planet," says Kashyap Pravin Gohel, a graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, when asked what he would focus on to improve the lives of people if he had all the resources at his disposal.
Kashyap Gohel has been pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture programme at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya since graduating from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in 2011. "My top marks at the Aga Khan Academy earned me a government scholarship which is about 85% of the annual fees for my architecture course of six years," says Kashyap very proudly. He expects to graduate from JKUAT in June 2017.
"I think the main values the Academy instilled in me were positive attitude, time management, assertiveness, competitive spirit and self-confidence. These are values that I apply on a day-to-day basis to form the foundation of a successful career in art, product design and architecture," Kashyap says confidently. He also adds that the confidence that his skill set gives him takes him further than most in trying challenging and new projects in his field. With this experience in mind he says, "I am sure I shall be quite a pioneer in creating world-changing ideas."
Kashyap believes the coursework at his university and his time management are going smoothly due to the intense training at the Aga Khan Academy. "Coming from the Academy, I believe it set me a level ahead of others, enabling me to go further than my fellow students." He also values the International Baccalaureate curriculum. "It is the only system that I know of that makes it possible for one to develop holistically. One does not just learn academics, but also extracurricular activities, leadership skills, developing talents and solving community problems," he says emphatically.
Since graduating from the Aga Khan Academy, Kashyap has participated in many major events and activities that have brought him recognition and accolades. He was a winner of the Perstorp Open Innovation Challenge 2016 in Sweden which involved submitting ideas on making, repairing and remolding furniture into new shapes and designs rather than disposing of used or broken pieces in landfills. Kashyap has also won the Disruption by Design Award for architectural design in 2015. Other accomplishments include being awarded a tender to create a 14-foot-tall carving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya in 2014 and winning the first round of the Thought for Food Challenge 2013 – an annual competition that challenges university students to develop an innovative solution to improve food security. He also won an international graphic design contest for an Irish boat-making company and has displayed his artwork at Diani Beach Art gallery, Tazama Art Gallery and Kenya Art Fair.
Kashyap was also nominated and sponsored to attend the One Young World conferences in Pittsburgh, USA in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013. These summits gather the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections and develop solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.
Kashyap is particularly proud of his first community service project, called Project Desert Farms. He designed this as an architectural solution to help communities on the coast to filter ocean water, obtain housing and food, and reduce deforestation. This project was selected as a finalist project from a worldwide participation of 140 teams, and the only one in Africa that made it to the Thought for Food Global Summit in Berlin, Germany.
While at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and after graduating in 2011, Kashyap has been actively involved in many projects and volunteer activities and has also worked for the Academy and other companies in his field. In 2011 he worked with planning and construction management at the Aga Khan Academy. He also volunteered there as a theatre teacher for years 7–10 in 2012 and was involved in the design of two of the Academy’s residential blocks.
Kashyap's most unforgettable experience at the Academy was being a dorm captain in the residential programme. "One of the things I miss about the Academy is the organisation…[and the] efficient order in the way it operates," he comments. Another thing he misses about the Academy is the facilities. "It’s only after leaving the Academy that you appreciate the constant high speed Wi-Fi, adequate number of desks and chairs for students, high-class sports facilities and equipment, and most of all the great ocean climate and friendly people. As they say, nothing beats home," Kashyap reminisces nostalgically.
Videos
The videos below provide more information about the Academies and glimpses into student endeavours at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa.
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Videos
The videos below provide more information about the Academies and glimpses into student life at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
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Videos
The videos below provide more information about the Aga Khan Academy Maputo and the Aga Khan Academies programme.
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Videos
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo: From Vision to Reality (Portuguese subtitles)
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is committed to developing future leaders by delivering Excellence in Education. We offer merit-based admission to our International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at our purpose-built world-class campus in Maputo, Mozambique. Watch our newly released video to learn more about our unique offering.
A better world through education: The Aga Khan Academies
The International Baccalaureate featured the Aga Khan Academies and our approach to creating home-grown leaders as part of their 50th anniversary commemoration. Watch to learn how the Academies work to transform the communities in which they are located.
Spotlight: Abdirahman Ibrahim
This is Abdirahman, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. During his time at the Academy, he explored his wide-ranging abilities and developed an initiative that helped change the lives of young girls in Mombasa.
Spotlight: Abdalla Ahmed Mahmud
Meet Abdalla, a Somali student from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. He shares his journey of self-discovery: Abdalla solidified his multiple identities, fostered his strengths, and created positive social change during his years at the Academy.
International Women's Day 2018
Women and girls are strong, fearless, courageous, limitless, and powerful. The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad celebrated International Women's Day on 8 March 2018 with this video.
Children Dare to Dream Big
Video by AFD – Agence Française de Développement about how children at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo "Dare to Dream Big" in their new school facilities. The Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, Mozambique has been growing since it opened its doors in 2013. The second phase extension was completed in early 2018 and included bigger classrooms, extended outdoor play areas, a library, an art room and a science lab.
Spotlight: Mercy Muthui
This is Mercy, a teacher at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa who joined through the Teacher Preparation Programme. Mercy fosters profound and meaningful relationships with everyone around her and consistently encourages her students to be the best versions of themselves.
Sadiq Issa: Video spotlight
Meet Sadiq, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Open-mindedness, confidence and time management are some of the many characteristics he has developed at the Academy that will help him achieve his dream of becoming a journalist.
Saumya Gupta: Video spotlight
Meet Saumya, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. A musician and a leader, she shares her wisdom on what it means to make a true positive impact.
Ivy Akinyi: Video spotlight
Introducing Ivy, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Her innate drive for self-growth and desire to give back to the community makes her a true home-grown leader.
Felix Ngumo: Video spotlight
Meet Felix, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. With a keen early interest in science, he shares his dreams for the future and explains how the Academies have helped foster his ambitions.
Stephen Githakwa: Video spotlight
This is Stephen, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. His passion for community service shines as he expresses the growth in perspective he experienced through his education at the Academy.
Aga Khan Academy Mombasa Junior School
A day at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa's Junior School, seen through the eyes of the students.
IB MYP film
Students and teachers from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad are featured in this film from the International Baccalaureate about the Middle Years Programme.
IB MYP – service
This film by the International Baccalaureate highlights the impact being made by students from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad through a service initiative at a local government school.
AKA Maputo construction July 2017
July 2017 video showing progress on the construction of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo's campus.
Aga Khan Academies: Developing leaders
The aim of the Aga Khan Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. The Academies achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Ethical, effective, pluralistic: The Aga Khan Academies
The Aga Khan Academies are a global network of schools that produce future leaders who are ethical, effective and pluralistic.
