I am telling you; this adventure never dulls. Naturally, we figured that a global pandemic would halt TTT for a while and yet, we find ourselves on another path in this journey. While the world appears to be grim and full of loss, the path before us shines bright. During these COVID months, we experimented with Google ads, which to our amazement, piqued over 100 interested prospects in our scholarship program. Through a comprehensive interview process, we narrowed the applicants down to seven Scholarship Awardees which is seven scholarships in four new countries in Africa. I will rewind to catch you up because I can see what you’re thinking… Beth stinks at math; she must be counting wrong.
First, we are still alive and well in Haiti, on course to train 6000 school leaders and teachers by 2024. Masked up with excellence, our beloved Haiti staff trained 983 participants this year. As I read this blog to myself, I say, “Self, you had me at Haiti.”
Now, spin your globe to Sub-Saharan Africa. In Liberia, our Partner has entered her second year of TTT, running two seminar programs in two different locations. One of the groups is hosted through the scholarship and the other group plans to have our Partner train their remaining 150+ school leaders and teachers in the following years.
Our Partner in Uganda has completed her training and will begin a seminar program in January. Presently, COVID prohibits her ability to travel to observe a seminar in Liberia so we solved that problem with Plan B. In October, we filmed a simulation to model how to run a seminar, alongside common scenarios to troubleshoot. COVID restrictions did not alter the project one bit as our participants were one of a kind, life-sized headshots to maintain COVID ratios. Pretty sneaky, sis.
And now you are up to speed! Through our scholarship program, we will train new Partners in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and the Côte d’Ivoire to launch TTT in their countries. Each of our seven new Partners have demonstrated their investment in education and teacher training. They will begin their remote training over the summer, which will include the simulation, of course.
As a faith-founded organization, I humbly testify that God is the one who has opened these doors on the continent of Africa. I am not dreaming… TTT is operating in Haiti – and six countries in Africa. God cares for the world He created, and I pray that our work honors Him as we love our underserved neighbors. I feel a little bit giddy as I report all of this through this blog. I think it is because the state of our world has got me down, but when I have my TTT hat on, all I see is hope.
May you know His hope.
Beth is the President of Teaching Training Together, an organization based in Burlington, Massachusetts, that provides initial training through professional development seminars to underserved school leaders and teachers.