VOA标准英语2013--NGO Trains Teachers, Leaders in Nairobi Slums

 

NGO Trains Teachers, Leaders in Nairobi Slums

More than 18,000 children attend one of the 75 schools in Nairobi’s Mathare Valley slum -- operating without government support, trained teachers, or funding -- according to an organization called Dignitas Project. 

To help, Dignitas provides professional development training to teachers and school administrators¹.

Charles Mutibo, Head Teacher at Hope Compassion² Center, says the program has helped him deal with the many challenges his students face.

“One is the resources for learning. Resources in most of the schools in Mathare are not there," he said. "And also the security aspect is a concern. We also have a problem with water, food.”

Tiffany Cheng Nyaggah, one of the founders³ of Dignitas, first came to Kenya in 2007 as a Harvard University researcher. She decided⁴ to start Dignitas after women in Mathare told her how important their children’s education was to them -- and she learned how untrained the teachers were.

“They have had zero exposure to child development, educational practices; they don’t really understand what quality education looks like," Nyaggah explained. "And so, our hope was that by training the teachers and developing leaders in this community, that we could really transform an entire community for education.”

Lillian Etemesi, Deputy Head Teacher at the MCO Joy primary school, says Dignitas gave her teaching skills she never learned in college.

“You know, reinforcing the children, enhancing the good relationship with the children, motivating them - ‘Good job,’ ‘Well done,’ ‘You can do better,’ you know, setting targets for the children. And just encouraging them that they can, they can make it,” she said.

Nyaggah says teachers in Mathare earn an average salary of only $40 per month -- so the training also helps them to feel more pride in the importance of their profession. 

"So, one of the ways that we motivate teachers is to treat them as professionals and also to motivate them with the skills that genuinely make their work easier,” she said.

Since 2009, Dignitas has worked with 25 schools and trained more than 270 school directors, teachers and community members. 

1 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

2 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

3 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。