VEANI INITIATIVE’s Post

It is a known fact that education has the power to change your entire life. Learning changes your thinking capabilities and perception. You tend to break the preconceived notions due to teaching and learning. This difference in learning helps you interact with others without prejudice and expand your horizons. The function of education is to think better and critically and help develop a perspective and opinions towards life. It can help you gain respect from others and sharpen your mind. Education helps to change society for the better: Society consists of various kinds of people with different mindsets. A person with a plethora of ideas can discuss and dabble under various topics such as society, politics and the environment. Knowledge gained through education is powerful in helping you make the right decision and walk the right path. Education helps you solve issues: Problems always come with solutions, but solving them can always be confusing and tedious, which is where education helps. An educated person can answer questions like why what, and how to every problem. The attitude of problem-solving will place him above the rest. Education helps eradicate poverty: Due to poverty, people sometimes stop their education as they cannot complete it. But if you have completed your studies, it increases your earnings, eradicating poverty. Education gives you the strength to fight against injustice: If something is wrong or injustice is committed, a truly educated person will fight against the wrongdoings and will not hesitate to stand up against injustice. Helps impart knowledge: We must be aware of our surroundings and society so that some improvements can be made. Knowledge of the world is essential so that you are well aware of what is happening around you and can make a change. It not only provides us with information but also imparts knowledge. Helps in solving problems: Whatever may be the problem, whether it is societal, economic, political or medical learned people always find a way out. This is also why while applying for any government or private sector position, it is best to learn your craft to scale to new positions and carve a niche for yourself. Helps in following your passion: When you are educated and want to follow your passion, education allows you to do it. It may also help you find new study areas within your field of interest. Finally, it gives you a sense of accomplishment after completing your education, following your passion, and making something out of yourself. Helps you in the personal development of skills: Students are made to go through a wide array of skill sets and courses while studying, which enables them to mound their personality. In conclusion, education makes you a better person and helps develop your overall personality. In addition, it enhances your personality and helps you make better rational decisions. #snsinstitution #snsdesignthinker #designthinking

Our passion at Elimisha Kakuma is creating opportunities for young displaced people to pursue their dreams of higher education. We are still a small organization and we know there are thousands of people we cannot support. That’s why we seek students we know will give back to their communities to create a ripple effect across Kakuma, Eastern Africa, and the world. Makol’s work exemplifies this kind of impact. ~~ A Story of Perseverance and Giving Back, by Makol Jonchuol Deng In 2022, I was making my second attempt applying to college. I had been in the first cohort of Elimisha Kakuma and while I had been admitted into two schools, I did not receive a full scholarship. While repeating the application process, I also acted as a student leader, directly communicating with the founders. My main responsibilities included ensuring the solar power, computers, and Wi-Fi were working properly while using my computer skills to help fellow students navigate technology. During this time, I learned a lot about troubleshooting minor computer errors and managing Wi-Fi connections. We were 12 students with limited resources with only one computer per student, limited power and Wi-Fi, and a small center which barely fit us. Friends from the community often asked to use our Wi-Fi and computers, because there were no places like libraries for people in Kakuma to access that kind of technology. But I had to make tough decisions to prioritize our limited resources for the students. Turning others away made me feel guilty, but it was necessary to stay focused if any of us were to succeed. That year I received a scholarship to Macalester College, where I just completed my first year. Macalester offered me numerous opportunities to grow and lead beyond the classroom. This inspired me to apply for the Zia and Priti Fund for Innovation and Impact through the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation so that I could help those community members I once had to turn away. This summer, I am volunteering for 10 weeks in Kakuma with another international student, my friend Shakthi Palraj from India. Our goal is to teach and connect students with various resources, guiding them to learn online and become valuable community members. In the 21st century, with the rise of technology and AI, anyone can self-educate, especially refugee students who don't have the chance to go to college. Right now, programs like Elimisha Kakuma, WUSC, and DAFI can only help a handful of students attend college – less than 1% of students in the camp make it to college. Many who don't become idle, turn to drugs or lose hope. We believe we can provide the resources for self-education and show them how to continue learning independently, even after we leave. ~~ To help create opportunities for our students to pursue their dreams of higher education, you can donate here: https://lnkd.in/d2QbSHVc

