In Covid times, we are still family

Baobab’s student leaders are role models in our community, none more so than our Head Boys and Head Girls. We met up with Lusemeka (Head Boy), Tabea (Head Girl), Chisha (Deputy Head Boy) and Luyando (Deputy Head Girl), to find out about their plans for the year. Showing maturity and insight at a young age, the team is ambitious and ready to lead the school.

With an impressive 37 years’ Baobab experience between them, they are already rooted in Baobab’s history. Lusemeka joined in Year 3, with Tabea, Chisha and Luyando all arriving in Year 4.

They are humble about their achievements so far. Chisha remarks; “You look back and you could never believe that this would be you. It’s amazing to see how the school has transformed, it’s barely recognizable now.” Tabea agrees; “The school is very modern and has moved with the times. It feels weird to be in the year group we always used to look up to.”

The four are keenly aware of their responsibilities. “We are the face of the school now,” as Luyando puts it. Lusameka is undaunted by the task ahead; “Our role is crucial in the middle of everything, a bridge between the student body and the staff. From the ten years that I’ve known these guys, when we say we’re going to do something, we do it. When we set a time or a goal, we are always going to achieve it.”

Tabea reflects on the team’s strengths in diversity; “We are all different and I think this was very clear in the different approaches we took to our video presentations; we are much stronger as a group, for having four diverse people.” Luyando concurs; “It makes us innovative and ready to come forward with a lot of new ideas. None of us will shy away from responsibility and all of us are ready to do something.”

We should be in no doubt that this year’s prefect body intends to leave its mark on Baobab College. Chisha and Tabea say that their legacy is important to them. Chisha; “We want to be remembered for the good things, for being a shining example of what students can achieve, if they put their minds to it.” Tabea; “We want people to say that this was the prefect body that did something, that was involved, they didn’t wait, but actually pushed for things to happen."

Meeting with masks on and socially distanced in the recently converted Library, Luyando reflects on this year’s pandemic and its impact on our student body. Her positive response to the situation is encouraging. “No other group of students has had to deal with a year like this one, the pandemic year, and it will feel great to say, we actually did some good stuff in spite of everything."

Lusemeka also sees an opportunity in leading students through the pandemic: “For us to be regarded as the people who helped them to enjoy a year which seemed to be unenjoyable, that will be huge. We have experienced the whole of Secondary School without this pandemic. We now have to help the younger students to get through a time like this."

The group is quick to acknowledge the student leaders that will work with them this year. For the first time, student mentors have been appointed, to work alongside our prefects and house captains. Lusemeka is excited about the mentors' impact. “When I was in Year 7 & Year 8, I was not the best of students. I was very rebellious, not because I really wanted to rebel, but because I didn’t really know the type of person I wanted to be. I feel like if I had a mentor back then things would have been different. We can help to give them a sense of direction. We can set the tone and put them on the correct path for them to succeed.”

Lusemeka values the impact of Year 12 prefects. “The four of us are Year 13s and we now have a lot of younger Year 12 prefects coming through. There is a lot of diversity in the prefect body. Now is a great opportunity for us to get new ideas from people in that year. That mystery creates excitement for what we can do.”

Tabea is looking forward to drawing on the strengths of the prefect team. “We have a lot of passion – people in our team have something that they want to get involved with. It is great to have a team of people who have ideas.”

Chisha gives more detail on how they intend to harness the prefects’ potential. “It will be important to give them a voice, to let them express their views, to have an environment where we can challenge each other’s views and adapt to them. It’s important that we hear from others and incorporate them into our plans.”

One problem that has to be overcome is how prefects can interact with younger students without breaking the year group ‘bubbles’. Luyando tells us more: “We are fixing how prefects and mentors will meet with classes without being able to do that physically. So we are setting them up in google classroom and google meet so that prefects and mentors can interact with students in that forum.”

Showing their readiness to act on burning issues for students, Luyando goes on: “One of our first projects which has come from the students is to look at some ambiguity in the rules in the uniform policy. Some teachers accept some things and certain teachers don’t. So we’re setting up meetings with Mr. Turner to discuss these issues and try to get them resolved, so we can enforce them properly.”

Tabea agrees that rules are important and prefects are there not only to enforce the rules, but to follow them. “I can remember when I was that age and I would see someone doing something, I would be like ‘OK, when I get to Year 12 I can have my hair down,’ and I want to avoid that. The way that we present ourselves and represent the school is important.”

Finally, our four student leaders leave us in no doubt that they have real ambitions for the year ahead. Tabea sees opportunity in leadership; “Collectively and as individuals, we need to learn and to pass on what we have learnt to the rest of the school. However big our ambitions are, if we can lead and help others to learn about leadership, I think that will be an achievement in itself.”

Chisha wants to turn challenge into opportunity; “To adapt and thrive in the situation that we are placed in.”

Luyando’s ambition is to be relevant; “We need to be connected to the rest of the student body and make ourselves relevant in these times.”

Lusemeka concludes that above all, Baobab family comes first. “For me the ambition is to keep that interaction, because at Baobab we are known for being close to each other, we are known for being a family. With the pandemic, people may not feel that connection, and we want to make sure that people feel like, even in COVID times, we are still family.”