Empowering and supporting teachers through their careers is essential. A great teacher does more than impart knowledge; they are also an inspiration, a mentor and a friend to the pupils they teach. Unfortunately, it is often the children most in need of good teachers that have the least access.
There is a real problem with teacher absenteeism in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, for example, teachers are absent from the classroom for 60% of the school day, with no means of monitoring and ensuring their presence. A child cannot learn without a teacher in class and many teachers are poorly trained and badly supported. In Uganda, 76% of teachers failed to pass an exam based on the subject they teach themselves.
Imani seeks to recruit entirely from the communities in which we serve, providing local talent with the opportunity to be trained as a teacher and to become leaders and role models within their communities.
Imani’s training focuses on creating a pupil-centered classroom, where teachers spend the majority of the lesson engaging with pupils and checking for understanding.
Our teachers have constant support from education specialists, both local and global, and receive regular training and professional coaching. We enforce a strict ban on corporal punishment removing fear from the classroom and creating a strong relationship between teachers and pupils. Additionally, teaching at Imani provides teachers with income security and employment benefits, not to mention a stepping-stone to a better future.