“It All Belongs to God”

Vicky Kademi was restless. She had been teaching for so many years that she believed she had nothing new to give her students.

Besides, other jobs seemed to be more of a calling than teaching. She began seriously considering other jobs. Then she came across Educational Care, a new teacher training program.

Educational Care is a six-part training curriculum based on biblical principles of education. Since its development three years ago, Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM) missionaries Mwaya and Munyiva Wa Kitavi have led Educational Care training seminars across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Christian education is relatively new in many African countries. Most Christian school teachers and administrators have had little training applying their faith in the classroom. Additionally, the teaching profession itself is often undervalued; many people view teaching as something one pursues when all other avenues are closed.

Increasingly, however, Christians are recognizing Christian education as a means for encouraging children to follow Jesus with their whole being.

In August, Kademi attended the latest Educational Care workshop in Kenya. For five days, she and over 80 teachers and administrators explored what a biblical worldview means and involves. For the first time, Kademi heard that all careers—even teaching—belong to God. She realized that as a teacher, she had a unique opportunity to nurture children’s faith.

“When a child comes to my class, the child comes with his or her own worldview,” she says. “It is my responsibility as an educator to give the child a biblical worldview . . . from God’s heart, to my heart, to the child’s heart.”

Kademi and her fellow Educational Care participants are now carrying out action plans they made during the training. Their goal is to teach students, through their lessons and classroom environments, what it means to view and live life as a Christian. All the while, they will continue with Educational Care to gain a biblical worldview on everything from learning styles to discipline.

“The phrase ‘it all belongs to God’ will forever be ingrained in my mind and soul,” says Kademi. Refreshed and revitalized, Kademi is committed to teaching until she retires.