Peter Tabichi’s Story:
Peter Tabichi is a Kenyan science teacher who made headlines in 2019 for winning the prestigious Global Teacher Prize. He’s a Franciscan Brother who teaches at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani Village, a remote area in Kenya’s Rift Valley.
Born in 1982 in Nyamira, Kenya, Tabichi graduated with a B.Ed. from Egerton University. He has made a significant impact on his students’ lives, particularly in a region plagued by poverty, famine, and limited resources
Tabichi’s teaching approach focuses on character formation, values, and integrating technology into his lessons. Despite having only one desktop computer and intermittent internet, he uses ICT in 80% of his classes. He also improvises using local materials to demonstrate complex concepts, making science more accessible to his students.
Under Tabichi’s guidance, his students have achieved remarkable success in national and international science competitions. Some notable achievements include:
Science Competitions: His students won the Kenya Science and Engineering Fair with a device that enables blind and deaf people to measure objects.
International Recognition: The Mathematical Science team qualified for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Arizona, USA.
Awards and Accolades: Tabichi received the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear, Person of the Year by the UN in Kenya, Global Teacher Prize from the Varkey Foundation, and was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine.
Tabichi donates 80% of his salary to support local community projects, including his school. He has also started a Peace Club and Talent Nurturing Club to promote unity and academic excellence among his students
Tabichi’s dedication to his students and community has inspired many, and his story serves as a testament to the transformative power of education. His quote, “Africa will produce scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs whose names will be one day famous in every corner of the world,” reflects his vision for the future.
- Peter Tabichi 2019 (Global Teacher Prize)
- Kenyan teacher who gave earnings to poor wins $1 million prize (Global News)
What if empowering thousands of such local change makers like Peter Tabichi was a better way of producing Societal Impact than channeling funds into government coffers?
Fatima Jibrell
Fatima Jibrell is a renowned Somali-American environmental activist and founder of Adeso, a humanitarian non-governmental organization. Born on December 30, 1947, in Sanaag, Somalia, Jibrell grew up in a nomadic family and later attended a British boarding school until she was 16.
Early Life and Education
Jibrell’s father was a merchant marine who settled in New York City. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Damascus. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Connecticut.
Environmental Activism
Jibrell’s environmental activism began in the early 1990s, driven by the civil war in Somalia and its devastating impact on families and the environment. She co-founded Adeso, initially known as Horn Relief, to address humanitarian needs in Somalia. Some of her notable achievements include:
- Anti-Charcoal Campaign: Jibrell led a successful campaign to ban charcoal exports in northeastern Somalia, resulting in an 80% reduction in exports.
- Promoting Solar Cooking: She co-founded Sun Fire Cooking to introduce solar cookers and reduce reliance on charcoal.
- Community Empowerment: Jibrell worked with local communities to build rock dams, promoting soil conservation and vegetation growth.
Awards and Recognition
Jibrell has received numerous awards for her environmental conservation work, including:
- Goldman Environmental Prize (2002)
- National Geographic Society/Buffett Foundation Award for Leadership in Conservation (2008)
- United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Champions of the Earth award (2014)
- Takreem Award for Environmental Development and Sustainability (2016)
Legacy and Continued Impact
Jibrell retired as Adeso’s executive director in 2006, but continues to serve on the organization’s board of directors. Her daughter, Degan Ali, now leads Adeso, which has expanded its work to Kenya and South Sudan. Jibrell’s efforts have inspired a new generation of environmental activists. They continue to positively impact communities in the Horn of Africa. In 2021, the billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott awarded Adeso a $5million Grant. In this post, (and associated Impact report pdf) the company talks about all the work Adeso have done since 1991.
So, considering just these two examples (and there are many other examples), imagine if just 7 people like Peter Tabichi or Fatima Jibrell who are nationals of Africa’s poorest 20 economies (Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Niger, Malawi, Mozambique, Liberia, South Sudan, and Sierra Leone) were each assisted with a $260,000 grant for development activities in their countries… how much impact would that have on poverty levels, and issues like the quality of education and women’s health?
Mind you, no strange and restrictive conditions would be attached to the grant, as is the case with some of the state aid our countries in Africa receive. In stead it would just need a commitment to ‘use the money in the best way they know will have the most impact in their communities‘
I think such an initiative would deliver far much better results than the tens of Billions in Foreign Aid which some African Governments receive. And I believe the world needs such a scheme to help lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
Of course there is the question of where the $100 Million to finance the scheme would come from?
Which is an easy question for me to answer for many reasons.
For one, if just 25 of the world’s largest companies were approached by several influential figures to each donate just $4million to such a project, are you saying the required funding can’t be raised? In fact if one or two global influential figures took this up, some companies would probably be willing to donate upwards of $20 million solely. And it wouldn’t even make a dent in their revenues.
malawiace.com 