By Sharon Nashipae – Communications and Community Coordinator

Tr. Maureen has been a teacher at St. Esther Community Center in Kayole for the last ten years. She prides herself in having a lot of knowledge about the school, its history and the community that surrounds it. Being a grade 3 teacher, she is involved in the foundational learning of all the learners who have passed through her classroom. It’s evident that her young learners are quite fond of her. From time to time during our brief interview with her, some of the younger, more curious learners drift towards her and she sends them off with a gentle word and a smile. She has created a safe space between herself and her learners where curiosity and asking questions are encouraged.

Tr. Maureen was part of the Stawisha Instructional Leadership Institute cohort of 2021. She shares this detail with pride, noting that her attitude and career have not been the same since Stawisha and that she is excited for her fellow teachers who are currently going through the Stawisha program.

During this particular visit to St. Esther Community Center, all the learners in the school received brand new sets of school uniform, complete with a shiny new pair of shoes.  This school uniform distribution is made possible by our amazing partners, Tailored for Education (TFE) who work in many communities around the world to ensure that lack of school uniform is not a barrier to education.

This visit in particular is made even more special by the fact that TFE’s passionate and dedicated founders, Megan Kelly and Jessica Roy are part of the team doing the distribution. It is such a pleasure when our partners join us in the field and experience first-hand the power and impact of the work that we do together. TFE’s founders are passionate in ensuring that the most vulnerable children around the world are not illegitimized or denied access to education due to lack of school uniforms.

Tr. Maureen says that most parents cannot meet the financial costs of ensuring their children have school uniforms. She notes that many learners come to school with low energy and confidence because they have no school uniform, mismatched uniform or even tattered clothes. Some of them even have to be sent back home to dress appropriately. She singles out an incident when one of her learner’s dresses was so tattered at the back that she was clearly uncomfortable and could not learn. She echoes the joy of teachers and parents alike at receiving the uniforms.

“I think the children will be eager to wear their new uniforms and to come to school and learn. They will sit freely in class and they will learn well,” says Tr. Maureen as she watches learners strut up and down in their new duds.

She also foresees an increase in enrollment in the school in the short and long term. Communities such as those where St. Esther Community Center belongs desire to give their children the best opportunities for a bright future. Where one might see just a simple school uniform, this community sees an opportunity for their learners to learn with confidence, from capable teachers, through a shared identity and belonging to the school, made possible by the provision of a set of school uniform.

We are grateful for the continued support of our partners at Tailored for Education who play a pivotal role in our vision to transform schooling into learning by creating vibrant schools where all children can thrive and succeed.

Please click on this link to learn how you can get involved in our work.