January 19, 2017

Last year during our Vision Trip in September, groups of students and TFFT Scholars from Arusha Modern School came together for our annual SuitUp competition. Coached by our loyal visitors from the Vision Trip, the groups solved a real life business problem, while at the same time having fun, and spreading their creative wings. This team building exercise inspired us to design a more homegrown team-oriented activity based on the reality that our scholars experience everyday.

Eighteen of our scholars were divided into teams and asked to draw a map of an African village with as much detail and creativity as they could muster. Each member of the group was encouraged to add to the drawing. After about half an hour, the facilitator added another dimension to the activity. With what they had already drawn, the groups were asked to think about what could make the village better, and they were to add those innovations to the village. They were encouraged to think about what would make the lives of the villagers more comfortable and secure. They were to add services needed, current services that could be upgraded, how business could grow, and how the community could generally be improved.

This exercise got our scholars thinking about their own communities, and what development means. They were encouraged to work together, be creative and problem-solve issues that have relevance to their lives. One scholar drew an extraordinary outline of a village all in perspective, to scale, and at an angle that reminded me of a drone snapshot. This group included in their drawing factories, storage facilities for crops, and commercial centers. The main illustrator, David, had incredible spacial ability (I think we have a future architect in our midst!). Other groups had each member drawing their contributions, also resulting in a great overall concept. They had tractors, hospitals rather than health clinics, schools with playing fields, parks, transport hubs, and crops filling every space available. Improved access to water was featured in every drawing.

What a great experience! This exercise also had a final learning dimension: the scholars and mentors who partook in the exercise have been given the challenge to run this activity in their own school community. They have to ask permission, advertise, arrange, and facilitate the Build Better Community Competition with their contemporaries. They have to arrange a judging panel and arrange prizes for the winning group. This will be a practical lesson in organizing, leadership and facilitation and will bring a fun learning activity to their schools. We are excited to see where it leads!