An Educator’s Influence

Today was one of those days when I overheard a conversation on the public bus that made me begin to converse also within me. Two college students were conversing and one was sharing her experience with a teacher earlier at school and ended up saying she hated the teacher in question. Her friend was shocked because that is like everyone’s favorite teacher, he lectures well and gives wonderful pieces of advice always to his learners. Her friend insisted he was bad because he didn’t give her preferential treatment being a lady when she arrived quite late for her exam. She had not only arrived more 30 minutes late but was not even aware of it. Her colleague rebuked her and told her that the teacher was right in punishing her and was only performing his role of shaping her into a responsible person. I was inwardly proud of this young lady’s response to her friend.

This reminded me of the great role educators have in nation building. All the doctors, engineers, businessmen and women, teachers, professors and others that pass through their hands are shaped into responsible human beings who later benefit their families and nation at large. Often times, when a person begins the journey of education, almost 80% of their contact time is spent at school (with teachers) rather than at home (with parents). It is thus right to say that the educators in schools have a huge influence over children rather than the parents. So, to ensure that the influence they make on the learners is positive, one way is to be equipped with the right tools.

I am so glad that at Undying Hope, teacher training is seen as one of such tools that we can use. In the months of August and September 2024, Undying Hope through support from DC Rotary and Annapolis rotary clubs sponsored two teachers training events in Western Bahr Ghazal and Northern Bahr Ghazal respectively. Over 100 primary and secondary school teachers were trained under these initiatives. “One step at a time,” like my brother Theil usually says. We hope to sponsor more of such trainings as the impact of the quality of the educator on the quality of professionals produced can not be over-emphasized enough. Join us in shaping young minds through a donation- financially or in kind (click here for more details), or you can share about our mission with your contacts. Together, lets make quality education being a right, a reality!