National Taiwan University (NTU) held its commencement ceremony on May 30, highlighted by a moving speech delivered by Nathan Thadeo Yoashi, an international student who came to study in Taiwan with the encouragement of conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. He dreams of returning to his hometown to build a school for impoverished children.

Nathan was born into a poor farming family in a small village in the mountains of Tanzania. Despite these difficult circumstances, Nathan persevered in his studies and consistently maintained an excellent academic record. His diligent study of English and active participation in community service earned him the appreciation of Dr. Jane Goodall, who fully funded his high school education.

Nathan recounted that after graduating from high school, with Jane Goodall recommending Taiwan, he flew to the island in 2017 to begin his undergraduate studies. He later furthered his education at the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering at NTU, earning direct entry into the doctoral program with outstanding performance.

While studying at NTU, Nathan rallied students from 10 African countries to establish the NTU African Students’ Association. With the support of his professor, he also facilitated a memorandum of understanding between NTU and the University of Dar es Salaam, a top university in Tanzania. He was able to apply the professional knowledge he honed at NTU to address the agricultural and water resource challenges caused by mining pollution in his hometown.

He initially faced language barriers, so he learned Mandarin and Taiwanese at church and from local farmers. “Taiwan is truly warm,” he said, recalling his eight years in Taiwan. He also experienced the warmth of the Taiwanese people while selling vegetables at the market. “Old ladies thought I was adorable, so I was always the first to sell out,” Nathan said. 

Though he grew up often skipping meals, now he saves half of his monthly living expenses to support the education of five children in his hometown. His dream is to build a school there so that more children like him can have a chance to change their lives. “Dr. Jane Goodall's spirit hasn’t left; it's being passed on through my hands,” Nathan concluded.

Jane Goodall passed away last year at the age of 91. She first traveled to Tanzania at 26, and then dedicated herself to environmental conservation and opposing deforestation for many years.