Naeem grew up in Musoma, within the Mara region in North Eastern Tanzania. From an early age, he has been involved in the planning and execution of several self-help development projects initiated by farmers and their local government throughout the Mara region via his family business, Mawsons Constructions Ltd. Many of the projects involved the construction of earth dams, bridges and primary schools in some of the most remote areas of Mara, including Busegwe Primary School, Buswahili Earth Dam, Mkirira Earth Dam and Rwako Bridge.
For three years, he led the Mzizima chapter of Aiding Youth for Life (Canada) in coordinating over 200 students in yearlong campaigns to provide an “educational vaccine” against HIV/AIDS in various parts of Tanzania. Due to his high academic performance and unique leadership profile, Naeem received a scholarship to pursue the International Baccalaureate diploma at the Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi. He also served his high school as a deputy head prefect, a demanding administrative role that he was parachuted into shortly after arriving to his new school.
