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Baraka Chuma
University of Dar Es Salaam
Regional Academy
Academy Established 12/00
Baraka Chuma, 26, is the middle child in her family, with three older sisters and three younger brothers. With her sisters working as receptionists and her father in the real estate business, Baraka recently became the first in her family to pursue Information Technology (IT) as a profession. In addition to pursuing a career in IT she enjoys reading about different cultures and countries, watching TV, listening to R&B music and playing basketball.
After finishing secondary school, she completed a secondary degree in History, Geography, and Economics (HGE) in 1996. When she began searching for jobs after graduation, though, she realized that her credentials were not enough to meet the demands of an economy with such growth in technology. "Every company asks about your knowledge of computers [and] technology," says Baraka. "That is the reason I became interested in IT." Without the necessary IT background, she employed herself in a Casino restaurant as a receptionist. However, upon reading about the Cisco Networking Academy Program in a Tanzanian magazine, she inquired about the program at the University of Dar Es Salaam and convinced her father to support her education in the technology field.
Although she does not have access to a computer at home, Baraka appreciates the fact that her class in the Networking Academy program has enough computers for all the students in the class: "You can look up anything you want on the Internet. When I have a problem, I just go to the Internet and search for it." From her certification as a CCNA, Baraka expects to receive a better job, and to earn enough money to then pay for the CCNP phase of the Networking Academy program. Because the technology field is so new in Tanzania's economy, Baraka believes the Networking Academy program will change the lives of its students. "After we finish the course, we will be very marketable."
Baraka says that the growth of technology in her country means Tanzania will need more students who understand how to use computers and networking. When asked how to recruit students for this task, she observes that every day in the University, people are interested in the Networking Academy program. The University simply has to make it available by continuing to expand the program.
For her long-term goals, Baraka is adamant: "I want to stay in networking forever." She wants to be an instructor someday, to educate society about networking. Ideally, though, she would like to assist people by teaching and working for an IT company simultaneously.
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