I encourage you to read below about Makol Jonchuol Deng from Elimisha Kakuma’s first cohort. Many times people don’t take action to support the work of nonprofits like Elimisha Kakuma because they see the challenges in a place like the Kakuma Refugee Camp in particular, or the refugee ecosystem in general, as so great and overwhelming that they believe there’s nothing they can do to make a real impact. But I urge you not to underestimate the impact of even one seemingly small action. It can make a profound difference in the life of an individual who will go on to make a profound difference in the lives of many others. Just read below and you’ll see how students like Makol “create a ripple effect across Kakuma, Eastern Africa, and the world.” I love that last phrase that EK used in the post below about a “ripple effect.” At the Cranwell Foundation, we like to put it this way: “We believe in the exponential power of empowering just one person.” And we are thrilled to be doing that as we engage with and support Elimisha Kakuma! Considering being part of EK’s transformational work: https://lnkd.in/e9cBAiXg

I encourage you to read below about Makol Jonchuol Deng from Elimisha Kakuma’s first cohort. Many times people don’t take action to support the work of nonprofits like Elimisha Kakuma because they see the challenges in a place like the Kakuma Refugee Camp in particular, or the refugee ecosystem in general, as so great and overwhelming that they believe there’s nothing they can do to make a real impact. But I urge you not to underestimate the impact of even one seemingly small action. It can make a profound difference in the life of an individual who will go on to make a profound difference in the lives of many others. Just read below and you’ll see how students like Makol “create a ripple effect across Kakuma, Eastern Africa, and the world.” I love that last phrase that EK used in the post below about a “ripple effect.” At the Cranwell Foundation, we like to put it this way: “We believe in the exponential power of empowering just one person.” And we are thrilled to be doing that as we engage with and support Elimisha Kakuma! Consider being part of EK’s transformational work: https://lnkd.in/e9cBAiXg

How young is too young? In the early days of Teach A Man To Fish we got a brief rejection letter from Comic Relief stating “children should be learning numeracy and literacy at primary school, not business”. Why do I remember it 15 years on? In part because it ignored a painful reality; that a significant proportion of young people never make it to secondary school in many of the places where we work. Wishing the world was different doesn’t make it so. If you might not make it to secondary school, learning essential skills for success needs to start at primary. The irony is that we now have evidence from follow up studies that teaching entrepreneurial and life skills at primary school can have a significant effect on increasing a child’s chances of staying on into secondary education - unlocking the huge benefits which this typically brings. But there must be a limit right? Could it ever make sense for children as young as four and five to take part in such programmes? The answer is yes. But it is different. Last year we piloted an Early Years programme in South Africa with support from The Saville Foundation and The Charles Bronfman Prize funds. It fused and adapted our award-winning School Enterprise Challenge programme with some of the marvellous innovations developed by 'Scilla Edmonds of The Birches Pre-Primary School in Durban. The first thing that strikes you about children at The Birches is how excited and proud they are of their enterprise. But this isn’t just ‘business’, this is responsible business. Sustainability is front and centre of their efforts. Among various enterprises they upcycle bottles into vivariums (vivaria?!) and grow organic vegetables for sale in their farm shop. For the children it feels like play, and it is play - but with a huge amount of learning baked in. All too often children spend a huge amount of time being told what they’re allowed to do and what they can’t do - not challenged to show what they can do, and given the freedom to make decisions. It’s about agency. Agency creates the space to realise potential. When learners’ efforts create visible results, their enormous sense of achievement builds confidence and generates excitement. And it’s infectious. They get their parents to join in, to make and plan and sell. On a tiny scale, but together. A confident five year old with a sense of agency is primed to excel when they hit primary school, something we hope to build evidence for as this work develops. The Birches may be a leader in this space, but our pilot gave us confidence that the magic it creates can be replicated even by lower resourced early years centres and pre-primary schools when their passion is ignited. We’ve more work to do - to refine this approach further, to document its impact and prepare it for scale. But it’s exciting times! How young is too young? When it comes to setting children up for long term success, the Early Years is definitely not too early!

Investing in life skills education is an investment in our children’s future. By providing them with the necessary tools to succeed both personally and professionally, we can help ensure they grow up to be confident, self-reliant individuals who contribute positively to society. #lifeskillsforkids #TheArtOfStorytelling #education #lifeskills #youthempowerment #YouthMonth

