Knowledge Is Power

After our first week of classes, I’ve begun to realize the addictive qualities of teaching. Day by day, I catch more and more glimpses of understanding and excitement in the eyes of our students, and I’m craving more!

As we reviewed the week’s worth of material on Friday at the ICC location, I realized that despite the rocky start with late registrants and the missing day due to the vote for Kenya’s new constitution, the students were getting it! They were head-nodding instead of sleepy head-bobbing, and calling out answers instead of staring at us wordlessly.

Mid-afternoon when their eyes do start to glaze over and I can sense restlessness under the tent that serves as our classroom, I know it’s time to play a game. I can count on Sam, a young kid with aspirations to be a personal image consultant, to teach us a new game, make us laugh, and energize us for the last stretch of lesson. Sam is a natural leader, exceptionally positive and keen, as evidenced by the amount of effort and consideration he put into perfecting his marketing research survey.

It’s enthusiasm like Sam’s that initially sparked my addiction to teaching SE101, but it’s their appreciation that has fueled it through the first week. It’s a brilliant feeling when a student thanks us at the end of the day and tells us that they’ve learned so much already. One student in particular, Absalom, already owns a real estate software company but now has an innovative idea for a new social business. He told me he thought he had almost everything ready to approach lenders, but after just one class, he realized he needed much more. Many would be discouraged by this, but Absalom is eager to succeed and ready to put everything he has into this business that could make a significant difference in the lives of residents in Nairobi’s slums. As he simply and inspiringly says, “knowledge is power.”

I can’t wait for Monday’s class!