With innovative initiatives extending beyond the institution’s walls and achieving official recognition as a university, Tangaza College has strengthened its leadership in service-learning in Kenya.
During a moving ceremony in May, Kenya President Dr. William Samoei Ruto presented the education community with the charter recognizing Tangaza College as a university.
Participants in the charter recognizing Tangaza College event
“I am particularly proud to note that Tangaza University’s dedication to service-learning has not only enriched our educational offerings but has also been instrumental in our recent achievement of receiving the charter award. This prestigious recognition shows our institution’s commitment to holistic education that extends beyond the classroom,” said the Vice Chancellor of Tangaza University, Rev. Prof. Patrick Mwania.
In this context, the Kenyan Government has decided to make a community-based service-learning course compulsory for all students, and Tangaza University School of Education has been selected to deliver the programme. An important precedent for this official action was the participation of Charles Ong’ondo, Director of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, at the Second Annual Conference of the Africa Hub of Uniservitate in 2023. As a keynote speaker at the event, Ong’ondo shared that the Institute under his leadership focuses on curriculum reforms aimed at developing students’ competencies to address social, economic and political issues within society. In addition, he emphasized the value of service-learning and advocated for its inclusion in all education areas and levels.
According to Judith Pethe, Coordinator of Uniservitate for the Africa Hub, Tangaza University has come to be regarded as « the mother of service-learning » in Kenya in the educational field since the Annual Conference last year. ‘Since then, many local universities have asked us to benchmark with us,’ said Phete.
Judith Pethe, Coordinator of Uniservitate for the Africa Hub
One of the high-impact service-learning projects launched in recent months is the Psychosocial Support Programme developed by the Department of Psychology at Lang’ata Women’s Prison and Kamiti Men Maximum Prison between March 2023 and March this year. The programme aimed to respond to the worrying trend of murder-suicide among prison officers. Students provided counselling and shared mental health and well-being strategies to master the officers’ challenging work environment. The training participants —25 officers in Lang’ata Prison and 35 in Kamiti— will, in turn, train their colleagues, ensuring the initiative’s sustainability. Most participants rated their experience with the programme as excellent. Many of them pointed out that it helped them to tackle situations where they were stuck and provided knowledge and skills to shape all aspects of their lives, socially, spiritually and psychologically.
Psychosocial Support Programme developed by the Department of Psychology at Lang’ata Women’s Prison
Another noteworthy initiative is the recent collaboration between the Archdiocese of Nairobi and Tangaza University, involving students serving a concrete need of the local Church. It is a ‘Training for Trainers’ course that students from the Faculty of Education will give to some 700 animators who accompany teenagers in the Missionary Youth Movement, present in the 120 parishes of Nairobi. Students will provide training of animators at the deanery level to include them in the Archdiocese.
Mercy Kibe, Human Resource and Administration Manager at Tangaza University, said: ‘Receiving the Charter is a milestone that not only solidifies the institution’s status, but also underscores our commitment to excellence in education. This achievement will undoubtedly open new doors for growth, collaboration and impact, further enriching the educational landscape in Kenya’.