Leadership Elections

It was a day of excitement and enthusiasm on the campus of Idigima Secondary School. It was Election Day! With Form IV students graduating and moving on, new leaders needed to be chosen. Student government is much larger here than we remember from our secondary school days. In Tanzania, student government involves all aspects of the student body and campus, from the cleaning of classrooms and toilets to the greasing of the diesel generator. In addition to the Head Prefect (HP [Student President]) and his assistant to the Head Girl and her assistant, officers are elected to govern and organize work details, take care of the environment, monitor class behavior and duties, carry out discipline issues, schedule chapel leaders, make sure water and electricity is available, supervise sports and games, promote academic excellence and debate, and lead Bible, Arts and Science Clubs.


Prior to Election Day, candidates had to write a paper on why they wanted a particular leadership role and stand before the teacher board for a personal interview. As a result, only qualified candidates would be on the ballot for each office.

Election Day began with each of the candidates and their campaign team visiting each of the classrooms around the campus. Each candidate had five minutes to enter the classroom and present his or her speech. Choruses of cheers and clapping were heard all morning.


Following the afternoon break, under a cloudless and very hot sunny African sky, the students brought chairs from their classrooms and made long lines for the open-air voting assembly. The teachers walked the lines, passing out a square of paper to each student,

and after the office was announced and the candidates named, the teachers would again walk the lines with buckets to collect the ballots. The process took the rest of the afternoon, followed by teachers and select students tallying the votes. The results were posted the next day.



It is exciting to watch these new leaders, full of fresh ideas and enthusiasm, wanting to make their school a better place. It is a ripe atmosphere for our encouragement that all be done to the glory of God.



Join us in prayer that these new leaders will do well and give all of the glory to God. Pray specifically for our new HP, Elafasi, Head Girl, Scola, and Academic, Christopher.

Living by grace,

Gary and Joanne Grenell