Date posted: January 24, 2017

Ali Mahmoud: “What I will say to my teachers, my mentors, my school sponsors is; thank you for bringing one of the best student experience in the national curriculum of Tanzania.

The first underlining reason to prefer the Feza Boys to other schools is the academic excellence that comes with it.

This is not only for myself but for many students who go there.

But the other thing that really makes Feza stand out and which really appealed to me to choose Feza is the complete education experience offered by Feza which calls for tolerance, extra-curricular activities, discussions with open mind.

And I think those are the things that made Feza stand out to me.

Despite the rich academic excellence that Feza celebrates itself with, the other part that really makes Feza stand out compared to other schools is the environment that it creates.

The environment is so rich in things like mutual discussions, constructive criticism, inclusivity and social justice.

So all these things are really important to be provided in a school environment as they enhance a complete academic experience.

And that means not only to be successful academic-wise but to be successful as leaders and well-learned people in the community.

The relationship between myself and my teachers was the best! Unlike the “norm” relationship that is present in Tanzania -like in teacher-student relationships- my relationship with my teachers was not based on fear.

It was based on mutual discussions. And it’s just so powerful to be given the same space as a student to correct my teacher when he/she goes wrong and to just be able to have an open discussion with my teachers.

So I think that was really powerful, and I think I cherish that all the time.

Before attending Feza Boys, I did not know about Turkey or the Turkish culture.

And it’s an undeniable fact that Feza gave me an experience that allowed me to learn about the Turkish culture and about Turkey.

I remember one of the parents was telling me that he knew about Turkey not through the Embassy but through the school, that is Feza Boys, and I think that is really powerful because a school acted as an ambassador to advertise Turkey as a country.

I have many memories that I want to share, but I’ll stick with two.

The first memory that I want to share was the experience of working on a scientific project during the school year, for International Sustainability Projects Olympiad, INESPO.

There were eight of us working on that project. It was so tense; it was during the school year, and it was challenging.

But the chemistry between me and my classmates was just magical, because it was based on understanding, on hard-working, on mutual performance, and I think that was all made possible by the environment that Feza provided us.

Also, the support that our teachers gave us was so important because it helped us to feel that we are being cared about and we can do better than what we are doing. So that is one experience.

The other experience is the experience of my first experience with Feza Boys Secondary School.

During the first week, when I began my education at Feza, that was my first boarding experience. I had never been away from my home for a very long time.

So during that time it was a very hard moment, because I used to miss home, I used to miss my mom.

But that did not last for long because I had teachers who offered their personalized support.

I remember I had a mentor named Brother Davud who would call me to his room like to have tea programs with me and talk to me, and I think that really helped me to understand the environment surrounding me and also to get used to Feza very quick. And, in no time, I was performing really well.

What I will say to my teachers, my mentors, my school sponsors is; thank you for bringing one of the best student experience in the national curriculum of Tanzania, because every other school cherishes itself with academic excellence but in Feza, that’s not it.

We celebrate the experience offered by Feza, because it calls for ethical standards, moral competence, and constructive criticism. And I think all these attributes are really important for any student to have to be a cosmopolitan citizen of the world.”

Tags: Africa | Education | Hizmet-inspired schools | Tanzania |