STAFF INTERVIEW : His Curiosity being an important "dot" for all learners
Based in Japan and Malawi, Nepal, Colorbath is engaged in a variety of projects, including education and job creation.
As we position value creation rather than problem-solving, our team members first of all feel close to the country and its events, and think about what they can do for the specific people who are in front of them.
And an essential part of this process is the presence of our local members in Nepal and Malawi.
They work together, sometimes discussing their lives, and create an element of Colorbath as a multi-dimensional entity.
So far, Japanese members have tended to be the most prominent figures on our social networking sites...
From now on, we would like to share the life stories and work of our overseas members through a variety of contents.
For this issue, we spoke with Wongani, who works at the Education Department in Mzimba, Malawi, and is also the coordinator of DOTS, an online exchange program.
We talked from his first encounter with Colorbath, to his origins as a person who "loves to learn new things," to his professionalism in "being a role model and creating role models.
FROM TEACHER, TO CORDINATOR
As for his recent work, he says
Very busy. But for us, that's the normal mode.
Wongani, who is participating in a government-led project called "Malawi Education Reform Program," is currently based in an office in Mzimba, where he is actively working to improve the learning environment for students and the working environment for teachers.
Mzimba is one of the largest regions in Malawi, with 320 elementary schools in 26 school districts, each with approximately 4,000 students.
The job includes
Arrange for necessary supplies to be delivered to each school.
Secure, train, and balance teachers, including interns, to improve the situation where one teacher has to teach dozens of students (sometimes as many as 90)
Finding role models for female students, especially in rural areas where there tend to be more male teachers than female.
and so on.
Although he is very busy, sometimes working from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., he said, "The biggest motivation is being able to work with people from various backgrounds and learn new things.
As coordinator of the "DOTS" online exchange program, he also found six teachers who could become practitioners and gave lectures on how to use ICT equipment as "DOTS Samurais (pioneers).
I was very encouraged when he said, "They want to start online exchanges right away."
ENCOUNTER WITH COLORBATH
Mutsumi, Colorbath staff and Wongani is connected since 2015.
At the time, they were both working on curriculum development for expressive arts subjects (music, arts and crafts, physical education, etc.) at the same school.
When Wongani was struggling to teach a volleyball class, Mutsumi asked him, "Do you need any help?" and the two quickly became friends.
Later, as a "place for children to express what they have learned in expressive arts courses," they cooperated to hold the "Kazomba School Open Day," which was like a combination of a sport festival and a cultural festival.
The exchange continued after Mutsumi’s return to Japan, and he is now an integral part of DOTS, which connects classrooms in Japan and Malawi.
I have learned a lot from Mutsumi, who is friendly to everyone.
She is a friend, a mentor, and a role model.
And I am happy to say that she has learned a lot from me.
Also, he talks about future like this.
I would like to expand more ICT-based education in Malawi.
It is very important to learn how to deal with digital at a young age, and this will help to develop people who will contribute to the future of the country.
I think it's a very rewarding job, evolving the way students learn and grow.
CONCEPT OF LIFE
Wongani’s concept of life is
「To do much than than what I am today」
Wongani, who as a child longed to join the military, became a teacher partly because of his mother, who is still teaching today, and partly because of his entrance into college. But more than that, the turning point for him was the students he met at school.
They came from different regions, language environments, and families, and had a wide variety of behaviors and ways of thinking.
he learned a lot from them, and at the same time, he realized that they trusted him and saw him as a role model.
Then, Wongani decided to become an education professional.
He says,
Some of the students I've taught have even grown past my height," he said.
I can be a role model, and then that person becomes a role model for someone else. I think that's very worthwhile."
For that Wongani’s challenge at the Department of Education lead to the future of education in Malawi, and that through his challenge more and more people in Malawi and Japan will see him as a “role model”, we will also work hard with him.