Investing in teachers is to invest in the community
Teacher Training Programs (Pathfinder) in JRS and the challenges to offer a full Diploma to these young teachers.
JRS Kakuma (Kenya), and as part of our Jesuit idiosyncrasy at JRS, we believe in a quality and inclusive education as a mailestone for self-reliance and empowerment.
This does not only mean offering the opportunity to access education to thousands of children around the world, but also to ensure that such education is of good quality.
And how do we achieve that? By training and empowering the teachers.
Teachers help our children to grow, to develop, to become adults and be the actors of our tomorrow. Therefore, teachers should be undoubtably considered an asset for every society. And that is the reason why, from JRS all around the world, we invest in teacher training among refugees: to let the refugee community empower themselves and become actors of change.
“We feel we are professional teachers in Kakuma, now” — Banychi.
At JRS Kenya in Kakuma, one of our main programs is focused on Primary Teacher Education Program (PTEP) and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE).
We train young women and men among the refugee and host community to accompany children in their first years of education: to teach them maths, languages… but also to understand their needs, to define training programs to ensure the best development of the child, to respond to their education requirements, and to be the best version possible of an educator.
Currently we have 43 beneficiaries enrolled in our ECDE program in Kakuma Refugee Camp. We offer one year training to get a Certificate so these youth can later implement their learning in the professional sphere. Many of them are currently working in different education centres around the Camp and beyond, even at JRS Education centres as Incentive Staff… but this might not be enough.
“I have changed, in Kakuma. Through education, and JRS has done a big part of it.” — Banychi.
Due to high levels of demand and scare resources, from JRS Kakuma we can only offer them one year training, what allows them to sit for National Exams and get the ECDE Certificate. However, what the students pursue is a Diploma, that would open more doors for them in the professional sphere.
But, how can we get them a Diploma? By offering a second year of training to all these students who passed the National Exams. And How can we do so? With more funds. If at JRS Kakuma we manage to get more investment for the Post-Secondary Education Program (Pathfinder), we’ll be able to engage these students in a second year of trainings with the Tangaza University and let them do the official examinations to reach their diploma.
From JRS we ask our donors, -past, present and future- and to you, as a potential private donor, to support these students and help us to accompany them until finalizing their education.
“I really appreciate JRS becaue they have done a big part in my life, and they’ve been able to change my life, physically and emotionally.” — Banychi.
Not only for the good sake of these students, but for the best of the refugee and host communities. Because a community with good, professional and passionate teachers, is a growing and empowering community.
And that is what we dream for the refugee and host community in Turkana as JRS Kenya.
Help the community: support a teacher to get a full Diploma!
