Christian religious education is now becoming required curriculum in all public schools in Tanzania -- due mainly to the influence of John Magafu, a Bible major graduate from Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya.
Daystar University, with over 2,000 students, is the only liberal arts Christian university in Africa -- but its influence is being felt all across the continent. Dr. Florence Muli-Musiime, chancellor of Daystar University, believes that Daystar can make a difference on the continent of Africa by integrating education and skills with faith. "We send out our graduates to serve Africa and the world by using their training, knowledge and skills to bring transformation wherever they go," the chancellor says.
John Magafu is a case in point. After graduating from Daystar in 2000, Magafu returned to Tanzania to teach in the public schools where, after school hours, he would hold Bible studies for interested students. Parents began to notice that the students who were attending the Bible studies demonstrated better character and were doing better academically than the other students at the school. As a result, parents began to request that the same Bible study program be offered in other schools.
But there was a problem -- there were not enough trained Bible teachers. Magafu was not discouraged. He contacted Daystar's Biblical and Religious Studies Department, requesting that the school send faculty to Tanzania to train more teachers, like himself, in Bible study methods. In 2002 five Daystar professors held a week of training in Morogoro, central Tanzania, for interested teachers and members of the Ministry of Education.
In 2004 the Tanzanian Government, through the Ministry of Education, officially adopted the recommendations made by some of the participants who attended the workshop in Morogoro that Christian Religious Education (CRE) become a requirement for all public school students.
John Magafu was appointed as one of the task force committee members to help the Ministry of Education develop a process for training and recruiting teachers of CRE in Tanzania. He is also on another committee responsible for designing the CRE curriculum. The curriculum is projected for implementation at the beginning of the new school year in 2006.
Dr. Del Chinchen, chairman of the Biblical and Religious Studies Department at Daystar, sees a parallel between Magafu's story and one in the Old Testament. "Isn't it amazing how the work of one graduate of Daystar, like a Queen Esther, can save a whole country from spiritual and moral destruction!" he exclaims.
More Examples of Positive Influence
Chinchen is convinced his department is doing its part in impacting Africa. He explains that every student at Daystar -- whether they be a communications, business, computer science, or counseling major -- takes five Bible-related courses to help them integrate their faith with their academic training. More than 20 faculty members within Daystar's Bible Department are committed to this task. At the same time, he adds, Daystar has students who major specifically in Bible with another minor or major in peace studies, education, or community development.
