Caleb Onga’nya

Meet Caleb Onga’nya, a grade 6 teacher at Bridge Academy Kiserian in Kajiado County who has been at Bridge for the past 8 years! As we celebrate World Teachers Day under the theme “The Transformation of Education Begins With Teachers” Caleb believes that a teacher is extremely influential in transforming education because teachers have the power to shape the destiny of a child and help them progress to higher levels in their lives.

“I recently met one of my former pupils, who is currently at Mount Kenya University. Seeing her excitement and appreciation for my work melted my heart.” Says Caleb. He also adds that teachers also have the capability of nurturing talents and discovering the strengths of children in different fields.

“In life, children will always have different life paths and it is the responsibility of a teacher to identify the strong point of their pupils and work on them. I have also met two more of my former pupils where one is a renowned mechanic while the other is an electrician. As a teacher, I was happy to have nurtured their talents.” Adds Caleb.

Bridge International Academies believes that supporting teachers through continuous training and development empowers them to transform lives. Caleb who underwent the training says it enabled him to become a better teacher who can comfortably deliver lessons.

On World’s Teachers Day, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone can become a teacher and that it takes certain skills to ensure learners understand, feel free to talk to you, and are inspired by what you teach. Caleb is a teacher who is loved by pupils because of his friendly and enthusiastic nature.

“One thing I learned in my teaching years of experience is that instilling fear in a child only pushes them away, you can still be friendly and gain the respect of your pupils.” Says Caleb.

As we celebrate World Teachers Day, Caleb urges teachers from all over the globe to do what they know best because the future of our children is in their hands and no good deed goes unappreciated.

“I teach wholeheartedly because my greatest gift is seeing a pupil simply thanking me for transforming their lives. He concludes. On this day let us all come together to celebrate the accomplishments, contributions, and efforts of teachers all around the world.