For Peter Tabichi, Sunday was a day of "firsts"—the first time he had travelled so far and his first time on a plane. But for Africa, it was the most influential "first" of all—the first time a teacher there was awarded the Global Teacher Prize.
"I feel great," Tabichi said after accepting the Prize. The Prize, awarded by the Varkey Foundation, honors an outstanding teacher every year, and includes a $1 million prize.
You might already be able to guess how he plans to spend that prize. This is, after all, a man who chose to teach kids at a poorly-equipped, underfunded school in a remote Kenyan village and give 80 percent of his salary to the poor. Brother Peter, as he's called, surprised no one by announcing that he planned to use the million dollars from his win to improve the school and offer food to the poor. The local community where food shortage is a major source of conflict could also benefit from that awarded money.
Tabichi teaches high schoolers science at a remote part of Kenya's Rift Valley. Despite having one computer, a poor Internet connection and a student-teacher ratio of 58:1, Tabichi started a "talent nurturing club" and expanded the school's science club. He helped students design research projects of high quality so that many now qualify for national competitions. His students have taken part in international science competitions and won an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry after using local plant life to produce electricity. Tabichi also gives struggling students one-to-one coaching in science, visiting students' homes and meeting their families to identify the challenges they face.
Accepting the prize, Tabichi said: "This prize gives my students a chance. It tells the world that they can do anything. Africa will produce scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs whose names will be one day famous in every corner of the world."
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