We Teach Here is a film series that focuses on the lives of teachers working in refugee settings in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. Some of these teachers are refugees themselves. Others are national teachers who are working with refugee learners. All are members of communities affected by crisis and displacement.
We Teach Here removes our attachment to place to instead focus on people – it's about teachers who keep teaching, no matter what, no matter where. These are their stories: the lives they lead and the challenges and opportunities they encounter along the way.
Gambella, Ethiopia: Refugee teachers share their stories and challenges
In this film, we meet Khan Lol, Nyakan Panom, and Buay Riek, three South Sudanese primary school teachers working in refugee camps in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. The teachers share their stories and the essential role they play in shaping the future of young refugees, under challenging and fast-changing circumstances. They open their classrooms – and lives – to reveal both the opportunities and challenges involved with teaching inside a refugee camp. T
he film touches on many issues common to teachers in refugee settings. For example, Nyakan Panom is the only female teacher in her school, reflecting a system-wide shortage of female teachers, which is particularly pronounced in this region. According to national education data, more than 90% of teachers in refugee camps in Gambella are male. As a result, Nyakan’s female students flock to her for support in the schoolyard.
Kakuma, Kenya: Mentorship, collaboration & training for refugee teachers
Following the teachers from sunrise to sunset, this film provides an inside look at what it takes for three teachers -- Achol Awuol, Bhan Pal Simon and Stanley Kibet – living in Kakuma, Kenya to thrive in the classroom. The film focuses on the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and training. Particular attention is also given to how national teachers and refugee teachers interact and learn from each another, and it shows how they transform professionally and feel empowered to teach in at-times packed classrooms.
Nakivale, Uganda: The resourcefulness and determination to keep teaching
The third and final film in the series focuses on the resourcefulness of three teachers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in the western region of Uganda. Andrew Safari has been a teacher for over 21 years but teaching in a refugee settlement presents new challenges. Leticia Ainembabazi shares how she found ways to keep students learning during a long COVID-19 lockdown – such as fetching learners and teaching outdoors under a mango tree. Joel Vieutome Kakalage is a highly educated refugee from DRC and works as a teaching assistant because he does not have the right working papers.
Watch the film to discover their resourcesfullnes and determination to keep teaching.
About this series:
The films are produced by Education Development Trust and the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning with funding from Dubai Cares and the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), through their Evidence for Education in Emergencies (E-Cubed) Research Fund, and production support from Makmende Media.
