Congratulations Susan for being selected among the finalists for the Champions of Quality Education in Africa! Your idea is a reminder to all educators that education is for sustaining life. If this begins with the young ones, just like your innovation is promoting, then it lays a foundation for a better future generation. Congs!
Susan and her team in Kenya are such dedicated professionals and I can honestly say that working with them in Africa was truly an educational and giving experience. I recall hearing Susan describe to the team how they were going out to educate and what the subjects up for discussion were. It was so simply beautful as about peace, self-sustainment, health, caring for others, friendship, community, support, cleanliness, nutrition, safe sex, safety, and again, peace. Not only is Susan an amazing woman, her office is so bright and intelligent that I find myself grateful for having been able to meet such dedicated individuals in the field to their sisters and brothers and babies and the nature of that beautiful beautiful country. I look forward to going back to Kenya and meeting them all again, and I will always recommend them for whoever and whatever their needs are! I have also read a lot about Ashoka, and read "The Tactics of Hope". Wilford, this is the team! This is the schooling we want for Africa! I pray that African Express be selected for whatever their grant needs are. in peace and with love, Sofia Balme
I'am delighted that theYoung African Express has been selected as one of the 14 Finalists in the Champions of Quality Education in Africa competition. I was priveledged to be part of the team when the idea was hatched, I contributed as a cartoonist and illustrator before I left to work for a Daily newspaper, theYoung African Express is a brilliant idea whose time had long come, I beleive It is timely and appropriate and effective learning tool for the african child. Best of luck Susan and the brilliant team at Jacaranda designs
I'am delighted that theYoung African Express has been selected as one of the 14 Finalists in the Champions of Quality Education in Africa competition. I was priveledged to be part of the team when the idea was hatched, I contributed as a cartoonist and illustrator before I left to work for a Daily newspaper, theYoung African Express is a brilliant idea whose time had long come, I beleive It is timely and appropriate and effective learning tool for the african child. Best of luck Susan and the brilliant team at Jacaranda designs best luckvictor ndulacartoonist illustratorthe star
I want to sincerely thank the organizers for this opportunity and for the few comments that I have read from colleagues even outside Nigeria, I feel so honored and I am humbled and will continue to do my best as a champion of quality education in Africa. I want to thank everyone for the very positive remarks that you have made and pledge to truly live up to your expectations and serve as a Champion of Quality Education in Africa. As a teacher leader and motivator, I will raise more champions in Africa and all over the world for quality education. I also want to congratulate my other colleagues who have been selected as finalists. I believe we are the ones that Africa has been waiting for and this is an opportunity to make a new determination and offer a new vision for quality education in Africa.
Also, I see this rather as a recognition that commissions you and I to a higher service to humanity and I pledge to live and work with other colleagues to bring the dream of qualitative and quantitative education for the millions of children in Africa and around the world to reality. Thank you Ashoka Changemakers for the recognition and thank you colleagues for your VOTE, which is not just for me, but for the 59 million teachers around the world who have never been recognized enough for the contributions they make and for the hundreds of millions of children who look up to us as teachers for their future. I hope that this will inspire many more to join the 14 of us who have been selected to work for quality education in Africa. I urge my colleagues who have emerged finalist to see this as a moment to truly give a new direction to education in Africa. Let us become the champions of champions for quality education in Africa. While governments in Africa and the UN are making effort to ensure education for all children (quantitative), let us use this recognition to serve as advocates and changemakers for quality education, so that the education of children in Africa will be both qualitative and quantitative.
For the 14 of us selected as finalists, instead of seeing each other as competitors, I will rather request that we work cooperatively as the people chosen at this time to promote quality education in Africa. Let us become the embodiments of quality education in Africa, and let us work to raise more champions of quality education and eventually produce qualitatively educated children who will address and overcome the many critical challenges (corruption, HIV/AIDS, poverty, etc) facing Africa even in the 21st century.
Dear Colleagues, this is a win-win situation for all of us. Let us work more collaboratively to ensure that quality education in Africa is realized. Whether we emerge as final winners or not, let us maintain this momentum and quickly forge a common ground for the sake of education in Africa. I propose that the organizers create a G14 group and a G300+ group for both the finalists and other colleagues who were not selected but passionately believe in quality education in Africa to work together as the new champions of quality education in Africa who will raise many more champions for quality education in Africa. In this way, we shall all be able to work transcending the borders of finalists and non-finalists to bring quality education to Africa. Thank you all for being a part of this and let us mobilize others to join this initiative.
