Success requires both academic intelligence and social-emotional intelligence. Most students across East Africa are encouraged to focus solely on academic achievements and mastering the test; few are guided to prepare themselves for life outside the classroom and beyond. The Unite Club Program is designed to empower secondary-level and university-level students to know themselves; hone their leadership, communication, and creative-problem-solving skills; and learn how to present the very best versions of themselves to the world. Our mission is to help students achieve success as active and engaged citizens and to become agents for positive change in the world.
The Unite Club Program has been operating across Tanzania since 2020 and Northern Uganda since 2022 and has reached more than 3,000 students. To further expand and grow the program, Unite is now launching partnerships with two secondary schools in Rwanda — GA MATA in Musanze and Stella Matutina in Shyorongi. Both schools were visited in person in October by Anne and David Wells.
Left: Anne & David Wells at GS MATA left with Head Teacher Theophile. Right: At Stella Matutina Secondary School with Head Mistress Sister Triphine. The Rwanda clubs will launch in early 2024.
Elements of the Unite Club Program include:
The Unite Club curriculum -- a series of modules covering such topics soft skills and topics as personal branding and emotional intelligence, leadership, time management, networking, social media, communication and listening skills, feedback vs. criticism, coping with stress and anxiety, environmental stewardship, collaboration and teamwork, healthy conflict resolution, and more.
The Unite Passion Project -- a series of online videos that exposes students to a wide array of career options, activities, and perspectives by sharing the stories of people from around the world who have found their passions. The Unite Passion Project showcases ways that various ideas and talents can be translated into meaningful, impactful, and rewarding work.
Opportunities to engage in such activities as the building of school gardens, talent shows, public speaking events, art activities, tree-planting campaigns, and community service outreach.
Unite Team Visit to Same Boys Unite Club in Tanzania
Last month our Unite team visited the Same Boys Secondary School in Same, Tanzania, to meet the 95+ students enrolled in the school’s Unite club. There our team was able to participate in a “Unite’s Got Talent” event as well as an art project (Unite gave the school the gift of an outdoor classroom/seating area which was painted by the team), sporting events, and more. Click HERE to see a video from that visit.
Four of our Unite university-level scholars — Stella Mosha, Zainabu Mjanja, Zaituni Mjanja, and Maria John Kwanga — accompanied our team to Same, and all of them presented to the club members and shared stories about university as well as important lessons about life post-secondary school.
Click HERE to see a one-minute video of Zainabu telling a powerful story about how we all need one another - in our various careers, roles and responsibilities — to survive and succeed in life.
Unite provides each partner school club with a laptop, projector, and smartphone along with notebooks, pens, Unite T-shirts, funds for outreach efforts, and incentives and rewards for excellent performance. Each club must assign a faculty leader as well as student club leaders who are responsible for communicating and coordinating with Unite leadership in Tanzania and the United States to work collaboratively to make the clubs as impactful and successful as possible. Those interested in launching Unite clubs at their schools across the continent should contact Anne Wells at anne@uniteafricafoundation.org or via WhatsApp at +1 314 239 3997.