Kenyan teacher who gave his all to the poor earns $1m prize in global teacher competition

A Kenyan teacher who didn’t have much to give, but gives away 80 percent of his income to the poor has won a $1 million grand prize in the Global Teacher competition, The AP reports.

On Sunday, Peter Tabichi was celebrated for his work teaching in a government-run school in the village of Pwani. Tabichi was so dedicated to his cause teaching the mostly orphaned children that he gave away almost all of his monies to help the poor.

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His school lacks resources, has just one computer and spotty Internet access. But that hasn’t stopped Tabichi from being the best teacher he could be under the circumstances and his big prize proves it.

“I feel great. I can’t believe it. I feel so happy to be among the best teachers in the world, being the best in the world,” he told the Associated Press following his win at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai in a ceremony hosted by actor Hugh Jackman.

Tabichi said he had never traveled so far before his trip to Dubai and it was his first time on an airplane.

In the small village of Pwani, Tabichi teaches high schoolers science. Most of them are orphans or have only one parent, the outlet reports.

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Now with the one million dollar prize, Tabichi said he can make the school much better. It has no library and no laboratory but things are now destined to change.

Because of Tabichi, many of his students have stayed the course instead of opting to drop out. He’s even encouraged many of them to qualify for international competitions in science and engineering. And some have gone on to college because of his encouragement.

“At times, whenever I reflect on the challenges they face, I shed tears,” he said of his students. He said he hopes his win gives them the confidence to achieve too.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement that Tabichi’s story “is the story of Africa.”

Tabichi talked about his mother in his acceptance speech, saying she died when he was 11 years old. He was left with his father a school teacher who raised him and his siblings as a single dad.

The coveted competition for teachers is in its fifth year with a major prize of this sort. Tabichi was chosen out of 10,000 applicants.