Beauty with brains! This girl to end transportation problems in her country (photos)

Editor’s note: Martha Olawale, the founder of Stars of Afrika writes from Florida, USA. She is passionate about changing the narrative about Africa and celebrating each African doing us proud. This week’s story focuses on a brilliant Tanzania, Jacqueline Masaki and her mission to change the transportation problem in her country.

“Born in a country with a very poor transportation system, my goal is to solve transportation problems in my country, Tanzania” Jacqueline Masaki

It is not every day that you meet a brilliant, tall, graceful, and stunning African visionary. Jacqueline Masaki is one of the most positive people you will ever come across. Behind the prettiest face smiling at you is a brain that is fit for the hall of greatness.

Raised by her Tanzanian parents, Jacqueline Masaki, is a pride and joy to the future of Africa. She is an epitome of why Stars of Afrika exists. Her courage took her beyond giving up after her first master’s thesis was scraped to researching and writing another thesis within two months. She graduated with recognition by the Florida Department of Transportation.

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Jackie, you are a beauty to the eyes and soul of Mother Africa. You carry yourself with the grace of an African royalty and your dedication to your God and work and is setting you up for a glorious future. Stars of Afrika applauds your mission to solve the transportation problem in Tanzania.

We are rooting for you as you journey on in pursuit of your doctoral degree in civil engineering. Focus! No matter what comes your way in this journey, remember how far you have come and the things that could not hold you back in the past and just keep moving. Stars of Afrika celebrates your journey so far and cheers for your glorious future.

Background story

My name is Jaqueline Eliabu Masaki. I was born and raised in Morogoro in Tanzania, and later on moved to one of the biggest cities in the country, called Dar es Salaam. I am the only child of my parents. During my childhood I used to spend several hours sleeping; more than 12 hours straight on some occasions if my parents did not wake me up.

I must confess, I still enjoy my peaceful sleep even now. This shows the extent to which God has been extremely kind to me, and further evidence of the sufficiency of His GRACE in all that I have been able to achieve. Indeed the Bible rightfully says in Romans 9:16 “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

While all that I have achieved have demanded hard work, and I have faced many challenges, I count myself very blessed because I have always experienced God’s ease even during occasions when I was not naturally advantaged.

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On a lighter note, my mother used to tell me that I hated bathing as a child. When she eventually got me to take a bath, I would throw my legs and hands in resistance until her clothes would be dripping with water. Perhaps the throwing of hands and legs was some sort of training for the future since I enjoy swimming now.

Growing up as the only child, I remember not having anyone to play with since it was only my parents and I at home. I then developed an exciting alternative; I talked to my dolls and the things in my room as though they were real people. Interestingly, all communication with my dolls was mainly me teaching them how to count and to read. Through that I was able to read at a very young age and I decided that when I grow up I would become a teacher. I was only 2 years old when I made that decision, lol.

Educational journey

I started my primary school at the age of four in Morogoro region after spending two years at a nursery school. In my first year as a primary school student, I was featured in a local newspaper for being one of the youngest children in the region to know how to read, count and enrolled in a primary school.

I finished my primary school at Bungo and attended junior high school at Ashira Secondary School in Kilimanjaro region (region where my father was born). Having completed secondary school after four years, I went to a high school in Pwani region called Marian Girls. Thereafter I was selected to join University of Dar es Salaam for Bachelor of Science in civil and transportation engineering for four years.

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Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree, I received an award as the best transportation engineering student in year 2014 from the  and also graduated as the valedictorian in my civil and transportation engineering class. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I was blessed to join Florida State University to study for a master’s degree in civil engineering and graduated on August 2016.

What are some of the obstacles you faced pursuing your dreams and how did you overcome them?

While I was in school my dreams changed from wanting to be a teacher to being a medical doctor. This change was born out of my desire to help people. My mum was an obvious inspiration as well since she is a nurse, and our house was always full of medications. On several occasions, she would teach me about different kinds of diseases and how to treat them.

