From Tanzania to Taiwan: Jane Goodall-inspired NTU graduate dreams of giving back

Taipei, May 31 (CNA) A Tanzanian Ph.D. graduate who came to Taiwan on the recommendation of the late primatologist Jane Goodall said Saturday that the education and support he received have enabled him to help children in his home country and pursue his dream of building a school there.

Nathan Thadeo Yoashi, who graduated from National Taiwan University's (NTU) Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, shared his story as the representative of international graduates at NTU's commencement ceremony.

Speaking in Mandarin, with occasional words in Taiwanese Hokkien, Yoashi recounted growing up in a poor farming family near Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park, where Goodall conducted her chimpanzee research.

A childhood marked by hardship

"I grew up in a poor farming family, and we often did not know where our next meal would come from," Yoashi said, recalling days when he had only a small piece of sweet potato to eat with water.

The water had to be fetched from a river 30 minutes away, a journey he made barefoot every day, he said.

While tending cattle and goats on an empty stomach, he often asked himself: "Why was I born into such a family? How long will this life continue?"

Despite limited resources and being able to attend school only three days a week, Yoashi said he never gave up on learning and remained among the top three students in his class of 150.

A life-changing encounter

Yoashi's life changed when Goodall visited his school and he was asked to serve as an event host and translate for the British primatologist, ultimately catching her attention.

"Before flying back to the United Kingdom, she told me to continue helping with the Roots & Shoots program and to contact her if I ever faced financial difficulties," he said.

"Those words completely changed the course of my life," Yoashi added.

After graduating from primary school, Yoashi said Goodall's financial support enabled him to continue his education at a gifted junior high school far from home, covering his living expenses on campus so he could focus on his studies.

He later attended a gifted senior high school and, on Goodall's recommendation, came to Taiwan in 2017 to pursue a bachelor's degree at Chang Jung Christian University in Tainan on a scholarship.

Finding purpose in Taiwan

"After coming to Taiwan, the challenges began because I could not speak a word of Mandarin," Yoashi said.

He learned Mandarin from church members while also studying sustainable agriculture with local farmers, planting peanuts in Yunlin, baby corn in Tainan and rice in Chiayi.

Yoashi also sold vegetables at traditional markets, where he said local grandmothers were curious to see "a Black man selling vegetables," adding jokingly that he often sold out first because they found him "cute."

After beginning his master's and Ph.D. studies at NTU in 2021, Yoashi said he received help from many classmates and teachers, leading him to reflect on "the importance of collective knowledge."

That experience prompted him to bring together students from 10 African countries to establish the NTU African Students' Association, which served African students on campus and helped promote international cooperation, including facilitating an MOU between NTU and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

"Today, I am very happy to bring the knowledge I have learned back to my hometown," Yoashi said.

"Through cooperation, we are working to address pollution, soil, agriculture and water resource problems caused by mining," he added.

A dream to give back

Yoashi said that whenever he returns to Tanzania and sees children there, he is reminded that he now has the ability to help them.

He said he saves half of his monthly living expenses to support five children in his hometown, adding that Goodall's spirit "has not left" but continues to live on through his work.

"My dream is to build a school in my hometown to help more children like me have the chance to change their destiny," he said.

At the end of his speech, a tearful Yoashi also thanked his Taiwanese wife and their son for supporting him.

"Taiwan has not only given me knowledge, but also a warm home," he said.