(please scroll down for the English text)

Vor vier Jahren haben mein Mann Hannes und ich aus vielen Bewerbungen einen Schüler ausgewählt, den wir unterstützen wollten. Keine leichte Aufgabe, aber die Geschichte von Sora hat uns dann so stark berührt, dass für uns der Fall klar war. Mit der Idee von Aiducation war ich vertraut – Hannes arbeitet in seiner Freizeit als IT-Verantwortlicher viel für die Organisation. Besonders die Mentorship Academy schien mir ein wirklich tolles und nützliches Angebot. Die Möglichkeit, an einer Mentorship Academy als Gäste dabei zu sein, einen uns unbekannten Teil der Welt zu bereisen und einen einmaligen Einblick zu bekommen in das Leben in Kenia, war sehr verlockend, und im August hatten wir endlich die Gelegenheit dazu.

Should gifted humans be supported and how should this be done properly? How will societies benefit from supporting the gifted and talented? Or: to what extent can a society foster ethical behavior? Such questions were asked and possible answers delivered at this year’s AiduForum in Zurich – the Inspirational talks by Prof. Dr. Michael Hengartner, future president of the University of Zurich, and Kaspar Etter of the Swiss Study Foundation kept our guests, friends, and families, intellectually engaged at the apéro up until almost midnight. This shall be the benchmark for next year’s event… Until then we suggest you have a look at some of the pictures taken at the evening. (Scroll down for the German text)

You can find additional images of the evening on our Facebook page here

Sollen talentierte Menschen gefördert werden und wie sieht eine gerechte Förderung aus? Inwiefern profitieren Gesellschaften, die Begabte und Talentierte fördern? Oder: Bis zu welchem Grad kann eine Gesellschaft ethisches Verhalten fördern? Solche Fragen wurden aufgeworfen und mögliche Antworten wurden am diesjährigen AiduForum zur Debatte gestellt – beim Apéro beflügelten die Inputreferate von Michael Hengartner, dem designierten Rektor der Universität Zürich, und Kaspar Etter, Mitglied der Schweizer Studienstiftung, die Diskussionen unter unseren Gästen, Freunden und Familien bis gegen Mitternacht. Daran wollen wir uns beim kommenden Grossanlass orientieren. Bis dahin lohnt sich ein Blick auf die Fotos, die am AiduForum 2013 aufgenommen wurden.

We are very proud to share the great news that reached us a few days ago. Obrein one of our AiduAlumni who also heads the AiduAlumni Association is one of the 3 finalists for the global UN-Habitat CCCI Blogging & Social Media Competition. Nominated for one of his essays he got invited to the 2013 EcoMobility World Festival taking place in Suwon, Republic of Korea.

We have shared stories about Obrein before (read up more here-), but this is yet another great example of the stunning impact education can have on a life. Just a few years ago Obrein would have had to drop out of school and never finish his secondary education without the support of a scholarship funded by one of our AiduMakers. And now he his not only a very active member of his community and actively pursuing his further studies in Nairobi, but also part of a new generation of young leaders who are concerned with global issues and are getting active and involved to bring about change. Obrein and his fellow Alumni are bringing new hope and energy to their communities and far beyond. We are very proud and happy for him.

This is the second part of our report on Jimmy Tune, one of our first AiduFellows and now AiduAlumni on how his life is planning out after he finished secondary school and his Aiucation scholarship, about the impact education had on his life and his future plans and dreams…

Becoming a part of Aiducation
After finishing secondary school Jimmy was going to go to University. But before he could start his studies at Moi University he had to bridge a gap of about six months. This was the perfect opportunity to do something useful – “…giving back something to society was my top priority. I wanted to say «thank you» and luckily found an opportunity to do so by volunteering for Aiducation.”

A Video of Jimmy and Emmanuel working at the Aiducation chatper in Kenya

Jimmy soon was an invaluable member of the Kenyan team: He assisted in recruiting applicants and organizing mentorship academies, he collected report cards, shot videos and kept records, and sometimes he would be counseling younger Aidufellows. Working for Aiducation he came to realize that investing in someone’s education was an investment for life that never could be compared to any other. “Touching a needy student through education is like planting a whole farm that will not only serve the family but the country at large and generations to come.”

After working half a year with Aiducation Jimmy started at University. Although he had to leave Aiducaton behind he did not want to end his work for the community: “Besides my profession I wanted to realize my talent and work on my passion.”

Finding ways to help others
While at University Jimmy stumbled upon an ad for Rotaract Club of Mombasa. As he could connect with the club’s core values (truth, fairness, friendship, and benevolence) he joined the club to serve the community and further develop his leadership talents. And very soon he would get a once in a lifetime chance to use his knowledge for a good cause.

Jimmy Tune was one of our first AiduFellows who was awarded a scholarship by Aiducation International. We checked in with Jimmy to find out what he has been up to since graduating from secondary school.

And he had a lot of great news to share, like the fact that he himself has been elected this spring to chair a board that supports needy tertiary students financially. We were curious to find out how Jimmy accomplished this success, what drives him, and what he aims to achieve in the future. The following postings summarize Jimmy’s story and thoughts he was willing to share with us via email. This first posting is about his life in school, a second one which will follow shortly will cover more about his future, studying at University and his strong commitment to helping others.

Life before Aiducation