Working in Khan Foundation Junior Academy as a teacher has been an incredible experience. My daily routine often starts with a mental struggle because I’d have to go to the water front and board a canoe to get to the school.
Getting to the river bank and having to bargain for and sometimes wait for some minutes to get a boat that will take me to the school is another challenge of its own. Nonetheless, every day in this school has its own experiences packaged with it. The kids are really lovely. Being with them daily is enough compensation for the rigors I face getting to them.
One day, after teaching the kids, I was headed home when I fell into the water. The boat had toppled over and there I was…. inside a pool of my worst fear since I started coming to the community. I cried so much that even the kids came out and they laughed at me. The next day I was still in class like nothing happened.
Another day, another terrifying event happened, my boat just got stuck in the water probably because the water was drying up or some funny reasons I can’t explain, the drivers hopped into this dirty water and was pushing the boat. The boat paddlers happened to be my kids from school. It felt so natural to them, but I felt so sad knowing the health consequences that may accrue. All this seemingly terrible experiences have become nothing to me because the kids are so encouraging in the way they learn and push themselves to learn irrespective of the language barrier. I have learnt from all of this that I can learn anything I set my mind to learn regardless of the circumstances and condition surrounding it .
Seeing the Children grow in love and having love from individuals, cooperate bodies and from teachers extended to them is an awesome feeling.
I am certainly not the person that I used to the be before I met this wonderful Children. I literally feel love from everyone involved in this project.
Having to repeatedly teach the kids has instilled an uncanny patience that I would not have easily learnt from any other ordinary occurrence. But now I can firmly say I have Patience coupled with endurance.
The humor that comes with this adventurous kids is really life fulfilling – I remember teaching on a Friday and I never knew they wanted to surprise me and as we went on our canoe cruise to recite our queen primer they gave me fish in appreciation I was so moved to tears because they understood the impact of education in their lives and the only way they could pay back was by surprising me with fish. I would have written the Naira equivalent of those fish but trust me it was not cheap.
Each time I discipline the kids they always know how to get back at me in water cause they will be shaking the boat just to scare me but I have become a Pro – No more Water phobia . I won’t forget to mention the new Perfume I have suddenly put on (The smoked fish luxury perfume)
which is only obtainable in the school.
In Conclusion I would boldly say that my drive is that i am part of the development of individuals that make up this great country by little investment of my personality and my whole life experiences which I think is true success in life. Thanks to Khan Foundation, I have been able to find balance in both the bad, the good and the Ugly working with this adventurous kids.
My name is Ebuka Omaliko. I am a Khan Foundation Junior Academy Teacher. I am a pharmacology graduate from the University of Lagos , a designer , teacher and a yelling agent for Change, a hope ambassador and a prisoner of hope