Female students have a better chance to prosper and excel in their education if well taken care of and well guided by their Teachers, Parents and the society at large.
These were words by Miss Michelle Nekoye Wanyonyi Teacher of English literature at St. Brigids Girls National School-Kiminini during the Usemi Wa Kina Mama show at West Fm.
Michelle who went to Lugulu Girls in Bungoma and joined Kenyatta university now doing her 2nd degree in Linguistics says as a woman having been empowered and faced the challenges life offers has a soft heart for A girl child who needs to be given an opportunity to venture in matters education and empower the whole world.
She says having hustled for 5 years before landing her TSC job says her parents were her biggest role models of becoming a teacher having been teachers of then.
She feels they helped mould her, imparted knowledge in her and giving her a chance to meet other female students whom she says she tries and gives her best in mentoring them
She says being a mother is challenging to play both the role of a mother and teacher because she has to balance all the chores bearing in mind that they have to spend most of the time in school, and at the same time needs to attend to her family needs.
Michelle says as a teacher she has to work hard to make sure that her students pass exams and join University while as a mother has to make sure she delivers her best.
She says in school to make sure her students are balanced, she groups them according to capabilities just to make sure no one feels lost, has to understand them and make sure they are equal despite the challenges they have.
She also mentioned that mentoring and guiding the female students is tricky since most of them are in different stages of their life but a teacher has to understand each of them for easy handling.
The teacher of English Literature is also quick to mention that some of the parents of the students sometimes do not understand the students because most of them are busy with work, hence subjecting them to frustrations.
She asks parents to at least take time, monitor their girl’s progress and even behaviors and tackle them in the best way possible.
In doing so it will greatly help the girls discipline and even success in their education.
Some of the major challenges she mentions the girls face is; some come from poor families thus catering for their needs is a problem and as female teachers have to chip in because some end up in distress, also early pregnancies is a major challenge and asks parents whose girl can find themselves in such messes not to point fingers at them but rather give them another chance by allowing them carry pregnancy to term and take them back to school.
She also says women have the greatest opportunities and should grab them instead of degrading themselves, she says what a man can do a woman does best and therefore advises women to go for all available jobs and stop depending on their men for everything.
Michelle also says women should do away with the notion that they cannot make it or can’t handle some matters. She asks them to join chamas, table banking, go for political seats, and also learn from matters of investments to beat the odds.
She urges society to embrace the female gender just to make sure all are safe.
She also urges the women to move from their comfort zones and grab available opportunities, be ready for any happenings and mentor other young girls who look upon them especially those who have made in life to play a major role model position.
She ends by encouraging parents to be close to their girls, to encourage them that they can make it in life despite their daily challenges.
