An Interview with Herman Nguki, January 29, 2013, Iringa, Tanzania
Chastity brought me respect, responsibility, and has helped me to concentrate on my studies. In fact, it is why I have been so successful at school. Chastity has transformed my heart, and I desire to reach society and teach other people what I have learned.
On November 11th 2009 the Universal Chastity Education team visited my school, Mlamke Secondary School. After the seminar, I was so taken by the message the team brought that I immediately signed a chastity card. Afterwards, I began to think about how I could get more information about what the team had talked about, and also give that information to others.
I chose to accept the message of chastity for several reasons. The human body comprises many things, including a heart. If that heart is harmed emotionally, then love disappears in society. I knew that chastity was the only way that I could guarantee a healthy life, respect, harmony, and protection. I also knew that it expresses responsibility, humanity, and consideration in each and every thing that I do each day. I accepted the message of chastity, and this made me a leader among my fellow youth. They would come to me and ask for advice whenever they faced challenges. My parents were very proud of me.
The next year, I was selected to attend high school at Njombe High School, which is the region next to Iringa. I was selected to be a Minister of Guidance and Counseling in the student government. Njombe High School is composed of students from each region of Tanzania. I knew that it was a golden chance to introduce the UCE message country wide. I communicated with the UCE Program Officer, Mr. Isaac Lema. Isaac replied that the team was ready to come any time. I asked permission from school administration to invite the team, and they were happy with the idea.
The UCE team arrived, and gave the message to my peers. We officially opened a UCE Club at Njombe, and I was selected to lead the club. The team continued to send me topics and information so that I could teach the other students in the club. I gained additional information and experience by using my holidays to travel with the UCE team to conduct outreaches in other schools. I volunteered with UCE because I wanted to gain more knowledge about how to help youth protect themselves from HIV, teenage pregnancies, and also gain the respect of their peers.
After I graduated from high school, I had done well and so was able to attend university. I was accepted into Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro Tanzania. I am earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Irrigation & Water Resource Engineering. I have found that the lifestyle at university is contra to that of my high school. At university students are less guided by laws and regulation. They have more freedom to do what they want. When I arrived at University in October of 2012, I recognized this lifestyle may result in some students not completing their studies.
Surely, this was a challenge, as many were engaging in premarital sexual intercourse. Still the challenge remained the same, how can I help them to learn about a better way of living? It was difficult, and I thought there would be no way! Then I had the idea that if I introduced the UCE message to a certain group, the members of that group would be as ambassadors to help others, like happened in my high school. I thought, ‘can I keep quiet until the school administration approves an UCE outreach? No!!’ I decided I must start with Christian groups, then they will spread the message to others.
That’s what I did, I asked for permission from Christian student leaders, and they allowed me to speak. I consulted with the UCE team, and they sent me documents, including books, and chastity cards. Now, I have done outreaches to three groups. At each group I was given four sessions. Still, I am looking for more ways to reach more groups including secondary schools, which are near the university. If God wishes, one day I will manage to consult with the university administration and invite the UCE team so that the whole university may hear!
As for my chastity card, I always walk with it in my pocket, since the day I signed it. Whenever I talk about the advantages of abstaining, there is always someone who says it is impossible. I take out my chastity card and show them my example. IT BEGINS WITH ME! Then I tell the youth that because of this chastity card, I have a good relationship with God, I am excelling in my studies, and I am respected in my community.
Njombe High School UCE Club 
Herman Nguki on an UCE Outreach