She did it without expecting a reward. Not expecting even a photo of her taken by a fellow teacher who was probably impressed by the kind gesture.
But that is how Joyce Sempela Malit, 56, a teacher at Siyiapei Primary School in Narok County who started teaching in 1989, has warmed the hearts of people across the globe thanks to the power of social media.
When she saw the photo, Ms Malit shared it on her Facebook account in March 2023, but there was little action tied to the image. However, two months later, the photo has resurfaced with a bang powered by technology.
Because on social media, where there are close to five billion users, you move the world with the huge family of ‘Friends’ and ‘Followers’. Daily, acts in courage, doing good, or when a man bites a dog, like journalists say, the events or top comments trend or go viral, forcing action or attracting a fortune.
The number of followers on social media has created a new definition of Who’s Who. Globally, top innovators such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have a mind-boggling following. What they say stirs up the world.
In Kenya, some of the top influencers thanks to their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook following are Nairobi lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi with 2.1 million Twitter followers, CNN’s Larry Madowo (2.4 million), Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange with 2.2 million while President William Ruto has 5.9 million.
Lawyer Donald Kipkorir has 1.3 million followers on Twitter while Caroline Mutoko, a former radio personality, has 0.7 million; Yvone Okwara-Matole of Citizen TV has more than 0.5 million and trade unionist Francis Atwoli commands 0.45 million.
As is expected, the Narok County primary school teacher was overwhelmed when her photo started trending with the Grade Two learner standing next to her pensively wrapped in the teacher’s shuka from shoulders to toe.
Ms Malit says it’s her norm to carry a needle and a thread in her handbag.
“I closed the door, took my leso (shuka), removed her dress, and wrapped her in my leso in case someone peeped through the windows. I couldn’t release the child [to go home] half-naked,” she said.
Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko pledged through his social media accounts to give the little girl five sets of school uniform, rubber shoes, official school shoes, food, and school supplies for at least six months as well as to clear any outstanding school fees. More donations are expected.
In the past, newspaper photos or needy learners in torn uniforms, wearing worn-out sandals, running barefoot or writing with a stump of a pencil have released taps of support, including supplies or full scholarships.
Kenya runs a free public primary school education programme, however a number of controversial levies remain and are likely to keep learners from disadvantaged backgrounds away from school.
It is not yet known whether the Narok school pupil’s uniform being mended was in a bad state or it got ripped during play with classmates.
The teacher called on the Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia to advance her employment grade ahead of her retirement.
Saying she is a champion of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Ms Malit stresses the CBC programme is the future of education and hopes to meet President Ruto to emphasise the importance of the new curriculum.
A number of learners face many hurdles such as starvation, lack of stationery, and school fees or levies. In Kenya, the government has been running a school feeding programme with sponsors like the World Food Programme for many years.
Education experts and teachers have said in many reports that school feeding programmes and other long-term donations grow enrolment in schools, helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their career dreams.
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