I have been interacting on a regular basis with the multi-disciplinary team of the Young African Express since its very start in 2005. The Young African Express is a monthly magazine for schoolchildren (and their teachers) focusing on life skills, health and nutrition, and environmental education. I have been contributing to the technical information on some of the pages, and we have also used these pages on home gardening and agroforestry to produce a very nice book entitled "Trees and Gardens for Life: Practical Tips for Healthy Tree Nurseries and School Gardens".
An exciting development is that the Young African Express has been approved by the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE), so it can be used as part of the official school programmes. I am currently coordinating an educational programme called “Healthy Learning” in collaboration with the Ministry of Education here in Kenya, the Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). The aim of this programme is to create opportunities for schoolchildren and their communities to acquire relevant skills and knowledge to grow up healthy. We feel that the Young African Express can significantly contribute to the objectives of our Healthy Learning programme, and we have therefore arranged for subscriptions for all the schools and districts involved in the programme. So far, the response has been very positive.
The team at Jacaranda Designs has always been extremely committed to high quality results and outputs: they are all very creative and technically skilled.
I am therefore highly recommending the Young African Express as a Champion of Quality Education in Africa, as the magazine for young people is clearly emerging as an innovative, high-impact trend-setter in education for sustainable development in the East Africa region and has great potential to help address global challenges such as sustainable agriculture, food and nutrition security, and climate change.
On July 28, 2009 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Champions of Quality Education in Africa” competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“I loved this entry! One of the biggest problems in developing countries is that teachers do not have the time to plan wonderful lessons everyday and they’re not trained for it either. Because teachers have so little to go on that’s useful and the materials that do exist are so sporadic and problematic, providing these papers on a regular basis makes a big difference. It offers teachers the opportunity to explore new methods and introduce new ideas. I think this can revolutionize Kenya!”
“It’s an innovative approach that looks at the sole issues of outdated, outmoded school books and tries to come up with ways to get around it. I found it to be a really different way of learning – it’s more current, more flexible and incorporates broader social issues as well.”
“The thing that makes this initiative so dynamic is the possibility of having on-going curriculum change, rather than thinking in seven-year cycles of new curriculum and materials. You can continually innovate and develop tests, in a cost-effective manner. I’m also impressed by the sustainability of this initiative.”
- Changemakers “Champions of Quality Education in Africa” Judges: Escuela Nueva, Center for International Education at the University of Massachusetts, Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, CARE (United States), African Leadership Academy, UNICEF
Comments
Congratulations Susan for being selected among the finalists for the Champions of Quality Education in Africa! Your idea is a reminder to all educators that education is for sustaining life. If this begins with the young ones, just like your innovation is promoting, then it lays a foundation for a better future generation. Congs!
Susan and her team in Kenya are such dedicated professionals and I can honestly say that working with them in Africa was truly an educational and giving experience. I recall hearing Susan describe to the team how they were going out to educate and what the subjects up for discussion were. It was so simply beautful as about peace, self-sustainment, health, caring for others, friendship, community, support, cleanliness, nutrition, safe sex, safety, and again, peace. Not only is Susan an amazing woman, her office is so bright and intelligent that I find myself grateful for having been able to meet such dedicated individuals in the field to their sisters and brothers and babies and the nature of that beautiful beautiful country. I look forward to going back to Kenya and meeting them all again, and I will always recommend them for whoever and whatever their needs are! I have also read a lot about Ashoka, and read "The Tactics of Hope". Wilford, this is the team! This is the schooling we want for Africa! I pray that African Express be selected for whatever their grant needs are. in peace and with love, Sofia Balme
I'am delighted that theYoung African Express has been selected as one of the 14 Finalists in the Champions of Quality Education in Africa competition. I was priveledged to be part of the team when the idea was hatched, I contributed as a cartoonist and illustrator before I left to work for a Daily newspaper, theYoung African Express is a brilliant idea whose time had long come, I beleive It is timely and appropriate and effective learning tool for the african child. Best of luck Susan and the brilliant team at Jacaranda designs
best luck
victor ndula
cartoonist illustrator
the star
I'am delighted that theYoung African Express has been selected as one of the 14 Finalists in the Champions of Quality Education in Africa competition. I was priveledged to be part of the team when the idea was hatched, I contributed as a cartoonist and illustrator before I left to work for a Daily newspaper, theYoung African Express is a brilliant idea whose time had long come, I beleive It is timely and appropriate and effective learning tool for the african child. Best of luck Susan and the brilliant team at Jacaranda designs best luckvictor ndulacartoonist illustratorthe star
I want to sincerely thank the organizers for this opportunity and for the few comments that I have read from colleagues even outside Nigeria, I feel so honored and I am humbled and will continue to do my best as a champion of quality education in Africa. I want to thank everyone for the very positive remarks that you have made and pledge to truly live up to your expectations and serve as a Champion of Quality Education in Africa. As a teacher leader and motivator, I will raise more champions in Africa and all over the world for quality education. I also want to congratulate my other colleagues who have been selected as finalists. I believe we are the ones that Africa has been waiting for and this is an opportunity to make a new determination and offer a new vision for quality education in Africa.
