Irene Ndembet: Teaching is one of the greatest forms of wealth
"You don’t choose teaching. Teaching chooses you. It’s such an admirable profession because it brings us together as human beings.”
- Available in:
- Français
- English
"You don’t choose teaching. Teaching chooses you. It’s such an admirable profession because it brings us together as human beings.”
These are the wise words of Irène Ndembet, a teacher at both the Djoué Dabany High School in Libreville. The 43-year-old has been teaching for 19 years. But that’s not all: she is also the representative of the National Education Federation and the Secretary General of the Gabonese Teachers Union.
Ndembet sees the main purpose of teaching to disseminate knowledge – which makes her very proud of her profession:
"I have had two favourite moments in this job. The first was when I met a former student, who is now a doctor, in hospital. He introduced me to his colleagues as his French teacher – it absolutely made my day! And the second was when my students got their baccalauréat results, and they were so excited that they lifted me up in the air. It was great - I felt like a rockstar! These moments made me realise that this really is the right job for me,” she tells us.
In addition to her day job, Ndembet is also a devoted mother and aunt. A few of her children are now working and others are at university, which makes childcare easier because everyone helps out. This means that although she has plenty on her plate, Ndembet can spend enough time with her family.
Ndembet’s message to new teachers is clear: "You have to be passionate about this job, because it isn’t an easy one. If you don’t put your everything into it, you won’t succeed. Although it’s very exciting to be a teacher, it can also be very hard because we have to provide children with the tools and knowledge required to become successful adults. We have to guide them through the difficult transition period from childhood to adulthood. This can be challenging but knowing that you have contributed to your country’s next generation of change-makers is very motivational. One of the most important things to do is to keep training and learning from your colleagues – especially when you are a new teacher.”
Ndembet has also encouraged her colleagues to provide extra support to their youngest students by getting them to open up about their experiences and their family life – even if there are things that are difficult to talk about.
She reiterates that education is everything and that African leaders should make it their top priority. Her ultimate dream is for schools on the continent to be well equipped, and for teachers to have everything they need. She also hopes for a better dialogue between the government and the trade unions, which would allow the development of better educational policies across Africa.
"I want to see a well-educated and strong Gabonese nation. The African continent is still developing, and education would really help us to become the best that we can be. We need to focus on the education of the girl child in particular because when women are able to go to school, they are able to contribute to society,” Ndembet concludes. The teacher certainly knows what she’s talking about, because she is also the author of two books which are part of the first-grade curriculum in Gabon, called "la femme poison et mea culpa".
