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Meet the Teachers
Back in 2008 when the Good News School for orphans first opened its doors, there were 20 children in morning preschool. Today, seven years later, those preschoolers are Grade Six and the school has grown to include over one hundred more children.
Take a moment to meet the eight teachers making a difference in the lives of the pupils this year.
Grace
From: Lingu
Married, 3 children
Teaches Grade 1
Education: Teachers College
"God still working in me."
Grace felt lost and desperate when the older sister she was living with passed away. A lady came and told her about Jesus and the Bible and Grace felt hope. She learnt more about what it means to be a Christian and accepted Christ and was baptized.
Today Grace is married with three children (15, 10, and 8). She and her family moved to Mpulungu so her husband can find work. Grace likes that the Good News School is different from other schools. "Other schools there are no devotions, they sometimes beat the pupils. Here, we respect one another."
As a teacher of grade one, Grace faces some challenges. School is taught in Bemba, but many of the children only speak Lungu. Therefore Grace has to start teaching them Bemba as well sd teach them how to behave in a school setting.
"God is still working in me." said Grace, "I know that these children, they have shaped me a lot."
Katherine
From: Sanfia
Single
Teaches Grade 4&5
Education: Teachers College
"I like to be with children."
Though she grew up going to church, it wasn't until 2008 that Katherine came to know who God really is. A pastor preached at her church about restoration and the message impacted Katherine greatly. She found that her life was changed.
A teacher with six years of experience in government schools, Katherine started working at the Good News School last year after moving to Mpulungu with a friend. It was her desire to teach children the Gospel in addition to regular school subjects.
"Looking at the children, the backgrounds they come from, it can be difficult for them to understand schoolwork. Some understand easily and for some, it may take some time to understand what you are teaching.
Golden
From: Luwinga
Married
Teaches Grade 3
Education: Teachers College
"I discovered my calling was to be a teacher."
Though raised in a Christian home, Golden didn't accept Christ as his savior until 2010 after visiting a new church that was preaching about Jesus. Wanting to learn more about living a Christian life, Golden talked to his cousin who is a missionary with OM.He decided that it would be a good thing to attend the Discipleship programat the Kabwe base.
During the program, Golden discovered his calling to be a teacher and completed the year-long Teachers Training Course with OM. After hearing someone share about Lake Tanganyika, Golden knew he was supposed to go to the Lake to complete his teaching practicals in 2014.
"When I am away at teachers devotions, my class will start doing their devotions together."
"As a teacher you need to have a clear mind for the kids," said Golden on the challenges of being a teacher."
"Sometimes when you're coming from home you have lots of other thoughts; instead of focusing on the lesson plan you are thinking about other things. This is a challenge."
Mishack
From: Mpulungu
Married, 2 children
Teaches Grade 5 & 6
Education: Teachers College
"Here we teach them the spiritual part...it makes a difference in the kids."
Mishack was 15 years old when his parents died. Family and friends encouraged Mishack to pray to God, as He is the one who helps. Mishack experienced this first hand as people took him in and sponsored him to finish high school and then teachers college last year. After seeing an ad requesting teachers at the Good News School, Mishack applied. "I wanted to help teach vulnerable children. I asked, and they said this is a school for vulnerable children, so that's how I decided to come here," said Mishack.
Devotions are his favourite part of the day. "Here we teach them the spiritual pan. Every morning there are devotions where you share the spiritual life with the kids. It makes a difference in the kids. This is a very big part I've learnt. I would like to introduce it into other schools. It's a very good thing for children to grow up learning about God." Mishack is married with one-month old twins, one boy and one girl.
Laban
From: Mpulungu
Married, 3 children
Teaches Grade 4
Education: Teachers College
"I want (the pupils) to have hope." -Laban
Growing up the son of a witch doctor, Laban heard the truth one day when a man preached the gospel in his village. He accepted Christ then, but it wasn't until a few years later while working at the OM base (then ProChristo), that Laban truly repented and was changed.
In addition to doing general work such as plant trees, thatching, etc., workers at the base are discipled each day. Through this discipleship Laban learnt more about Christianity and decided he wanted to be a part of God's vision.
Leadership identified early on that Laban had a heart for children and started him with children's ministry. In 2009 Laban completed the Teachers Training Course in Kabwe at OM Zambia, and returned to Mpulungu to start teaching at the Good News School when it opened. Laban didn't think of teaching anywhere else as he has "seen that the government schools focus on money, but what motivates me is to show the love of God to these kids. I want them to have hope."
Teaching at the school since it opened, Laban has seen God working in the lives of the students. "We have seen a big chance in the kids. We also receive testimonies from the guardians saying the children have changed as well. When they first come it is a challenge, their behaviour is not good. But we do devotions together, and study the Bible, and you can see them change. Those who were fighting...don't. Those who were insulting...now respect."
Laban is head teacher at the growing school.
Lorrin
From: Mpulungu
Married, 3 children
Teaches Grade 6
Education: Teachers College
"After a few months of being here everything changes (about a pupil)."
After her father died when she was young, Lorrin went to live with her uncle. It was there that Lorrin learnt about God and became a Christian. Graduating from high school, Lorrin went on to complete the Teachers Training Course with OM Zambia in Kabwe before getting married. She and her husband served as missionaries in Kabwe and on the Okavango Delta in Botswana before moving to Mpulungu to join the base.
Lorrin has a big heart for children, particularly young women and girls. Twice a week around twenty girls can be found at her house learning how to sew and make doormats. When asked what her favourite thing about teaching is Lorrin said it was "to see the change that happens in the children's lifestyles. At first they don't smile, they don't do well in class, but after a few months of being here everything changes."
Purity
From: outside of Mpulung
Single
Teaches Grade 2 & 3
Education: Teachers College
"It's not me who's teaching, it's God."
-Purity
As a child Purity was already teaching others. Her dad saw that she was good at school and encouraged her to help her siblings with their schoolwork. As she helped others, Purity found that she enjoyed it and thought of teaching as a future career path, though she planned to teach differently than she had been taught. "When I was in school I thought that if I choose to be a teacher then I will teach kids differently. In other schools (teachers) sometimes mistreat their students, telling them they not good, or not knowing any information about the kids."
Living with family friends in Mpulungu while completing high school, Purity started to grow spiritually and accepted the Lord as her saviour. The family she stayed with is connected with the Good News School, and from that connection Purity learnt about the school and its values. Upon graduation from high school in 2014, Purity came to the school and asked if she could help teach.
"It's not me who's teaching, it's God," said Purity. "I'm just facilitating."
"I like helping (the students). It's like you plant a seed in them, and watch it grow. I'm helping them spiritually, emotionally, physically, and intellectually."
In the future Purity would like to be formally trained as a teacher. One of her passions is Home Economics which she thinks the students would benefit greatly from, as skills like sewing have helped her in her own life.
Jimson
From: Mpulungu
Single
Teaches Grade 2
Education: Teachers College
"Working here I've learnt a lot of things."
-Jimson
A Christian from a young age Jimson has always had a heart for the orphans and vulnerables. After completing college in 2014, liaison heard about the Good News School from an advertisement looking for teachers. He applied and was later offered a position at the school.
Jimson tries to help the students learn and grow so that they can succeed in life and do something with their (inures. And it's not only the students who are learning.
"Working here I have learnt a lot of things," Jimson said. "How to balance people, how to handle them, how to grow with them. I've learnt a lot of things concerning relationships and how God loves us."
Though he has already received a diploma in teaching, Jimson would like to study further to earn a degree.