Steve Ooko

 

Steve Ooko is an inspiring teacher trainer who’s worked his way up to become a well-respected and senior member of the Bridge family. However, he hasn’t always had a career in education—before joining Bridge in 2012, he held a wide array of positions including as a construction worker, a cleaner and a sales associate.

He came across Bridge when listening to the radio; the broadcast announced that they were hiring and training new teachers. He believed that this gave him a great opportunity to hold a position that can impact the lives of young people. “I always wanted to be a teacher. I had great teachers as a kid that helped me to become a good man. I always thought of doing that for others,” he says.

A few days after applying for a teaching position, Steve was invited to attend a Bridge training session. After weeks of hard work and dedication, Steve was offered a full-time position at Bridge, Kingston in Nairobi.

“I was very happy that I was given a permanent placement. Some of my peer did not pass training. With my new job, I could become a great Bridge teacher,” he smiles.

Steve enjoyed a successful tenure as a teacher at Kingston Academy. When his first pupils sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams, they obtained excellent average scores.

As an outstanding teacher, he was invited to train others and share the secrets of his success. Now, he’s been a teacher trainer for many years and has participated in dozens of training sessions, training countless teachers.

By the time induction is over, they’re different people.

“I’m very proud of the work I’ve done so far,” says Steve. “I like the fact that teachers really transform when they come here for training. They come from teachers college, many of them come from working at other schools. They’re trained and have experience, but by the time induction training is over, they’re different people. I am very happy to be part of that process.”

Keep doing what you love, Steve!