Also, I see this rather as a recognition that commissions you and I to a higher service to humanity and I pledge to live and work with other colleagues to bring the dream of qualitative and quantitative education for the millions of children in Africa and around the world to reality. Thank you Ashoka Changemakers for the recognition and thank you colleagues for your VOTE, which is not just for me, but for the 59 million teachers around the world who have never been recognized enough for the contributions they make and for the hundreds of millions of children who look up to us as teachers for their future. I hope that this will inspire many more to join the 14 of us who have been selected to work for quality education in Africa. I urge my colleagues who have emerged finalist to see this as a moment to truly give a new direction to education in Africa. Let us become the champions of champions for quality education in Africa. While governments in Africa and the UN are making effort to ensure education for all children (quantitative), let us use this recognition to serve as advocates and changemakers for quality education, so that the education of children in Africa will be both qualitative and quantitative.
For the 14 of us selected as finalists, instead of seeing each other as competitors, I will rather request that we work cooperatively as the people chosen at this time to promote quality education in Africa. Let us become the embodiments of quality education in Africa, and let us work to raise more champions of quality education and eventually produce qualitatively educated children who will address and overcome the many critical challenges (corruption, HIV/AIDS, poverty, etc) facing Africa even in the 21st century.
Dear Colleagues, this is a win-win situation for all of us. Let us work more collaboratively to ensure that quality education in Africa is realized. Whether we emerge as final winners or not, let us maintain this momentum and quickly forge a common ground for the sake of education in Africa. I propose that the organizers create a G14 group and a G300+ group for both the finalists and other colleagues who were not selected but passionately believe in quality education in Africa to work together as the new champions of quality education in Africa who will raise many more champions for quality education in Africa. In this way, we shall all be able to work transcending the borders of finalists and non-finalists to bring quality education to Africa. Thank you all for being a part of this and let us mobilize others to join this initiative.
I have been interacting on a regular basis with the multi-disciplinary team of the Young African Express since its very start in 2005. The Young African Express is a monthly magazine for schoolchildren (and their teachers) focusing on life skills, health and nutrition, and environmental education. I have been contributing to the technical information on some of the pages, and we have also used these pages on home gardening and agroforestry to produce a very nice book entitled "Trees and Gardens for Life: Practical Tips for Healthy Tree Nurseries and School Gardens".
An exciting development is that the Young African Express has been approved by the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE), so it can be used as part of the official school programmes. I am currently coordinating an educational programme called “Healthy Learning” in collaboration with the Ministry of Education here in Kenya, the Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). The aim of this programme is to create opportunities for schoolchildren and their communities to acquire relevant skills and knowledge to grow up healthy. We feel that the Young African Express can significantly contribute to the objectives of our Healthy Learning programme, and we have therefore arranged for subscriptions for all the schools and districts involved in the programme. So far, the response has been very positive.
The team at Jacaranda Designs has always been extremely committed to high quality results and outputs: they are all very creative and technically skilled.
I am therefore highly recommending the Young African Express as a Champion of Quality Education in Africa, as the magazine for young people is clearly emerging as an innovative, high-impact trend-setter in education for sustainable development in the East Africa region and has great potential to help address global challenges such as sustainable agriculture, food and nutrition security, and climate change.
Tom Vandenbosch
Programme Coordinator, Healthy Learning
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) - VVOB
On July 28, 2009 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Champions of Quality Education in Africa” competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“I loved this entry! One of the biggest problems in developing countries is that teachers do not have the time to plan wonderful lessons everyday and they’re not trained for it either. Because teachers have so little to go on that’s useful and the materials that do exist are so sporadic and problematic, providing these papers on a regular basis makes a big difference. It offers teachers the opportunity to explore new methods and introduce new ideas. I think this can revolutionize Kenya!”
“It’s an innovative approach that looks at the sole issues of outdated, outmoded school books and tries to come up with ways to get around it. I found it to be a really different way of learning – it’s more current, more flexible and incorporates broader social issues as well.”
“The thing that makes this initiative so dynamic is the possibility of having on-going curriculum change, rather than thinking in seven-year cycles of new curriculum and materials. You can continually innovate and develop tests, in a cost-effective manner. I’m also impressed by the sustainability of this initiative.”
- Changemakers “Champions of Quality Education in Africa” Judges: Escuela Nueva, Center for International Education at the University of Massachusetts, Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, CARE (United States), African Leadership Academy, UNICEF
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