It is hard to be a pioneer. First, because it is hard work, and second, because you must make many sacrifices. It is true in my career as a finance professional. But when I see the fruits of my hard work, I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to change lives, something hardly possible for some of my countrymen. I was born in the beautiful country of Tanzania, which is famous for Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Ruaha National Parks, and Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Most of my country's population are farmers. The rest work in small and medium-sized enterprises in the cities. Even educated individuals need to choose between these two work options after their studies. Due to my hard work and dedication to my education, I became an exception. Soon after graduating with my Bachelor's in Economics, I was offered a job at Citibank in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
After 2 years, I was given an offer to move into a remote part of the district to establish a community bank in Tanzania as its Accountant cum Assistant Credit Officer and then Chief Executive Officer. The initiative was noble. With a community bank, people could start saving money, become financially stable, and afford loans. This can result in higher investments and the use of technology in agriculture. The possibilities of rural financial development are limitless with just one bank. The process was challenging because it was meant to be the first community bank. Still, my commitment to duty, learning spirit, and honour kept me going. I've learned a lot from other experienced bankers and the target rural population. All the hard work finally paid off in 1999 when we got the banking licence and established the first ever community bank in Tanzania, the Mufindi Community Bank Ltd (MuCoBa), one of my greatest career milestones. After that, I joined an NGO that provides housing microfinance and played a very challenging role in transforming the housing microfinance program into a private company. Looking back, I'm happy that I've played a key role in bringing banking facilities, microfinance, and financial aid to the remotest parts of Tanzania.
Fast forward to the present. I'm working at the German Sparkassenstiftung Eastern Africa (Tanzania) as the Head of Program (Institutional Stre
ngthening and IT). This role is helping me to become a pioneer in project management in Tanzania. I'm enjoying my life with my loving family while working with highly motivated teammates. However, I will continue working towards strengthening my commitments to education and career to reach new heights.
If you don't have higher education qualifications, I urge you to immediately enrol in one. Certainly, education has been the backbone of my successful career. I got my first job with a Bachelor's in Economics. However, I did not stop my education there and then. I have pursued a Master of Science in Finance and a PG Diploma in Developing Social Housing Projects while working full-time. Even now, I am pursuing a second Masters because I believe education can transform a professional's life and career. My company certainly understands this. Thanks to their Human Resources Staff Development policy, I've been granted a part-sponsorship for my current Masters Program in Project Management. I'm heartily thankful to Sparkassenstiftung for this financial support. If you are concerned about funding your education, you can try for corporate sponsorship within your company, as I've done.
I suggest to my fellow professionals who are reading this to invest in their education. Balancing the schedule between work, family, friends, and education may be 
challenging, but it is possible. For me, working hours are fixed and cannot be changed. Hence, time for family, friends, and leisure is adjusted in favour of education. This is possible. My experience has shown that proper use of weekends and some public holidays for the course work very well, in addition to a few hours during workdays. So, if you can prioritise tasks and effectively manage time, you can manage your work, family life, and education simultaneously.
Finally, what got me motivated to study for a second Masters (in Project Management) are these: I need more project management knowledge in my current and future roles. I need to work more on research methods, which I did not go deep into in my former degrees. My current program's 100 % online learning format helped me to continue with my job and be with my family. Also, the short program duration will save me a year.
As I continue on the path of learning, I see a bright future for my country. A highly educated, self-supporting population with higher standards of living and access to better jobs. I'm happy that I've been a mover of things for my country, and I'm striving every day to reach higher positions so that I can be of better service.