Montessori Training for East Pokot Teachers

Linet, Evelyne and Maureen, the three trainees from East Pokot, have now completed two terms of training. The first term began in January. It was a time to learn something new and there was a lot of excitement from the trainees about being in college for the first time. “At first the concept was different and new to me but after a while I started to understand the method and philosophy. I enjoy being in a Montessori training college and I can’t wait to eventually start sharing my knowledge with the children from my community” shares Linet.

During the second term, the trainees made the materials that they will use to set up their Montessori environments for the children in their community. “Making the materials is tedious, but they will support the child to learn and be independent, which is what we aim for as Montessori directresses. I am motivated to make the materials because I now understand their purpose,” says Evelyne.

As part of their training, the trainees went to visit the Corner of Hope school for their observation week. Corner of Hope is a Montessori school set up in an Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) camp. Visiting Corner of Hope was an exciting and educational experience for Linet, Evelyne and Maureen. “The calmness and concentration of the children while working with the materials is very captivating,” Maureen shares, as she remembers how different it was when she went to school as a child. She is impressed by the independence the children show and the way they are learning. She shares how after secondary school, she dreamed of joining university to pursue a degree in education. The Montessori training is like a dream coming true for her and she is hopeful that in the future she will continue with her Montessori diploma and a bachelor’s degree.

The three trainees are very enthusiastic about the training and the opportunity to pursue their education. Girls from the Pokot community generally have a very low chance of continuing beyond primary education. When girls reach early adolescence, they are likely to be married off and expected to drop out of school. The situation at home remains difficult for the trainees. With perennial conflict and little rain in the region, there are few opportunities for sustainable economic activity. The guaranteed place for employment after finishing their training is therefore an important opportunity for the trainees. Linet cannot wait to use the materials she is currently proudly making to support the children back home in their development. She is very proud to be a pioneer in Montessori education from her community.

The small allowance that supports the trainees to cover their expenses during their training is shared with their families back home. The trainees feel responsible for taking care of their families and they are happy to be able to support them, especially during the rough times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Linet assisted her family to purchase seeds that were then planted in their farm, and Maureen sends her family dry food, which is cheaper to purchase in Nakuru.

Recently, meetings have been held by Montessori for Kenya and the directors of Claude academy school and St. Luke primary school on how the model of Corner of Hope - a fully established Montessori school along with continuous training of local teachers - can be replicated in their schools located in East Pokot. “Montessori education is needed in our community”, says the director of Claude academy. “I believe in the potential of the child and this community is in high need of teachers and quality education for the children.” Claude academy is one of the schools which will potentially employ current trainees once they start their teaching practice in January 2022.

There is still an enormous need to support more trainees from East Pokot. With the support of motivated and skilled teachers, the children can become agents of peace and change in their community. There are many more trained teachers needed to reach out to the most vulnerable children, who have little access to education. With the financial support we have received so far, we will be able to support another group of trainees in January 2022 and we will continue to raise funds to be able to support more teachers. The recruiting process of the next cohort of trainees will start later this year. There is already great interest in following Montessori training as the three trainees shared stories from their training with others within their communities.