Dzaleka CDSS is ran by Jesuit Refugee Services, who on this day were represented by their Schools Coordinator, Yamiko Kawale. Also present was the Deputy Headteacher, Jean Mvuthe
I stand before you today, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of Unicaf University, who is unable to be here himself, due to other equally important matters. There are two purposes for my speech today. The first purpose is to thank you for the essays you wrote and the stories you told in those essays. The second purpose is to encourage you to keep telling and writing your stories as a way of imagining the future we want, a future based on the values of Ubuntu.
I will first say a few things about myself, before turning to what I loved about the three essays that won. I will then speak about the importance of education in your lives in imagining the future we want for ourselves and for the world. I will conclude by encouraging you to continue reading, writing and imagining a better world; a world which values the philosophy of Ubuntu.
My name is Steve Sharra, and I am an Associate Professor of Education at Unicaf University. I share something with you the students and the teachers here. When I was in secondary school, my biggest desire was to become a creative writer. I started writing when I was in Form 2, and have continued to this day. When I finished my Form Four, I went to Lilongwe Teachers College, where I trained to become a primary school teacher. So I became both a writer/storyteller, and also a teacher. These two preoccupations continue to define who I am to this day.
When I read the three stories that won the essay writing competition, my mind went back to my secondary school days. In your stories, I saw the unmistakable power of reflection on the present state of the world, as seen through the eyes of secondary school students. I heard the deep desire to help solve today’s social, political and cultural problems. I felt the honest, personal conversations with the future in both its past and present forms, and the uncertainty that hangs over our lives today. I also sensed, in the stories, the value of Ubuntu which defines who we are. We are, because of others. In Ubuntu we say “You are, therefore I am.” Which means our main purpose in this world is to help others. That is how we will create a better world without war, violence, poverty, and suffering.
The stories you wrote show that you the students of Dzaleka CDSS, who are the youth of Dzaleka Refugee Camp and the villages that surround it, have a lot of talent, and a lot of concern about the problems in the community, in the country, and in the world. The stories also demonstrate the passion you have about solving the problems of today and creating a better tomorrow.
Dzaleka Refugee Camp has many stories to tell, some painful, and some beautiful. I was here at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in November 2021, for the Tumaini Festival. It was my first time attending the festival, whose very name, Tumaini means “hope”. I met Tresor Mpauni, the founder of the festival, and took a picture with him. What Tresor has achieved with the Tumaini Festival teaches us a lesson in hope. A lesson that with hope, our current problems should not define our future.
There are many other beautiful stories from Dzaleka Refugee Camp, and from Dzaleka CDSS. In October 2021, Dzaleka CDSS won the National Schools Science Fair, held at Kamuzu Academy. Over 40 schools participated, including some of the best and most expensive schools in Malawi. Dzaleka CDSS beat them all and won this competition. We heard about Justin Waka, who was in Form 3 here at the time. Justin developed software that can reduce traffic accidents, a fascinating invention that should make a huge difference on the roads of the country.
While in the headteacher’s office this morning, we saw all those trophies you have won in the last few years; beating all the schools in the country in science, agriculture, and French. Congratulations for all these achievements.
And to prepare for that future, as the stories you wrote indicate, education is very important. The school you are attending is a place that should give you hope for tomorrow, because education is the best preparation for the future.
I would like to conclude by encouraging you to continue seeking further education, to continue reading, to continue writing, and to continue being hopeful for a better tomorrow. A tomorrow based on the values of Ubuntu and helping others.
Thank you very much!
