Olidah Kalao

Olidah Kalao

Olidah is the current Grade 4 teacher at Kawama School in Kitwe which is one of the schools that Beyond Ourselves works very closely with. Olidah has been at the school for five years, building on the experience she had of teaching in a Sunday School. Like many single parents, she used to work at home, looking after her four children. Her daughter, Dyness (18) and son, Caleb (9) are still living at home with her.

In the beginning she was an unqualified teacher, but with Beyond Ourselves support, Olidah started her training at Nkana College, also in Kitwe, in 2014. This involved her continuing her job in the mornings to earn money and studying for her teaching qualification in the afternoons and holidays. She has now almost finished, with just her teaching practice to complete and one more ‘O’ level to pass. Like many people, Olidah has found Maths more difficult and is now attending extra maths lessons in the afternoons in order to make sure that she has the best possible chance of passing her exams this year.

Olidah joining in a Beyond Ourselves training session

Olidah has enjoyed the studying as she says it is helping a lot with teaching practice by bringing in more up-to-date ideas as well as learning how to handle the class better. Her favourite subject is Psychology.

Olidah is also very complimentary of the way Beyond Ourselves work and help at the schools. Obviously, she says, the salaries are important but so is the ongoing help and training with the teachers from Emily and Jan in teaching techniques and working with the young people so that they all can benefit from better education methods and a much happier learning environment.

Teaching from the front of the class

Allowing the children to answer

Working with a small group

Olidah demonstrating to a child in class

Like most of the staff from Kawama, and the other schools we work with, Olidah lives in the community and it is a great achievement to get the local community both supporting the schools and working. This has to be the best way of empowering the community. Now she has (almost) completed her training, Olidah wants to continue working at Kawama and would love to see the school grow and grow and with continued support from all at Beyond Ourselves to ensure that Kawama is not just “Good” but ‘The Best’ in the area.