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
for, he lectures well and gives wonderful advices 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 30minutes 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 (visit
www.undyinghope.org for more details), or you can share about our mission with your
contacts. Together, lets make quality education being a right, a reality!