Hardness Range/ Tanzania

When Hardness Range first received the email saying she had been selected for the Patoranking ALU Scholarship to study at the African Leadership University’s Kigali campus, she couldn’t believe it.

“I didn’t tell anyone for like two days because I was like, maybe they have sent an email to the wrong person,” she recalls. It wasn’t until she shared the news with her sister and saw her overwhelming excitement that the reality of the moment finally sank in.

Growing up in Tanzania, Hardness was raised in a household where education was a top priority. Her parents, both civil servants, invested heavily in their children’s learning, ensuring they had access to both public and private schooling. That exposure helped Hardness develop a deep curiosity for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity.

Her high school years in Morogoro were transformative, where she and her classmates developed an eco-friendly stove made from bamboo and clay to help local women cook more efficiently. This hands-on project sparked her passion for finding innovative solutions that could make a tangible impact. “It really opened my eyes to the power of giving back,” she recalls.

Determined to further her knowledge, Hardness found the African Leadership University and applied for the scholarship. At ALU, she pursued International Business and Trade, launching Inked Oil, an export business that brought affordable castor oil from Tanzania to Kigali. Her time in Silicon Valley, where she met with tech entrepreneurs, helped her refine her understanding of business on a global scale, reinforcing the importance of strategic planning, branding and team building.

That experience shaped how she viewed entrepreneurship and innovation. “You can’t come to Africa and create a dating app while there are people, let’s say in the remote area of Tanzania, still facing scarcity of water,” she said. “Despite the differences in perspective and challenges, I really liked the way we were exposed to these big companies like Google. Now I, as a small business owner fully recognize the importance of investing in team members.”

After graduating, she secured an internship in Germany. But even as she explores new opportunities, she remains deeply connected to her roots. Returning to Tanzania to mentor high school students, encouraging them to believe in their potential and aim higher, just as she did.

Looking ahead, she is driven by a sense of responsibility. “There is a saying from the Bible: To whom much is given, much is expected,” she says. “If this scholarship touched me, I believe there are more people that should be touched through me.”