A Kenyan Mathematics and Physics teacher who donates 80 percent of his salary to help impoverished young students has won the world’s best teacher award.
Peter Tabichi was awarded the Fifth Varkey Foundation $1 million global teacher prize at a ceremony in Dubai on Sunday.
The prize is awarded to a single teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and aims to shine a spotlight on the role that teachers play in society.
Peter Tabichi won the prize from a pool of over 10,000 nominees from 179 countries.
The winning educator will put their $1 million awarded in equal installments over 10 years, towards new projects and initiatives of their choosing.
Tabichi is building Africa’s future from a remote, semi-arid part of Kenya’s rift valley, with 95 percent of pupils from poor families; some are orphans or have only one parent.
Peter emphasized the potential of Africa’s young population.
He wants pupils to see “science as the way to go” for their futures.
In an environment where pupils come from struggling households, many orphaned, and addiction and early marriage are common, Peter says the prize gives them a chance to tell the world that they can do anything.
Peter Tabichi is a Franciscan monk, a member of the Catholic religious order founded by st Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.
Source: 3news.com