Proud: ‘Our children go out into the world and fit in.’

Part 4: Interviews Pestalozzi World Zambia: Meet our proud teacher, Annie Kangwa.

Many of the staff members at Pestalozzi Zambia, stated that one of the most rewarding aspects of their jobs is seeing the children transform from when they arrive at 10 years old, unable to communicate in English, to when they leave at 18 years old, with confidence and top grades in all subjects!

Annie Kangwa, is educating our children as one of our teachers at the Pestalozzi Zambia Village. She works with our youngest children when they first arrive. One of the challenges she encounters is the children come from various parts of Zambia so there is a language barrier due to the several languages spoken. ‘However, after only one term, they are all able to interact fluently in English,’ Annie remarked.

She describes herself as a ‘proud teacher’, she says the following things make her so: ‘Our children go out into the world and fit in, are able to support themselves, and develop Zambia as a country’.

Listen to her interview above, or read it below:

“My name is Annie Kangwa,

I joined Pestalozzi in 2011 from a private school

The most challenging thing is when the children just come from different schools in Zambia they come from different schools and then we have to start with them at a certain point so that we start moving at the same pace. 

And also language barrier, we have children coming from different provinces for example people from Northern Province the official language which the learners are taught is Bemba. Then we also have some coming from Eastern Province with Chi Nyanja, so to put these learners together and come up with one language so that we move at the same pace becomes a challenge at first but as we move on learners you know are easy to pick up the languages they do pick up and we start moving on the same pace.  It takes the children I think a full term, by then they will be able to at least communicate fully but when they just come like after a month they will be able to communicate but not in correct English, but you will be able to pick what they are saying.

What makes me very proud or what makes me a proud teacher is that the learners who come from Kasisi from the villages are able to come and compete with the learners here at Ibex.

For example I can give you an example of this year’s results, the one who topped the list is from Kasisi and I’m very proud even at grade 9 level, the one who tops the list is from Kasisi so I am a very proud teacher I enjoy seeing the learners develop and to be able to go out there in the world.

Another example I can give you is the example of Hellen, Hellen came from a very um disadvantaged background, I kept on counselling her until she is now in a nursing school where she is training as a nurse. So I’m very proud of Pestalozzi what they are doing helping our children who are disadvantaged.

Apart from counselling I teach the Zambian syllabus, from morning then lunch we break and then they come back. We also have extra-curriculum programmes where the learners are exposed to sports, other programmes like Health club, drama where they show their talent so our programme at Kasisi is very full. Yes they do.. yes they do and they go out there in the world and fit in well behaved able to support themselves and go out there and develop Zambia as a country.

I would love to thank the sponsors of the children, they are doing a very good job and we hope this will continue because this is helping a lot of disadvantaged young Zambians and if they see others who have passed through Pestalozzi they are able to be encouraged to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Annie Kangwa – Zambia 2022