Training on personal resilience and health is by far the best thing that I have experienced as a teacher – Madam Agnes

Madam Agnes Mukami, a teacher at Merti Boarding JS, grading learners’ papers on her desk. She has been a teacher for about three years, specializing in English and Literature. Agnes is among 106 JS teachers from 51 schools from across four sub counties – Merti, Cherab, Oldonyiro and Sericho – in Isiolo County, who participated in a capacity building training to equip them with knowledge and skills in strengthening personal resilience and health for in-school adolescents. This intervention is a collaboration by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya, Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission, supported by Zizi Afrique Foundation and Echidna Giving in 11 Counties in Kenya.

 

Agnes shares her perspective on the program:

 

I want to leave a positive impact

My motivation to be a teacher particularly working in Isiolo County is driven by my desire to positively impact lives through teaching.

The training I received earlier this year on personal resilience and health is by far the best thing that I have experienced as a teacher since I came to Merti Sub County. I not only learnt about new and better ways of overcoming challenges and different ways of engaging my colleagues and friends but also learnt about how to better handle learners as well as impart resilience skills in them.

Since I started conducting resilience sessions with my learners, I began noticing positive changes in them. These changes have been gradual as we continue to run the program.

 

Learners are communicating better

I am noting improved communication by my learners. They are now speaking up more compared to the past. They are now even handling their emotions better. They have learnt how to identify and understand their own emotions and those of others, and this has therefore improved their interactions with each other.

Additionally, before, learners were coming to school as part of a daily routine, they never really thought about why they are coming to school including their goals in life. Today however, learners can identify their goals and are even breaking them down into short-term goals that they are working on to contribute to achievement of their larger goals.

 

Grade 7 learners from Merti Boarding during one of their Youth First Kenya (YFK) resilience and health sessions in school. The sessions are typically done in a circle to communicate equality and a safe space for the learners. Isiolo County is also very arid and experiences hot temperatures hence the reason the session is conducted outdoors. YFK is a KICD approved curriculum that was developed by WorldBeing and adapted for Kenya and is being implemented by Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya. The program promotes student wellbeing and holistic development.

 

Embracing respect as a value

These skills we are imparting in learners have also enabled them to embrace important values such as respect and this is evident in the way they relate with each other. They have begun seeing themselves as one community treating each other with mutual respect.

One of the other clear pieces of evidence of this change we are noting is the improved relationships between learners and teachers. In the past, learners would often miss school because of lack of access to items such as sanitary towels. Today however, these learners are more open with their teachers and will openly talk about their needs. We as teachers have on a number of occasions chipped in by putting our resources together to assist our learners in such instances.

We are truly appreciative of this program and are happy to have been selected as the teachers to implement it in our school.