Among my numerous applications for a job, I came across an organization, requesting for a Program Associate for Girl Rising. One of the goals was to Increase public attention, awareness, engagement, and actions around the importance of equitable, quality education for all and the need to eliminate gender disparity in education. There could be no better exemplary institution to display this goal than what I witnessed on Friday the 29^th May 2015.

While attending my four-year-old niece’s graduation from Early Child hood Education (Pre-Schooling or Nursery), I witnessed in full the overall vision of the Nursery and Primary Education at Olympic Glory. Nobody needed to tell you as a visitor in that occasion, how these children are trained, and what they are trained in. You could tell just from the programme, that these children were being prepared for the future, through the responsibilities they were given in the programme. To start off, the Masters of Ceremony (MCs) were the children, a male and female. They coordinated the show right down to when they themselves needed to get awards and thus handed the responsibilities to the school Director.

Generating professionals

The birth of a new generation was emanating from this school in front of my eyes, and I say this with tears of joy. As a citizen of my country and as one who grew up in fear of the future, I saw through these children what we should have been trained in my years of schooling. What am I talking about?

At Olympic Glory, children are trained as News Anchors, Presenters, Speakers, debaters and professionals. Their debating topic for the day was “Should Girls have the same rights as Boys”. Their conclusion was yes. To some people it may have been very entertaining, but the message to the attendees was plain clear to everyone. They are also trained in Music, cultural dances and arts as well as languages. Many children wish for such opportunities, but they never do come. I watched some University students presenting their work and wondered if they ever went through any public speaking classes. They are either reading off their notes without any eye contacts or losing their train of thought because they forgot the material. Watching these children resonated a glimmer of hope within me, for the future generation. Quality education is being poured into them, as well as many other talents, which they can use along their quest for achievement.

Ethics

“Here at Olympic Glory, we promote Religious Tolerance. We have both Christians and Muslim students at our school, and we shall start off by having a Christian pray and a Muslim pray”, Says the young MCs. One of the key things that is destroying many countries, is the lack of Inter-Faith relationship. Some people believe that they cannot come to an understanding with any other religion. In Cameroon, some schools admit only Christians and other schools admit only Muslim students. However, they are a handful which admit both religions. The programme began with a prayer from both a Christian and a Muslim and it was actually putting the speech in action.

In many parts of the world, people believe that just because we think different, we cannot exist as neighbours. In Northern Ireland, it was heartbreaking to see the struggles of many people who wanted a United Ireland, especially when it concerned education. Some schools were only for Protestants and others were mainly for Catholics. Only about 5% of the overall education was mixed in Ireland. The protracted conflict, which had lasted for years was becoming a nuisance to the new generation that wanted nothing to do with it. Because the parents and grandparents built it in them that the others are enemies, they carried on the seed of hatred.

In Kenya during the March 13^th elections in 2013, many young people were activists for peace. They wanted no part in tribal fights, because they sat in the same classes with students from various tribes. They saw each other as friends for life, and not as Kikuyus, Masaai, Luos or all the other tribes. Their speeches were directed to politicians, parents and teachers who tried to sow seeds of hate in them. Their pleas went out to the older generation which wanted them to continue their view of one another, and they said no to tribalism.

Sitting there through the presentations, I marveled at the education these children were receiving. If we do not sow these seeds in them while they are still young, who will teach them what is right and wrong? Right now, our soldiers are defending the country against Boko Haram in the North of Cameroon, and refugees as well as IDPs are swamping in from all directions along the Cameroon borders. Boko Haram is a terrorist group with hatred towards Western Education and Female Education. While causing chaos in Nigeria, they traversed to neighboring countries, causing chaos everywhere. Although people are not directly using the words, you can tell from their body language and eyes when they meet people from the North. One can just imagine them saying “Boko Haram”, because the North of Cameroon is where the Muslims are numerous, and the stereotype would be to associate them with the events taking place.

The essence of all these narratives, is the idea of tolerance. Teaching children to see one another as friends and not based on their religious affiliations, enables them to grow up not pointing fingers, but standing by one another to defend their friendships. The School Coordinator, mentioned in his speech that children are not the only ones taught about Religious Tolerance, but teachers as well. They have both Muslim and Christian teachers.

Training Staff

One of the things many teachers lack, is discipline in themselves. For an institution to function and prosper, it takes leadership skills, character management and capacity building. It does not really matter whether you are a business company or an organization or a charity organization. Your employees need to report to someone, and disputes need to be settled by someone who knows what they are doing. Olympic Glory has a dress code for all staff members, which means you are bound by it the moment you sign the contract. This is the first school I have observed in Cameroon that has a dress code for the staff. They are trained on how to handle the students and trained on how to be accountable to the parents as well.

Watching this little school go through its graduation programme arose some pride within. It is good to go away and come back to find that your country’s wind is blowing in the right direction. The strength of the wind may be very little and insignificant, but to notice that slim breeze, is enough to hope for a greater wind tomorrow.