UAE: From teaching orphans in Tanzania to learning new language, how students aced IGCSE/GCSE exams

Inspiration came in different forms for students who got remarkable grades in their IGCSE/GCSE (International/ General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams on Thursday, August 22.

From teaching orphans in Tanzania, to getting unequivocal support from family and friends; to turning grief into motivation; balancing extra-curricular activities, and even learning a foreign language – these students not only excelled academically but also learned important lessons of life along the way.

UK-born Rayaan Haji, 16, spent his summer serving as a volunteer at Kijana Kwanza (Young People First), a non-denominational grassroots organisation based in Moshi, Tanzania that helps children and young people get access to education.

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The Brighton College Dubai student left for Tanzania a day after he finished his GCSE exams in the last week of June. Using his skills in Math – he scored 9, the highest possible grade in the exams – Haji tutored Tanzanian students his age in advanced mathematics.

“The lessons learned were reciprocal,” Haji told Khaleej Times. “I taught the students numbers, equations, formulas, and solutions. But they taught me about perseverance and the value of hard work to achieve your goals.”

He continued: “There was one boy whose father passed away when he was young and he was left at the care of his aunt. The boy told me that he would like to one day repay his aunt for her kindness, that’s why he’s studying hard. I admired his outlook in life and that made me realise the value of studying hard.”

Haji said his immersion at the orphanage in Tanzania was like a practical application of what he learned in school. His horizon was widened and he also learned some skills outside the campus – like how to properly slaughter a goat during Eid Al Adha.

He had fun as well. He played football with the orphaned children; he went to Marangu Waterfalls, at the foot of the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro; and he taught the students proper recitation of the Holy Quran.

After receiving his exam results – he got perfect grade 9s in Mathematics, English language, English literature, Physics, French, and History – Haji will be continuing his A-level studies in further Math, Economics and French.

He wants to enter University of Cambridge to study Economics. He also wants to start a student organisation that will promote volunteerism for the benefit of orphaned children.

‘Aroha from family’

If there was one key ingredient that helped Brighton College Dubai student Sophie Ritchie get 7 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and 1 grade 7 – it would be ‘aroha’ from her family.

Sophie, who is originally from New Zealand, said ‘aroha’ is the Māori word for love.

“I was both surprised and relieved with the results. I and am very thankful for the support from the teachers at school and the aroha from my family,” she told Khaleej Times, adding: “My grades will allow me to study the A-level subjects I need for entrance into medical school.”

Aside from 'aroha', however, she also had “a couple of secrets” that helped her prepare for the GCSE exams: consistency and Cadbury mini eggs – “they gave me some extra motivation,” she shared.

For Priyanka Navin, from GEMS Cambridge International Private School Sharjah, too, it was also the love from her family that helped get good grades. In her case though, there was an unfortunate event that happened two years ago when she lost her mother in 2022.

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