Stories

“My name is Angel Ruth Kalolo, I am Congolese and I am a teacher and tutor at a learning centre. I teach mainly fourth graders and non-formal education students.” This is how one of the ProFuturo teachers in Malawi introduces herself. 

Angel Ruth confesses that she started teaching when she was a child and that now it is her main driving force. “It is a good opportunity for me to be able to share my skills and knowledge with these children. That’s why I decided to become a teacher. I love teaching, it’s all I dream about,” she confesses.

As a teacher at the only primary school in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, Angel Ruth has faced many challenges in her work as a teacher. One of them stands out: the language and cultural barrier.

“We have students from different cultures, of different nationalities and speaking many languages. Many times your students don’t understand you.” Angel Ruth admits that she has sometimes wished she could speak the languages of all her students so that they would understand what she wants to convey. “As a teacher, I have to transfer English into their language, which is a difficult thing to do.”

Another major challenge as a teacher was, as in the rest of the world, to adapt to the limitations of teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. ICT in the classroom, however, made it possible to cope with the necessary social distance: “With the technology we use, and the method with tablets and computers, you don’t need to use chalk to write, you just prepare everything on the tablets or computers”.

The latest challenge highlighted by Angel Ruth directly affects girls living in the refugee camp. Most must first assume their responsibilities at home and to their families before their right to go to school. This results in frequent school dropout in these emergency contexts.

ProFuturo began working in Malawi in September 2019. Since then we’ve implemented our digital education programme at the Dzaleka refugee camp, about 40 kilometres from the capital. The camp hosts around 54,000 people, more than half of whom are children and young people, mostly from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. 

In partnership with Entreculturas and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) we aim to ensure quality education and a safe learning environment at the only primary school in this refugee camp. Guaranteeing the educational continuity of children aged between 9 and 12 in this emergency situation is our main objective.

Angel Ruth es docente en la única escuela pública de educación primaria del campo de refugiados de Dzaleka, en Malaui🇲🇼

Conoce su relato completo en nuestras #HistoriasProFuturo: https://t.co/BrNStVkQV6@fundacionTef @FundlaCaixa @Entreculturas @JesuitRefugee #EducarTransforma pic.twitter.com/2MyiXpJ72A

— @Profuturo_ (@ProFuturo_) February 22, 2022