“My environment was not very accommodative of free thinkers. I had to make sure that I did not associate myself with those who openly opposed the government. I was careful not to attack the government and addressed issues instead.”
“I was being followed for a time by some people who would attend my events and ask questions on my work and approach. Others were screening my activities, going through my messages. I was scared and had to be very careful.”
“I am not a person who likes being pushed around or being in other people’s business. When I read about liberty and capitalism for the first time, I got to see the connection between ideas and the life I love to live. I also got to see the connection between those ideas and the history and economy of Tanzania, my country.”
“The more I read, the more I found a connection between the ideas of freedom and my personal beliefs. Adedayo Thomas gave a very interesting presentation about the ideas of liberty and freedom when he visited Tanzania. This presentation had a very different approach, contrary to the popular opinions and ways of thinking that I was used to from professors and students on campus.”
“During my time as a leader with Students For Liberty, I hosted events and outreach programs that enabled me to reach out to a great number of students with the message of liberty. This is my greatest achievement, because I introduced these students to the ideas of liberty, and from among them was able to recruit some of the best leaders we have in Tanzania.”
“I was able to get a great amount of support and build a network of people through my work with SFL. The lessons I learned – public speaking, event organization, confidence, teamwork – have contributed to my work at Liberty Sparks, where I am CEO.”
“Through outreach programs, we have increased the number of supporters we have inside and beyond my country. Liberty Sparks now has programs in Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi. We are increasing our reach beyond Tanzania, with the potential to have many more programs across Africa.”
“I am doing my best to make sure that people keep an open mind and understand liberty. Education is very important to me, and I have been focusing on educational programs, in English and Kiswahili, on our Liberty Sparks website. We are also working on original research to impact policy in Tanzania.”
“In the past, I was very shy and struggled to speak before a crowd in public. Thanks to the training and platform I got at SFL, I speak easily to different audiences now. I remember the reading resources, the knowledge of freedom I gained, the professionalism, and even learning the seriousness of work life. All of these contributed to my success today.”
“To be the CEO of a think tank, one needs a couple of skills. At the top of the list is excellent communication skills, which I learned and perfected in my time as a leader with Students For Liberty. One also needs to be a sound manager to work well with teams, to delegate roles, and to plan and manage the workload, all of which I learned at the high-level leaders’ retreats I attended through Students For Liberty. I now see how useful these lessons are in my professional life.”
“Students For Liberty goes to the root of it by recruiting the students we need as the leaders of today and tomorrow. SFL is building up the champions of liberty and putting Africa in their hands.”
Evan Nkya
CEO, Liberty Sparks
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
