From Sengerema to Ireland: A journey built on excellence

When Samson Mhegeji sat for his Form Six examinations last year, his target was simple: to perform well and continue with further studies.

Little did the 2025 graduate of Sengerema Secondary School in Mwanza know that his examination results would earn him a government scholarship to study at a prestigious university in Europe.

On Friday, August 28, Samson, along with 33 other students, left for Ireland, where they will spend the next three to four years pursuing science and technology-related degrees.

For a student from an ordinary public secondary school, the opportunity represents more than a scholarship. It is proof that academic performance can open doors that once appeared to belong only to students from elite schools.

“My target was to get Division I so I could go to university. When the results came out, I was very happy because I had achieved my goal,” says Samson.

Samson had initially hoped to join a special school after performing well at an earlier stage of his education. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and he was instead placed in an ordinary secondary school.

His story is particularly significant because the Samia Scholarship programme was designed to recognise exceptional academic performance rather than privilege associated with a student's school or family background.

For Samson, the scholarship is a tribute to his parents, who supported his education despite coming from what he describes as an ordinary family.

“My family is not rich. It is an ordinary family. But my parents have supported me from primary school up to this level. I want to study hard, gain knowledge and come back to help my country. I see this as an opportunity not only for me but also for my family and Tanzania.”

Samson is among 34 top-performing science students who are beneficiaries of the government's expanded scholarship programme (Samia Scholarship Extended). They are in Ireland to pursue studies in areas such as data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, software engineering and other related disciplines.

Another beneficiary, Rodgers Richard, a graduate of Marian Boys High School, will pursue a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering at the University of Limerick. For him, studying abroad was once a dream shared by many young Tanzanians, but one that seemed difficult to achieve.

“I thank God for this opportunity. It was my dream, and I believe it is also a dream of many young people to get an opportunity to study abroad. I thank President Samia for helping and enabling us through the Samia Scholarship Extended programme. We have been able to fulfil our dreams and now we are going to study for the benefit of our country,” he says.

Rodgers wants young people to see the programme not simply as a government benefit, but as an incentive to work harder.

“I encourage students and young people who are still studying to work hard and pursue opportunities like this because they benefit the student, the family and the nation.”

The government says that the principle—performance before background—is central to the programme.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, has previously stressed that the 50 students selected for the first cohort came from government, ward and private schools, demonstrating that the opportunity was not restricted to students from well-known schools.

The emphasis is important for students such as Samson, whose success offers a powerful message to students in ordinary government schools in rural and less privileged communities.

ICT expert Dr Omusi Johnson, says the significance of the programme lies in the fact that selection is based on demonstrated academic ability rather than the name of the school a student attended.

The Sengerema example, he says, should encourage students and teachers in government schools to believe that excellence can emerge from anywhere.

“If Tanzania is to build a strong science and technology workforce, it cannot afford to overlook talented students simply because they come from schools with fewer resources or less visibility,” he says.

Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Stephen Maluka, says the 34 students in Ireland are part of a 50-member cohort selected from among the best performers in the 2025 Form Six examinations. Sixteen students from the same cohort are studying at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

“This is the first time the government, through the Samia Scholarship, has supported exceptionally high-performing students to study abroad. It is a sustainable programme that will continue to provide opportunities for deserving students,” says Prof Maluka.

Before travelling, the 50 students spent about 10 months at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Arusha for a specialised boot camp.

Programme coordinator Prof Liliane Pasape says the preparation went beyond helping students secure university admission.

“They were prepared to apply to universities and sit the examinations required for admission, and we succeeded in preparing all of them,” she says.

The students were also introduced to computer programming, machine learning and data science. Some, she says, had limited computer skills despite being selected for technology-related programmes.

“Some of those going to study data science did not even know the basics of computers. So we taught them computer programming, machine learning and data science,” she says.

The preparation also covered language, money management, cultural differences and how to live responsibly abroad.

But there was another component: patriotism.

“They have been taught how to live abroad as Tanzanians and how to represent their country while they are there as students,” Prof Pasape says.

Another group of top-performing Form Six students is expected to begin a 10-month preparatory boot camp at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology on September 14.

Tanzania’s strategy has parallels in Singapore, which for decades used overseas scholarships to build a highly skilled national workforce.

According to Dr Johnson, from the early years of independence, Singapore sent promising students to leading universities abroad and, in many cases, linked scholarships to public service, creating a pipeline of talent for nation-building.

“Its scholarship system helped develop future leaders and specialists who brought international knowledge and networks back home,” Dr Johnson says.

Today, he notes, Singapore continues to send scholars overseas while combining education with internships, mentoring and exposure to public and private institutions.

For Tanzania therefore, the scholarship programme represents the beginning of a pipeline rather than a one-off overseas scholarship.

The ministry's current Samia Scholarship programme also continues to support large numbers of students studying STEM subjects domestically.

For the 2026/27 academic year, 1,000 students who performed outstandingly in the Form Six examinations have been invited to apply for the main Samia Scholarship.

The director of government communications in the ministry, Ms Sylvia Lupembe, says the government deliberately selected universities with strong academic reputations and links with technology companies.

The intention is for students to gain not only theoretical knowledge but also practical exposure through industrial linkages.

“We are choosing large and reputable universities that not only have the capacity to teach these subjects, but also have industrial links with major technology companies,” she says.