Teachers Without Borders –
Noble Kelly, Director TWB – Canada
My first experience in South Africa was in 2005 working with
abandoned and orphaned boys cared for by a friend of mine in Durban. The satisfaction
was immediate. With the effects of HIV and AIDS now hitting the level of
society that includes health care workers and educators and an education system
that cannot fully support its teachers and students, a majority of
underprivileged children find themselves in poor and overcrowded conditions,
dropping out of school at young ages and without qualified teachers to motivate
them. Since 2005, I have been to South Africa four times, bringing computers
and resources and helping to train teachers to implement educational technology
in schools where it is supported. But much more needed to be done and so
started my research into Teachers Without Borders...
In November 2006, I was fortunate to meet Teachers Without Borders founder, Fred Mednick,
and Yunus Peer and his Hawaiian team responsible for
the work done in
After teaching high school information technology and
business courses for 16 years in British Columbia, I found myself becoming
frustrated with the negative political climate teachers seem to be facing of
late and the way many students and parents were taking education for granted. I
knew it was time for me to get back to the reason I went into teaching in the
first place—to make a difference. So taking a year’s leave, I embarked on a
journey to establish TWB in Canada and to do what we can to close the global
educational divide.
Our first step in the learning process was to join the
Hawaiian team on their next trip to South Africa. So in late June and most of
July 2007, three educators from British Columbia, Canada joined forces with Yunus and his team from Hawaii to deliver best practices
workshops in math and science (and for the first time computer use) to rural
teachers in three different locations in South Africa.
Other than presenting the computer workshops, I took a
behind the scenes role in the program this year to assist and to learn. I
found, though short (half day), the computer workshops were very well received
and something that the teachers so desperately want more training. Though this
was not my first experience working with my peers in South Africa, I was still able
to get a better appreciation of their circumstances with each person I talked
with. You never get de-sensitized and you always come back with a greater
appreciation for your own life. It is life changing every time.
It was the first time for my two colleagues and it was an
amazing feeling to watch them experience what I cannot put into words. It is
hard to do justice to the experience in discussions with those who have not
done this kind of work. Being able to go on a safari, visit the Apartheid Museum,
visit rural classrooms in session, see some of the most beautiful and the most
impoverished sites, and talk to the locals only helped to better understand and
appreciate our experience. We are very humbled by the struggles of our
colleagues.
But much needs to be said about the hospitality and
generosity of the Peer family, Ameena, Gora and Yunus, without which this would not have been possible.
Also the dedication and commitment of Yunus Chamda and the local educational leaders needs to be
commended. And finally, I would like to extend my great appreciation for the
covenant of “strangers”—the 2007 team—who became quick and, I’m
positive, life-long friends. It is very important that you have the support of
and are able to travel and work with a group of people with whom you could
easily laugh, cry, and especially grow with. Thanks Yunus,
Lily, Elspeth, Jennifer, Lynn, Carl and Jim. Aloha and see you next year!
TWB-SA 2007
Back Row: Carl
“Numbers” Wheeler & Yunus Peer
Front l-r : Jen Hong, Noble Kelly, Jim Metz, Lily Vu, Lynn Imai,
Elspeth Anderson
