Celebrating World Teachers Day 2024: The Unsung Pillars of Society
Teacher Anthony Mjomba, a teacher on a mission, whose influence goes well beyond the classroom walls.
As the world came together on October 5th to celebrate World Teachers' Day, Windle International joined in the chorus of gratitude and appreciation for the often unsung heroes of our society—teachers. This day serves as a reminder of the indispensable role that our teachers continually play and the profound impact they have in the success of our education programmes.
In honor of their invaluable contributions to education and hope, the spotlight is on one of our own, an exceptional educator, whose incredible resilience and dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of students is truly inspiring!
Meet Teacher Anthony Mjomba, a teacher on a mission, whose influence goes well beyond the classroom walls. Mjomba is a teacher of English and Literature at Tawakal Secondary School in Dagahaley, one of the six schools in Dadaab under the management of Windle International Kenya.
He also serves as the Head of Department-Academics at the school, where his passion and skills transcend academics to mentoring learners in climate education, promoting inclusive education, integrating ICT and instilling other invaluable life skills
Inspired to be a change maker
Reflecting on his own personal journey, Mjomba recounts being deeply influenced and inspired by his teachers back in his formative stages.
My teachers all believed that I could make it, despite the many obstacles I faced. From my Primary teacher Mr. Toli who held my hand and became a mentor, to my High School Teachers ,Mr Ngugi, Mr.Msembi and the principal,Mr Mwatee who became my guiding forces and imparted knowledge in a way that inspired me to be enthusiastic and dynamic, much like them.
For Mjomba, the role that these teachers played and the transformative impact in his life and teaching career couldn’t be more meaningful to him now.
As a teacher serving in a marginalized and emergency education context, we deal with learners who are largely in need of hope, kindness and leadership. As such, we are challenged as teachers to do more than just delivering lessons. As agents of change, we counsel, coach, mentor and transform challenges into opportunities for our students. I am grateful to Windle International Kenya for the opportunity to positively impact the lives of these students each day.
Adaptability in the Face of Change
Often times, igniting a love for learning that lasts a lifetime calls for adaptability to creative teaching and learning approaches. Reflecting on his experiences, Mjomba highlights why it is important for him as a teacher to tailor instructional methods to meet the specific needs of his students.
Traditionally, teacher-centered instructional methods failed to exploit the potential our learners possess. The teacher was seen as the sole owner of knowledge, denying students the opportunity to participate in learning. With the current generation of learners, where exposure to information happens very early, a paradigm shift becomes very necessary for my role as a teacher. Focusing on my learners, I have realized that they embrace more learner friendly and learner-centered approaches in teaching and learning where my role is to be a facilitator of process. A key highlight is seen whenever I integrate digital learning into my lessons. Through WIK’s partnership with UNHCR and Vodafone Foundation, we are privileged to have access to Instant Network Schools, a digital learning platform where my learners can, without struggle, access and use the vast materials in the server using the provided school tablets.
As digital transformations driven by AI and other emerging technologies continue to reshape various industries, Mjomba shares his own experiences.
Though many teachers have been skeptical about it, AI tools have become a partner in my teaching and learning, bridging the gap on research and access to resources. Embracing this move to digital learning, I am learning to create visual and audio content for my YouTube channel "TeacherMjomba,” targeting both the regular and visually impaired learners here in Dadaab Refugee Camp, in my own small ways of making education more inclusive and accessible to all.
Moulding futures and Inspiring generations.
What drives Mjomba? What makes teaching so rewarding? For him, it is his student’s success and knowing his impact goes beyond the classroom.
Helping my learners achieve their academic goals has been at the heart of my involvement. Organizing remedial sessions during lunch hour and in the evening (out of the normal routines) has equipped them with knowledge on answering different questions and what they expect to meet in English exams. Not to mention my commitment to meet the needs of my learners with hearing impairment in school, which I have taken the challenge to learn Kenyan Sign Language. Today, I can confidently enter their class and interact with them with minimal need of an interpreter. In my classroom, I strive to create a safe and inclusive environment where students can feel respected and heard.
My involvement in student mentorship and career guidance helps them connect their education to real-world opportunities and aspirations. It enables them to make informed choices and decisions about their academic paths, aligning their talents, interests, and capabilities with potential career trajectories.
It therefore gives me joy to see some of my former students joining our schools as four-form graduate refugee teachers while others secure scholarships to further their education and land jobs back in their home countries. It is such achievements and testimonies that remind me why I teach. They fuel my passion to continue serving the refugee community and are a pillar of hope to me, validating my belief that education can indeed transform society.
More than a Teacher
Beyond textbooks and curricula, educators like Mjomba are imparting various other transferable skills that transcend specific subjects. This holistic approach to education not only empowers students to navigate an ever-evolving world but also fosters a mindset of continuous growth and adaptability.
The opportunity to work at Windle International Kenya gives me a platform to employ and grow other skills apart from academia. For instance, my passion for climate education has found fertile ground through WIK’s Green Youth 360 project, an initiative that aims to engage vulnerable youth from both refugee and host communities in climate actions that promote peacebuilding and environmental stewardship.
As the project lead in my school and through collective efforts, our learners and teachers alike have benefitted from trainings on climate change and mitigation and are involved in activities like tree planting, agriculture, renewable energy and clean environments, making Tawakal a Green school.
Further, to mentor upcoming talents such as journalists, photographers, graphic designers, I spearhead and collaborate with the school administration to produce our school’s newsletter editions that started in July of this year.
It is our duty as teachers to ensure that students receive high quality education that not only equips them with the skills and knowledge needed to excel, but also shapes them into well-rounded individuals.
Commitment to growth.
To improve as a teacher, continuous growing and learning is inevitable for personal and professional development. This is to ensure that teachers are equipped to provide the best learning experiences for their students to enhance their own lives and set a powerful example to students, showing them that success is attainable through continuous learning and self-improvement.
I am passionate about continually growing my professional skills as a teacher as well as advanced training in climate education and project management as a vessel to reach a wider community in developing countries and harness the opportunity for access to quality education.
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on the journey ahead, Mjomba is optimistic of the opportunities that are there for teachers throwing a challenge to rethink the path forward for the profession.
Reflecting about the future of education in emergencies, I believe we have an opportunity to invest in educational technology, including contextualized AI tools in education, integrating trends like climate education in teaching and learning while ensuring the quality of the education is not compromised. Great teachers know that technology isn't just a tool—it’s a game-changer in the learning experience. The magic happens when innovative tech meets skilled educators, creating transformative education that sticks.
On World Teachers Day today, I am honored to join other educators across the globe to celebrate their incredible resilience and dedication in teaching, inspiring and transforming lives, one student at a time.
“𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬.” — 𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘌𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