The Aga Khan Academy Maputo consists of students and teachers from around the world who share their unique cultures with each other and form a tight-knit community.

The Campus Experience

Campus life enriches the students’ academic experience. It offers new activities, leadership opportunities and chances for interaction. While learning independence in some ways, students are supported to thrive emotionally, intellectually and physically.

An Inspirational Environment

Each campus aims to inspire its residents and visitors to learn, work, play and live to their full potential. Academy sites are chosen with care with campuses designed by renowned architects and purpose built to provide world-class facilities for all aspects of student life.

A Space to Grow

In many ways, residential life teaches students to be independent. But the Academies soon become a second home. Each student has a dorm family of peers with whom to socialise, a dorm captain who acts as an older sibling, and a residential parent who monitors their wellbeing. With pastoral care a priority, students also have access to specialised counsellors, a well equipped health centre, and other adults to take an interest in them.

Meet a dorm parent and two of her student family

“Being a residential parent at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa was my favourite thing to do during my time there. Every day was filled with loads of laughter, hugs and smiles from all students aged 10 to 18, regardless if they did not live in my residential block or were not a part of my assigned residential family. There are times throughout the experience where I felt more like an older sister to the students by providing them advice on school-related and non-school-related things, consoling them when they missed home, and just chatting about what was going on in our lives. There is really a strong sense of community throughout the residences that you immediately feel, especially during our Wednesday family dinners.

When I am assigned for duty on the weekends, I feel the most connected to the residential students. We spend some time off-campus at the movie theatre, on a hiking trail, or the beach, but also on-campus when I am supervising the pool area or basketball court during our sports hour. I will also forever cherish the intimate moments I had with the residential students, especially laying outside on the grass in front of the residences on the weekends before dinner time with a few students. Overall, the residential programme makes you feel a part of a supportive family whether you’re a student or a residential parent.”

Anusha Lalani, (former) residential parent, AKA Mombasa

“My time within the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa residences have truly been an emotional rollercoaster. I have laughed, cried and anything else you could possibly think of. Being in the Academy’s residential programme has really given me a sense of belonging. From waking up each day and seeing everyone helping each other in order not to be late for breakfast, to ordering food when it’s someone’s birthday, the residences has brought out the spirit of family in each and everyone of us and made us feel secure and important, just like home.

There are so many different activities are prepared for us on the weekends in order for us to bond with each other. Some activities include pool parties, mall outings, movie nights, and so much more. Frankly, the residences at the Academy is just like my second home because of all the love we all share as part of one community.”

Gloria Kamajugo, Grade 9 student, AKA Mombasa

“As a residential student for the past four years, I cannot express how rewarding it has been for me as an individual. From the caring and warm-hearted dorm parents to the fun-filled bonding events to keep us active and busy, the residential life truly reminds me of home.

On the weekends, we have bonding events that usually differ. My personal favourite is when we go off-campus to the mall and get a chance to shop, eat and spend quality time together with people who are in other blocks. With pride, I can say that my residential life is reminiscent of being at home with my family. Being in the residential programme has helped me become more independent, responsible and most of all pluralistic. I really enjoy being around people who are from different backgrounds to form one big family. To be frank, the Academy is like my second home because of the hospitality and love received from the entire residential community.”

Arya Noor, Grade 9 student, AKA Mombasa

A typical day on campus

Dorm Prefect Duties at AKA Hyderabad

Aman Gangani, DP2 student at AKA Hyderabad — Aman Gangani, DP2, AKA Hyderabad

"I have had to hit the snooze button three times but it’s 7 am and the day starts. After freshening up, I go room to room to ensure that everyone is awake. This is part of my duty as a dorm prefect at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. After getting dressed for school, I register my name and timings at the entrance of the dorm and leave the dorms after waving farewell to our security guard, Ms Anna. My friends and I proceed to the dining hall for breakfast, talking about today’s classes.When school ends at 3.30 pm, I usually go for snacks in the Commons while talking about my day at school with my friends. I then go play volleyball, shower, drop off my clothes for laundry and head to the Commons for dinner around 6.50 pm. Once dinner is over, the dorm prefects and I rush to the kitchen to get the cookies the students in our dorms will have after study time at 7.30 pm, while also getting to taste a cupcake along the way! We quickly drop the cookies off at the dorms and go to the Commons for our own study time till 9.15 pm.

Being a Diploma Programme student and a Dorm Prefect has been quite challenging for me, especially in the initial months. I found myself running behind on revisions and learning course material. However, I overcame those challenges by going for afterschool academic support and finding a balance between it all.

Time flies by and soon we head back to the dorms where we conduct the attendance for the night. Other dorm prefects and I distribute cookies. Everyone is talking and laughing at each other's jokes, making it very lively. Some of the residential students can feel homesick at times, which is understandable. We try to make sure they develop a sense of belonging to the campus and the residential community through different activities, like sports, music and art.

After attendance, I go to my room to call my parents and work on any assignments or work I might have left to do before it’s lights out at 10.30 pm. I would say my favourite part about being a Dorm Prefect is the ability to hear the stories of others, which has made me more empathetic and grateful. I believe a responsible position is not about testing your leadership skills, but it’s more about your ability to listen and know your community. I have always been grateful for the residential life due to the sense of community and holistic growth that it has offered me in the past three years."

Aman Gangani, Diploma Programme 2 student, Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad

A Day at the AKA Mombasa

Hussain Abdurrahman, Grade 6 student at AKA Mombasa — Hussain Abdurrahman, Grade 6, AKA Mombasa

"Greetings from Mombasa! I am 11 years old and I love swimming and I have been on the swim team ever since Year 1. My day starts early, I wake up at 5.30 am and leave for a 6 am swim practice session. My favorite location on the school campus is the pool because it is always warm and it is good fun when we get free swimming but is also very tiring when we have hard training. Next we have a team breakfast in the Commons, my favourite being the Wednesday pancakes. I have a good chat with my teammates and then leave for class at 7.45 am.

First, our mentor group discusses the rest of the day or any important notices. We also meet once a week for core time, where we get to ask, share and discuss anything. We might talk about how our weekend was, or how to vote and run for the student council. After this it is lesson time.

The thing I like most about my subject classes is how different they are. For example you could be filming videos in English class for an assignment on advertising and in another you can be creating an animation for digital design, or coaching a friend through a fitness regime in Physical Health Education. I recently did a project on digital devices and I explored this through the lens of economics for development.

In between lessons we get break time and lunch time. I enjoy heading to the field to play football, walking around campus, or playing basketball in the hall.

After school, I have tried many activities. I play tennis, I do LAMDA and this year I am involved in Model United Nations (MUN) and E-Sports gaming. It is cool to be in an enrichment led by the senior students. There are so many after school activities, it is hard to choose which one to take.

Sometimes in the evenings there are events for the boarding students that day students can also attend, such as Garba night and special trips. One of my highlights was travelling to Moshi, Tanzania for the inter-school sports competition, where I got to represent the Academy in swimming. On the weekends there are also sports team events and competitions which are a lot of fun."

Hussain Abdurrahman, Grade 6 student, Aga Khan Academy Mombasa