With internationalization of NM-AIST programmes and receipt of students and staff from non-Swahili speaking countries, a need arises to equip this new community members mostly with English proficiency, a dosage of culture and local language flavour to allow them to shop at Tengeru market, bargain with a bodaboda or daladal skippers on the fair shuttle price or greet neighbors and community members around. The first batch of 31 students and staff from India, USSR, USA, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia attended an evening course of beginner's Swahili from 28th June 2019 to 31st September 2019. The next course was scheduled to be conducted around March 2020 but postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. The class will resume around July 2020. It is a six hours session for 10 weeks.
Comment from attendee:
Dear Dr Kipacha, Dr. Haule;
This is to express my gratitude for organizing Kiswahili course for international NM-AIST community. I’m sure this initiative will help to our foreigner students and staff members to live and work comfortably at NM-AIST, as well as co-operate to friendly and fruitful atmosphere in the Institution. I deeply appreciate always encouraging classes by Dr. Kipacha, as well as his accurate punctuality while delivering the course. I really enjoyed Mwalimu wangu cheerful and inspiring teaching way.
Nashukuru sana, Mwalimu. I have a suggestion: to award the mostly hard working students, Ms. Fever (Ethiopia), Ms. Omolara (Uganda) and Mr. Fidele (Rwanda), who pursued enthusiastically the Kiswahili course from the very beginning up to the end and successfully “PASS” the course “For KISWAHILI BEGINNERS”.
With kind regards,
Asanteni sana