Peter Koigi

Peter Koigi, a music teacher in a Nairobi primary school, works in a “pocket of poverty in Nairobi. Most of the people here live below the poverty line.”

“The only way out of this poverty is through education.

“Teachers used to make materials at home and carry them to school; it was very taxing. Some teachers would give up and resort to oral teaching.

“With [Discovery Learning Alliance]…It improves the relationship between the teacher and the learners. As the students are learning from the TV, the teacher is also learning.

“Children have something to look forward to; absenteeism levels have gone down. Through DLA, we are able to bring the learner almost to the reality; it is almost like we are in the real-life situation. If you need to teach about pollution, with the help of DLA, it is very, very easy because [the students] are able to get the concept. They can hear and relate with it.

“Children are very excited about lessons. That room is the busiest during the day. Teachers review concepts with students after class. It is also available on the weekends. It has improved the performance of our students.

[One boy,] “John, is an orphan. He had been out of school for three years. Other boys told him that, in school, they brought a television. He brought himself to school. [The school does] not admit students in Class 8, but because he was exceptional, they admitted him and now he is the best performing student in that class. He was also elected president of the school.”