As I completed my 2 year fellowship with Teach For Kenya in October last year. I could not help but reminisce my career trajectory. it has not been a smooth one, but hey! it is the struggles that have helped craft my story thus far. I was very much anxious, mostly because I knew the headache job search has given me in the recent years. With a 4 year gap in my studies due to a mental condition, coupled with many more years lost in managing the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, I did not even want to imagine the journey ahead. Well, I encouraged myself and decided I will put my best foot forward no matter the setbacks. The day I got the offer for my current role at iHub, the first person I had to share the news with was my lecturer for software engineering. You heard me right, software engineering, after form four I got a scholarship to study this course but that is the farthest I could go as I opted to go to college to pursue a Bachelor in Environmental Studies and Community Development. He encouraged me to take it up and to really do my best like I always have. So here I am, loving the role, interacting with teachers daily via the Teacher's Lounge is amazing, as I get to share my skills as a teacher leader. Well, the tech field is not the for the faint-hearted, at the age of 18 I was juggling an 8-5 job and studies, and that is how I decided if that is what life in tech it is better I try being a humanitarian. I aced the grades very well and was the best got another scholarship to pursue IT but I turned it down. Here I am, many years later, I have found myself back where I started. This time round, at least my career goals are clear to shape the Edtech (Technology in education) sector in Kenya and beyond, through iHub and Artvista as a STEAM educator. The fellowship on the other hand helped me hone my public speaking and facilitation skills, standing in front of learners daily needs a lot of preparation. I can say that, each step of my career journey has been loaded with lessons. As a project manager for many years, I have learnt what it takes to run social enterprises, skills that I use each day as the team lead Stand Out 4 Mental Health. Armed with the power of storytelling, my career canvas is getting more colorful every other day. Using art I can tell stories about mental health, climate education, edtech and better yet empower learners to use art as their voice. On 28th February at the Teach for Kenya Alumni summit, I got to facilitate a storytelling session alongside Racheal Vichei. We shared tips on telling impactful stories and leveraging on the use of social media to drive change in our spheres of influence. What 3 words describe your story? Share with me in the comments. I pen off with this powerful quote from Steve jobs. "The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come." - Steve Jobs Teach For Kenya Alumni Network

Running a global tutoring business for affluent families requires focusing on the children's needs, not the wealth surrounding them. 🎯 Focus on helping children, whether they come from wealth or socioeconomically-deprived backgrounds 🏡 Wealth can bring challenges, such as managing multiple properties, maintaining luxury assets, and dealing with complex logistics 🎓 Successful long-term teachers remain grounded and driven by their passion for supporting children’s education, not by the luxury perks 🧑🏫 Adam Caller founded Tutors International after noticing a gap in understanding wealthy families' specific needs in education 🚢 Despite interacting with billionaires and experiencing their lifestyles, his main focus remains on understanding and supporting the children 🎯 The most fulfilling part for him is helping struggling children, guiding them toward success and happiness, regardless of their financial background #EducationLeadership #TutoringBusiness #ChildDevelopment 🔍 Tutors International started with a vision to bridge the gap between wealthy families and specialized education, recognizing that every child, regardless of their financial background, deserves personalized attention and care 🌱 Wealth often comes with its own set of pressures and complexities, from managing multiple properties to maintaining a certain lifestyle, which Adam Caller has observed first-hand through his work 🌟 Teachers who thrive at Tutors International are those who prioritize the educational and emotional well-being of the children over the material luxuries they might encounter while working with affluent families 👨🎓 Adam has seen children from wealthy backgrounds face unique challenges, such as isolation or pressure to meet high expectations, and he believes that dedicated support can help them overcome these hurdles 🧠 Over the years, Tutors International has had remarkable success stories, including helping children who were struggling academically or emotionally to rediscover their passion for learning and achieve personal and academic growth 📚 The company’s approach emphasizes the importance of understanding each child’s unique needs and circumstances, ensuring that education is tailored to foster both academic and personal development 💡 Teachers are carefully selected based on their ability to stay focused on the child's needs, demonstrating that the right motivation is key to success in such a unique educational environment https://lnkd.in/gXG_V3ev

Private tutoring is an anxiety industry. If your neighbor’s children get tutoring and yours don’t, they could fall behind. This arms-race dynamic has helped the high-pressure cram schools of east Asia grow huge. And it’s happening in poorer parts of Asia too. Something like 258m children in south and southeast Asia take tutoring. In many countries, private tutoring fills gaps left by failing schools. But it costs families: we talked to one parent in Delhi who was paying as much for his daughters’ tutoring as he was in school fees. And it damages students’ sleep and mental health. After a string of student suicides last year, India is now experimenting with new rules restricting tutoring centers. But it’s not clear they’ll work — crackdowns have failed in Korea and China before. My piece with the excellent Indrani Bhattacharya in this week’s The Economist: https://lnkd.in/e7nPNCbd