Early September 2024, I had the privilege of attending the annual HALI Access Indaba, held in Nyagatare, Rwanda. After the event, between rushing back to work, other commitments, and admittedly some less-than-ideal time management, I hardly had time to sit back and reflect on what I learned during this five-day event.
As the year wound down, I carved out some time to introspect, and attending this Indaba stood out as one of the highlights of 2024 for me.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ?
When Sir James Akaba, the Country Director of Open Dreams, mentioned that we would attend the HALI Indaba 2024 together, I was curious but felt a bit shy to ask him directly what it was about. I knew of the HALI Organization (๐๐ผ๐๐ = ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ข๐) and its work supporting students, but the term "Indaba" was unfamiliar. Naturally, I turned to Google for answers.
"Hey Google, HALI Indaba." After reading about it, I still wondered why the name "Indaba." So, I refined my query: "Hey Google, what does Indaba mean?"
"๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ" is a ๐๐ข๐๐ข term referring to a meeting of community leaders to discuss matters of shared concern. In an Indaba, participants are encouraged to freely share their thoughts and perspectives. True to its name, the HALI Indaba fosters open and collaborative discussions.
The theme of the HALI Indaba 2024 was GLOBAL LEARNERS; LOCAL LEADERS, centering conversations on equipping students to thrive globally while remaining connected to and addressing challenges in their local communities.
๐๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐
Day 1 set the tone with a welcome dinner focused on networking. I basked in the excitement of meeting so many new people and tried to remember as many names and faces as possible for the days ahead.
The subsequent days combined general sessions with breakout sessions, offering a rich blend of collective learning and focused discussions. Here are a few highlights:
๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
In this session, HALI Access Network co-founder, ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ from ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ in Zimbabwe shared insights into their Capstone Fellowship Program.
Listening to her, I saw ways to enrich the Open Dreams Gap Year Program. The Capstone Fellowship includes three phases: research methods, a capstone project, and a capstone fellowship.
During the capstone project, students identify a challenge in their community, conduct research, and produce a 40-page paper. Importantly, students include the abstract of this project in their college applications, alongside any supplementary materials such as posters or presentations.
The fellowship phase focuses on implementing the project, and equipping students with skills in project management, monitoring, and evaluation. Rebecca's insights inspired ideas for enhancing our program at Open Dreams.
๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
HALI partner universities led sessions on crafting compelling college applications and writing effective recommendation letters for students. These were incredibly practical and have already proven useful in my recent work with students.
College Fair
๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ
The Indaba wasnโt solely about supporting studentsโit also included personal development sessions. We explored leadership styles to understand how best to collaborate with colleagues and engage in activities promoting physical and mental well-being.
The HALI Indaba was a transformative experience filled with learning and meaningful connections with educators and counselors committed to supporting high-achieving, low-income students. The practical knowledge gained, especially around college applications, has already enriched my work. Iโm eager to apply more of these insights as we plan the 2025 Summer Academy at Open Dreams.
I remain deeply grateful to Open Dreams for giving me the opportunity to participate in HALI Indaba 2024. This experience reaffirmed my commitment to equalizing access to educational opportunities and left me excited about future collaborations with others dedicated to this cause.
Guilian Asongtia | Open Dreams Regional Program Coordinator, Douala | Open Dreams Tech Lead with focus on the girl child.
Comments