are prisoners people – can you spot them
from the crowd especially when they’re
not in uniform and who are you to say
this is a prisoner these are some of the
before I became part and parcel of this
set that you’re here today I was a
teacher outside there but I had
questions that I could not answer I
declared interest in joining the prisons
as a teacher but I came in to find out
what exactly happens and for that reason
commit prison made me chill because the
stories that have been hearing from
prison especially from committee were
those of death and despair when I was
walking around and I was telling people
I was going to be a teacher in prison
wondering kind of prisoners also stay
just stay in class like other people say
there and the young ones especially the
primary school could ask me can
prisoners also eat just like other
people say there but when I came here
and I was given that opportunity to get
to that class
I got a different picture I got people
who had that hunger for education I got
inmates who are ready to go through the
educational system regardless of their
age my first encounter in class was a
prisoner who was over 50 years and he
told me teacher now that you are really
working hard to make me understand this
kiswahili we really be able to really
get what you’re saying
I’m so old but I told him no you have
another chance and I’m here to give you
after a while the interaction in class
you give them an exercise you talk to
them first of all you have to take time
tell them we should accept the situation
we are in and work out how we can come
out with hope in it and there you start
impart knowledge to them I tell you when
he did his final exam like that the kcp
this inmate got a very wonderful mock
that made me a proud teacher in prison
the system continues when you operate
the school in the morning I was inspired
by one image mr. couture Albert actually
as we are speaking today in a prison
academy he is the principal of the
school
my coming in and giving him that
baseline interacting with him and
accepting to get in the system that he
had for Ionia gave him the push to even
accept me and work together to impart
knowledge to other inmates mr. couture
as we speak today this is as an image
who’s who is undergoing a death sentence
for that matter but for now it was
commissioned to a life sentence but when
you look at him the power has in
handling school issues and matters you
can confuse with that to principal
outside there is that school that’s
taken care of by the school as a teacher
and for that matter an officer sometimes
very difficult to get into class in
uniform but because of the desire I had
they push the passion I had to transform
these brothers of us when I get in I
create that relationship that closeness
just like it is created outside air and
actually we are achieving a lot we’ve
had inmates who came here without way
knowing how to read and write imagine by
the end of the day after going through
our system when you look at the eyes and
is able to write a story is able to
write a letter that is the joy of being
a teacher in prison sometimes you look
at the character here with somebody who
came in because of the circumstances of
the socialized research this person
actually through that age did not have
that opportunity to get into class and
you are there introducing him to this
setup of Education you have to deal with
their stress that away because of their
sentence some are not even sure of what
comes next because their sentence is
reading life sentence they asked to
teach our how long is life sentence and
you are introducing a concept in
mathematics as introduction so you want
you have to go outside away first of all
to understand what we seen which is
going through and that’s my duty as a
teacher in prison I had an impact an
inmate who told me teacher I’ve tried
all that like I can I’ve listened to you
but it’s like I’ll not get anything in
this class so I want to go to another
place sexual so that I do something else
using my hands do you leave that inmate
or away no I told him no look here for
you to go to that number please section
you must be knowing something about
writing already
you must be recording something now so
for you to go there first of all let us
bring you to that level so that at least
when we give you that opportunity to
proceed and ladies and gentlemen it
worked this inmate would not go away
my inspiration comes out when I reflect
or the good sediments of one Lydia
tynacorp Nelson Mandela upon Afghanistan
its aid education is a waypoint
which we can use to change the world so
this push of changing the world begins
here in prison when we embrace this
education with these inmates sometimes
as a teacher you would expect that I
know outside there when you do very well
you are motivated how do they motivate
you the number of s you produce they
equated to some monetary value
sometimes you are given some very nice
office maybe a deputy teacher maybe a
direct answer but in prison what do we
do they litter we offer their support
that the government gives to us is the
driving push that makes up give our all
as a teacher you don’t need to look at
what you get after this but my you is
when I hear my student is doing vet
medicine at the inverse of Nairobi that
makes me happy it makes me want more of
these inmates to join in educational
system so that they can improve their
life we’re talking about life second
chances in life how do they come they
only come when you go through something
that you ought to have gone through but
because of the circumstance they’re not
allowed by that time you are accorded
that opportunity and that’s why I’m very
proud to work with those people who have
accepted that in life there’s a second
chance
and this is second chance is to go
through a system that has put for them
and actually transformed their lives
they miss a year is
what do you take education imprisonments
when you’re out is the punishment but as
a teacher it’s my duty to create a new
imprisonment version that says
imprisonment is not for punishments it’s
maybe a punishment but she not walk
before punishment
it should be a place that will transform
you transform your character and that’s
why my students if you look at them
they’re actually transformed when they
see CJ was talking about looking at
their parameters on how to release some
of them of course if somebody gives an a
world has no need from this person it is
the joy of that teacher to tell you that
these are transformed character a
character that has been given a second
chance in life as a teacher guiding in
counseling is paramount meat because
majority of these people I work with a
client’s the prisoners sometimes they
are thinking about their families
they’re thinking about what they left
behind so you can’t just come in and say
today who wants to talk about new arts
and the back of his mind he wants to
hear what will you tell him that will
facilitate his release from prison but
because of the skills the skills that
have been bestowed upon me especially
going through the training the prisons
training the prisoners our training and
our training as a teachers idea when I
bring them together and create that
balance ladies and gentlemen the results
so as I think about mr. couture the
prints for here today as I think about
that prisoner who was finding out for me
will I really get something from what
you say will I really achieved anything
from because of my age when I look at
them and see them perform very well and
even join others taking even diploma in
loading certificates or whatever
processing in the prison that is the joy
of a teacher quality David yeah so
ladies and gentlemen it’s a challenges I
have to face on and I bring in those we
are working without as teachers who have
been brought to the system letters and
calculate inculcate these reforms and
rehabilitation of character of these
brothers of ours and sisters who are
willing to embrace their second chance
in life and transform the world just as
Nelson Mandela put it using education thank you