December 9, 2016

The Foundation For Tomorrow held an award ceremony to honor select teachers in Arusha and Meru District this past October. Our Teacher Training Program awarded exemplary service and commitment to deliver quality education to Tanzanian schoolchildren. We awarded ten teachers with a Most Outstanding Teacher award for 2016. Neema Lema, one of our award-winners sent us a reflection, and we will share a story about her here.

Neema Lema is a special education teacher at Meru Primary School, in the Arusha City.  She shared with TFFT that she felt most of the other teachers at her school, including the administration, thought that she wasn’t good enough. Neema persevered at work and took all obstacles as an opportunity, keeping in mind that someday her work would pay off.

Neema set personal goals, acknowledging her strengths and weaknesses, and learning how to use her strengths over her weaknesses. She worked through challenges by reading informational books, watching YouTube tutorials, and researching other online resources to help improve her teaching and learning skills. She said that these efforts resulted in more enjoyment in her classes for both herself and her students. Her colleagues were inspired by her efforts, and they nominated her for TFFT’s Most Outstanding Teacher award for 2016.

After receiving the award Neema’s success has continued. When she was recognized as one of the best teachers in Arusha City, she remained very motivated each day at her job, never looking back difficulties that she once faced at an earlier stage in her teaching career.

The school administration is proud to have her, and all of the government officials who visit Meru Primary School want to meet her. Neema has gained popularly within the community where she teaches. Since receiving the award, she has attended a two-week special education training to further her abilities, facilitated by TFFT’s Teachers Training Program and special education specialists at our partner school for special needs, Step by Step Learning Center. 

Neema would like to share her gratitude to The Foundation For Tomorrow for playing a significant role in transforming lives by improving Tanzania’s educational landscape.