As you learn about the recruitment process for Africaid’s Kisa Project, imagine the joy that a family has when they receive a newborn baby.
For AfricAid, it is a time of the year when everyone is diligently working on planning and executing our recruitment of girls who most need the program. It is the time when Mentors create work plans and post them on the office walls to lead them through the process of all the things they must do. We set meetings to discuss the essential factors to consider in making sure we have the right girls for our programs. We involve the school administration and send reminders to them about the importance of Kisa for high school girls. We share our plans in meetings with the experienced Year Two Kisa Scholars to prepare them for the day that they will introduce Kisa to their younger colleagues.
At AfricAid, we believe and make sure that our recruitment process is designed to not only ensure we have the right girls for the program, but also that they are making an informed decision to join Kisa. They must understand what being a Kisa Scholar entails. It is a two-year commitment to join our classes, and they need to keep in mind that just like any other family, we have principles and rules. Indeed, our principles are life principles and they are encouraged to carry them beyond the classroom. This may sound a big responsibility, but potential Kisa Scholars are also reassured that we will have a lot of fun and interesting times along the way.
Kisa Scholars quickly figure out that they will be learning a lot while having fun.
I asked Mentors how they feel about the recruitment process for 2018. One of the Kisa Mentors described it this way: “This year, I got excited by the creative ideas the Year Two Kisa Scholars came up with when introducing Kisa to the new girls. It feels good that the girls are already so transformed. You can just sit back and let them lead. They stand tall and it makes me feel proud that the skills they received have impacted them. I could see them becoming the best role models already.”
Another Mentor mentioned the energy and excitement generated around the program: “I am thrilled to see that a lot of girls are excited to join the program. This year we have schools where the response went beyond our expectations.”
For the Kisa Scholars who assist with recruitment, it is another opportunity for them to practice their public speaking skills. It is a time for them to spread the news about what AfricAid does, and it is a time for them to learn and remind themselves why they are in the program in the first place. One of the Year Two Kisa Scholars said this: “It feels so exciting how we can join to create songs, plays, poems and games that reflect what AfricAid does. I am so proud to see for myself how Kisa has transformed me. I can stand and influence another girl on the important ways Kisa has changed me, by using myself as a living testimony.”
Kisa Mentor Eliakunda Kaaya introduces the program to a group of potential Kisa Scholars.
In the Moshi Region, the demand for spaces in the program far outweighs the number of positions available. In the Arusha Region, the schools tend to be smaller and it is easier to accommodate the numbers of interested students. When interviewing the potential Scholars, we find they become a little nervous as often it is only the first or second interview they have ever had. It is a good learning exercise and we create room for them to understand our relationships with them from the start.
This year we have added 997 girls from 26 Partner Schools in both the Arusha and Moshi Regions. Most girls are attentive and creative when we started the sessions and this makes us very hopeful about spending the next two years with them. The best thing about the Kisa family is seeing these girls becoming the best version of themselves every single day and their enthusiasm for transforming the lives of their communities. When we recruit a new Kisa Scholar, we know for sure that we have added a changemaker, a champion and the best mother of the next generation.
Enjoy this spirited video of a group of excited brand new Kisa Scholars from Arusha Secondary School. They are saying “We are happy to be Kisa Scholars Year One 2018!”
[vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxCYxA6170g” align=”center”]
To read about 2017 Kisa recruiting and more about the process, click here.
Contributed by: Eliakunda Kaaya, Kisa Mentor and Alumna
