- PACEmaker International
- Education, Impact, PACE Fellow, PACE Fellows, Quality Education for All Children
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By Leonard Asanga, PACE Fellow 2023
“Asanga, can you organise for me this class so that we can host PACEmaker International?” said my emphatic teacher patron at Kerarapon Primary School. I didn’t know with this little act of submission a whole other world waited for me after high school.
Getting into the PACE fellowship seemed like a mistake to the eyes of many, with negative feedback on the mere fact that service in this beautiful organization would be without pay, no dinero, free. No common ‘Busherian’ (student from Alliance High School) wanted to hear about a job without pay. However, the intellects who understood there is significantly a huge value in our mantra and motto, ‘Strong to Serve’, took a chance on it.
Stationed as I was in Maseno, I made a quick apology to my coordinator and quickly boarded a bus to Nairobi to begin my voluntary efforts on that fateful 3rd of February, the first among many that I have come to cherish. The first day was a representation of my outer skin, dark; knew no one, and felt out of place among trained teachers; however, it quickly transformed into a representation of my inner self, light.
I got to know what being a PACE fellow meant, to bring light to those that have only heard about it; not just to the pupils, but to the teachers and support staff as well. From music to English to Maths, I supported my little brothers and sisters; though little is a strong term as some of the pupils were also slightly vertically advantaged in comparison with me! I tutored at first during the cold bleak times when a timetable was still being formulated; however, with time my primary cause shifted to marking books, running TaRL and Music club. In my framework, the whole objective became to free the teacher of a backlog of unmarked books to allow him or her to have enough mind space and time to prepare for lessons, teach students and provide a higher quality of monitoring the pupils’ progress. For the pupil came the advantage of quicker response time to their work for quicker and more insightful correction with the comments I would write during and after marking books. I supported 8 Blue in English, 8 Red in Maths, grade 5 in English and Music and grade 4 in English.
Getting to see the literacy gap in a large percentage of the pupils opened a new world to me; one that I had no idea existed. However, that little gap sparked up innovation that was streamlined by accurate guidance from our friendly neighborhood Chief trainer, Hilda Anekeya. Her impact on my school’s project, PROJECT MISOJI, is beyond meagre as she professionally placed content all over the PACE training room and stuck them all together with her webs of wisdom to create content that 40-year-old professionals would be dying to hear. The continued support from my coordinator, Md. Corazon was downright exceptional, mother-like, if I may bring it closer home.
If we come to talking about the larger team of PACE, we may not come to terms with all the praises I have to shower on these professionals, but more than that, friends, and mentors; the kind of support they give makes you just want to make their faces into memes and stickers so that you will always see them when your chatting or using your phone. Right from Mr. Brian, to Md. Vanessa’s camera prowess and support to an upcoming PACE song, Md. Doreen for always ensuring that my transport needs are catered for, Md. Muchira for her beautiful vibes when collecting our timecards, Md. Sally for being so inviting when we would come in, the SWAT team of chefs who would always ensure that training has a sweet beginning and comes to a sweet end and lastly, my PACE fellows! None of this would have been possible without each of them, and their impact on me is irreplaceable.
PROJECT MISOJI, which seeks to use stickers to improve literacy outcomes, began with a bang and is still in the cooking pot and is still something I will continue to work on. However, it has already impacted the lives of PACE club members and with time, it will impact the whole school.
The pupils are possibly the greatest highlight of my service. With the amazing stories they would write in their compositions, they would paint the kind of experiences they would go through and how resilient they are in tackling those issues. The conversations we have had have not only proved resourceful in opening my mind to reality through a different lens, but also allowed some to learn that circumstance happens to them, but it is all up to them to choose what they are going to do with it.
The teachers, right from my partner teacher to the headmaster have proved as a second family, educating me in more than what is in the books; actual life experiences and wisdom that will surely prove invaluable in my life as I progress.
As I conclude, I do thank God for PACE, for setting the initiatives to curb illiteracy, improve quality education and reach out to the upcoming generation in such a beautiful way. It has been good, and it surely doesn’t end here.
Setting the PACE in a beautiful way!
