When I heard I had been selected for a teaching post, I cried out and my heart was full of joy.
My name is Memory, I’m originally from Samfya but now I live in Kitwe in the Copper Belt region of Zambia. CAMFED supported me through secondary school and into tertiary education and I graduated from Kitwe Teachers Training College with a diploma in Primary teaching in 2016.
It was not until August 2022 when I heard I had been selected for a permanent teaching post by the Zambian Teaching Service Commission, along with 116 of my sisters in the CAMFED Association who hold teaching qualifications.
In that moment my life changed completely. I’ve moved from a jobless person to a civil servant with a permanent job, and because of that I have gained respect in society.
My family will be now counting on me whenever problems arise and my siblings will have access to education.
My responsibility as a teacher extends much further than standing at the front of a classroom of students and developing lessons. I will be researching and implementing new teaching methods, helping the children to stay engaged and creating an exciting learning environment for them.
As their teacher I will be their inspiration and make sure I am there for them.
But I will also motivate the children by telling them my story. I will encourage them to work hard now to later live like a queen.
Teachers give children the possibility of a better future and help them to develop critical thinking. This means a person will be able to use logic when making decisions.
Education helps the development of a country by fighting inequalities in society.
It helps a person to improve their self confidence and personal growth. I can’t wait to start my new job as a Primary School teacher.