Celebrating Teachers

Children in the Wilderness (CITW) is helping teachers throughout southern Africa nurture future conservation leaders. Through hosting Eco-Club programs, providing scholarships to promising students, and running annual camps for children at safari properties, CITW aims to teach children about their natural heritage so that they can learn to understand it, appreciate it, and conserve it.

This heartfelt mission, however, is only possible through the work of the many excellent teachers running the CITW program – such as Rebecca Kamanga from Zimbabwe.

Rebecca is a teacher and CITW Eco-Mentor at Ngamo Primary School in the Tsholotsho District. She was inspired by her own teachers and their commitment, love, and dedication. When asked what makes a good teacher, Rebecca responded by saying, "A good teacher possesses genuine enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and inspiring learners. They create a respectful, inclusive, and productive learning environment. This role also involves working with diligence, commitment, and dedication. Personally, I believe it is not about rewards or benefits. It's a passion".

This type of passion is a pre-requisite, as teaching in rural Africa has myriad challenges. In Zimbabwe, for example, there is currently a mass exodus of teachers due to the low wages they receive; an estimated 300 educators are leaving each month according to the Zimbabwe Teachers' Association. This has resulted in a literacy crisis, with over half of Zimbabwean Grade 7 learners leaving primary school unable to read or write in English. This crisis emphasizes the importance of retaining teachers like Rebecca to turn the tide.

Not only does Rebecca do her duty as a teacher with diligence, but she goes above and beyond that by also being a CITW Eco-Mentor. In this role, she supports learners in adopting environmentally friendly practices and sustainable living habits. Motivating learners to take action and enact positive changes in their surroundings is key to her role.

"I became an Eco-Mentor because of my passion for the environment. I also wanted to inspire others by empowering learners to appreciate wildlife and nature, as well as fostering an understanding of being environmentally conscious and eco-friendly. Personally, I sought to deepen my own knowledge and understanding of wildlife and nature." 

And it is perhaps this desire to deepen her own knowledge of the natural world that makes Rebecca and other CITW teachers so inspiringly good at what they do. They are constantly pushing themselves to learn so that they can impart more knowledge to future generations. As the Greek philosopher Socrates highlights, "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel."