My name is Brighton Amos, a second year medical student at Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences-Bugando. I would like to thank all people in the Maendeleo group for your heart of love and encouragement to your fellow Tanzanians who are medical students doing well in the academic field.
I received a $500 prize on 15th November, 2012 as the best overall MD1 student for 2011/2012 academic year. This surprised me a lot because I was in need of money for coverage of college fees as well as purchasing essential books for my studies. So that money helped a lot to cater for those needs and I wish I could find a better word than “Thank you” to express my feelings on that day!
I would like to encourage the Maendeleo group to continue providing this award as it motivates students to study hard and become competent and helpful to the suffering Tanzanians and the world at large and if possible to think of offering full scholarship to students.
I am from Karagwe in a single parent family as my father died when I was 1 year and I am the last born in the family of nine children. I developed the ambition of being a doctor because my first-born brother is a doctor but the journey toward the achievement of this ambition is not easy. I did my Primary school at Katanda and completed 2002 despite being the first pupil in the class but I failed the exam only 4 pupils were selected for joining the Government secondary schools. It was a very painful moment in my history as my mother could not afford to take me to private school in the same year due to heavy burden she had of paying fees for my sister and brother in private schools so I had to wait until next year. In 2004 I joined Kaisho secondary school I completed in 2007 then I was selected to study HGL at ILBORU secondary school in Arusha which is among of special schools in Tanzania. I studied HGL for a month before I asked to change to PCB so as to achieve my ambition. Then I joined CUHAS in 2010 .I cannot forget my brother Dr Elias J Muganyizi a director for TPCA for his contribution toward my success.
I was very happy when I received the information of being the first student in MDII 2011/2012 and given the Team Tanzania scholar prize. The prize I got helped me on paying school fees and gave me confidence to proceed effectively with my studies. It is nice for the best doing student to be awarded as it fuel competition among the students. I kindly ask you to continue doing the same in the following years as by doing so you help in production of the best doctors in the country.
I suggest if you can also award the second student as in most of the case the difference in performance among the first and second is very small.
After my MD studies I wish to be a physician and I like working in the rural areas so as I can serve the poor Tanzanians.
God Bless you all
I want to take this opportunity to thank CUHAS-Bugando for its ways of appreciating students for what they have done in their respective year, the past academic year prizes to me it was more than simply a financial support, to me it was a sign that someone out there is appreciating what I have been doing and it just gave me the courage to do more, not just to become the best in the class but to become a good professional.
I think this habit need to be maintained by the Maendeleo group through CUHAS -Bugando as it poses challenges among students and determinations to do better.
I have always loved science very much. What I dreamt to be and still hoping for is becoming a teacher. When I got the opportunity to go to Medical School I was very happy as it meant that I would be able to do both; be educated on health and hopefully later become a teacher on health. While many factors contribute to poor health in my country, I believe most illnesses and deaths could be prevented if people had more knowledge on basic health facts and skills- and I would like to play a part in this. Frankly speaking, medical school was tough, but I enjoyed many aspects of it. The lessons were interesting, I had supportive teachers and residents at CUHAS, many supportive friends who contributed to making the five years go by fast. What I think pushed me most was my passion for learning coupled with an ambition of being a teacher. I had to work very hard – to be able to teach others you need to excel. And that is exactly what I did at medical school. I tried the hardest I could to be the very best possible and it paid off. I am now an intern doctor, I feel relaxed, competent enough (in my level of practice) when dealing with the patients at the hospital, and I believe they are happy too being attended by a person who was committed to being proficient when serving them. The fruits did not end there; I was awarded the best female and overall student in my first and fifth year at the University.
In 2012, I received the best overall student scholarship award from the Maendeleo group. I was very grateful to receive this award, not only was the money incredibly helpful but I was also touched deeply that people living in another continent, not knowing me personally, valued my academic efforts and achievements and thought it all deserved recognition. They donated money, looked for people to support with that donation and made a difference in one’s life. This, I feel, shows utmost consideration and is an honorable gesture. I might be seeing the world from a different angle, but I see most other talents and achievements valued in a very notable way all around the world, for example pop idols. I think all talents and achievements need recognition, but I am not seeing that done enough in the academic arena.
Maendeleo group is trying to do it, and I believe they should be supported, as academic accomplishment is just as crucial and its contribution to the world is great. Thank you Maendeleo group. Keep up the good work and may God bless you and the efforts you are making in recognizing doctors and supporting the health system in general in our country.