However, during my transition from secondary school to high school, the passion of wanting to be a doctor diminished. This disturbed me a lot and there was an internal struggle to find out what I wanted to do with my life because I really thought I had everything planned out. This process helped me to be sensitive to God and His leading.

I learned to make decisions based on God and not on my will or human opinion. During that season in my life, I realized my life is not my own, and that it is God who knows and sets up my plan and my future. Therefore I had to completely yield to Him and ask for His direction. I thank God I received several signs that He wanted me to be an engineer.

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The decision to study civil and transportation engineering was very easy because I believed in my heart that it was in line with God’s purpose for my life. While in school, I had always hoped to study abroad but I never thought that would ever happen to me considering the financial situation of my family. Fortunately, in the final semester of my final year in university, a friend informed me that a professor at Florida State University needed one transportation student for a master’s degree with assurance of full scholarship.

Initially, I hesitated to apply because first of all, I was still in school and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue with my master’s immediately after finishing my bachelor’s degree. Secondly, a lot of people were applying for this opportunity, including people who finished school years ahead of me with the advantage of years of experience in the industry. Thirdly, there were exams that I was required to take and they were expensive to register for.

Finally, my parents were not too excited about it because they were not sure how I will live abroad considering the fact that I did not know anyone there. Irrespective of all the logical reasons, I had the unwavering knowing deep within that I was supposed to apply and so I did. Everything was done at the last minute with many other obstacles during my application and visa processing, but God was with me through every step until I arrived in the United States.

Finishing my master’s degree wasn’t a smooth ride either. When I was about to defend my thesis as a requirement for master’s degree, my thesis was not accepted because I used data that were obtained from surveying people and the university required me to obtain a permission letter before I started conducting the surveys, a procedure that my professor and I were unaware of.

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I had to start a new project and wrote the new thesis within two months. I thank God for my friends and my professor for their encouragement and support in finishing my thesis and graduating. With my new project, I was privileged to present the results to the Florida Department of Transportation in which my efforts were highly praised to the extent that I was offered a job if I wanted to start work immediately.

What or who are the greatest inspiration in your life?

God is the reason why I live, and move, and have my being; He is in a class of His own to which nothing or no one can be measured – I desire to conform to Him daily. However, He blessed me with wonderful, spectacular, loving, caring, humble, and honorable parents who have been my greatest life inspiration. Together, they are my “Stars of Afrika.”

They are so different yet so much alike and together they make a great couple. My mum is a very sweet lady who always sees the best in others. She has taught me to always smile in all situations. She also taught me to give. I can still remember her saying, “Jackie siku zote usimnyime mtu chakula” in Swahili which means “Jackie, never refuse to give a person food”.

On the other hand, my dad is a very strict man, he always means business. However, he is the most selfless person I have seen in my life. He always wants to solve people’s problems. My relatives call him “Problem solver”. He will always think of others before himself, and he makes sure all his siblings and relatives live in good conditions. He has really taught me the importance of family and tells me to work hard and put God first in order to achieve my goals.

What are your goals for the future?

Born in a country with a very poor transportation system, my goal is to solve transportation problems in my country, Tanzania. After completing my Ph.D., I would return to my country, Tanzania. With the gained skillset, I will be well positioned to tackle existing transportation issues that are facing my country.

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One of the ways I intend to do this is by starting a research center for transportation planning, development and management. This center will help young researchers develop requisite research skills which will help in solving the country’s transportation problems. All in all, my long term goal is to be able to serve God and help all those who are in need.

What advice do you have for this generation of Africans?

The first thing is to seek God. He is the source of all good things in your life. If you have him then you have everything. Secondly, work hard, never leave what you can do today until tomorrow. Lastly, respect all people, this is a foundation of building great connections for your successful life.

What do you want the world to know about Tanzania?

Tanzania is a very beautiful country located in the East of Africa. It has numerous locations which serve as tourists’ attractions, including: the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari park populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino); and Kilimanjaro National park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical island of Zanzibar with beautiful historical sites and variety of sea foods. It is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa with very kind people.

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