The Finnish education system is one of the best in the world. International students in Finnish universities are increasing each year because of the quality of education that is offered in Finland. The African diaspora in Finland can boast of academics and intellectuals who are making an impact on society. One of the products of the Finnish education system returned to his motherland to use the education he garnered abroad to better the lives of his people in Tanzania. Diaspora Glitz Magazine contacted Dennis Lazaro Londo, a former lecturer at DIAK University of Applied Sciences who is now an MP representing the Mikumi constituency in Tanzania under the The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM; lit. ‘Party of the Revolution’ in English) which is the dominant ruling party in Tanzania and the second longest-ruling party in Africa.
1. Please introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Dennis Lazaro Londo. I was born on the 5th of May 1976 in Morogoro Region in Tanzania.
2. When did you come to Finland? You were in Finland for studies before returning to Tanzania. How would you rate the Finnish education system?
I came to Finland in August year 2000 mainly for studies at Tampere College specifically at Kuru Institute of Forestry where I graduated in the year 2002.
Then the year 2002 I joined Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Espoo where I graduated in the year 2005 (Bsc Social Services).
After I graduated from Laurea UAS, I moved to Denmark in 2005 and joined the the University of Aalborg in Denmark for Masters Studies (MSc in Development International Relations)
The year 2006 I continued with another study for Masters’s in International Social Work at Gothenburg University in Sweden.
I graduated with both Masters’s studies in May 2008 and moved back to Finland where I landed a job at DIAK University of Applied Sciences as a Lecturer.
Fulfilling the employer’s requirements I had to join Pedagogy Postgraduate Studies at Haaga Helia University which I studied while I was teaching and graduated in the year 2010. In my opinion, the Finnish education system remains one of the best on Earth both in quality and competence.
MP Dennis Lazaro Londo
3. Why did you decide to join politics in your home country?
I was moved by how Finnish politics and political activities were organised and practised; then I moved to Cambodia where I was working with a Finnish Organisation until 2016; I returned home to Tanzania after former Tanzania President Dr John Pombe Magufuli appointed me to become District Director. After serving the government for four years then I decided to run for a parliament position as I thought I have a responsibility also to contribute to my nation’s building and transformation. I managed to win the election and eventually become a parliament member in the 2020 General election
4. Many African academics in the diaspora are not willing to go back to their home country, to give back to the society the education they got abroad. What could be the reason?
The African intellectuals and academicians in the diaspora are reluctant to return to their country of origin and give simply because of a lack of recognition and serious consideration for what they can offer to their motherland.
5. Does Africans in the diaspora have a role to play in the political system in their home country? Using Tanzania as a case study?
I strongly believe Africans in the diaspora have a crucial role to play in the development of their country of origin in all spaces be it social, economic or political.
Being abroad and engaged with developed and sophisticated systems it’s crucial to consider the best way to remit skills, knowledge and capital.
6. Your advice for people of African backgrounds in Finland towards building a sustainable community?
My advice to my African Brothers and Sisters in Finland is to know that Finland is a country with systems the rest of the world is still dreaming of. It’s very crucial to learn and take the best from it, appreciate what Finland offers and never forget you are at home away from home…you have a duty and moral responsibility to be part and parcel of our continent’s development.
