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I am khanene Jonah ...and I’m here to share with you a story on how God has been gracious to me from birth to where I am today.
I am a first born to three siblings i.e. four children(a pair of boys and girls) a family of six, I was raised up by both of my parents with lots of strictness due to fact that I was the first child and my parents thought I should act exemplary, which I think this has contributed to what I am today.
I grew up in the village and both my parents were teachers.
From childhood school was my thing, I remember during my younger years that whenever they would delay preparing me for school, I would just disappear from home and go to school since it was not a far distance from home.
I hated missing school so mum started to make a point that I was always ready for school on time...and to me I think African mother's play a key role in a child's education apart from there financial support because honestly,
I don't remember that dad ever woke me up to go to school.
Though he really cared about my education, I credit the mothers for this mentorship.
My parents managed to educate me ...to bachelor's level as a science teacher...I pray that may the good Lord continue blessing them abundantly.
In life as I was schooling I always thought that money was all I needed to live a happy life and a decent career meant more earnings thus my dream career was a medical doctor.
Little did I know that I would be a teacher...it had never crossed my mind because I didn't have any of the qualities of a teacher - I was too quiet and reserved.
Never had I known how the social atmosphere was the therapy for happiness.
I was so shy, right from childhood and I think that was because of my parent’s strictness.... I was always too afraid to make mistakes, until I trained as a teacher.
After being enrolled on government merit to train as a science teacher and it was must at our school to include education course as your choice on government merit.
I could not turn down the offer as it would give a soft landing for my parents and my siblings to get good support at school though it took me long to accept this admission after a series of counseling sessions. I just couldn’t see how I could be a teacher.
But I did the course and it has been the right thing.
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And then I started to engage in voluntary charity work under The Mbuyu Foundation while still at campus in my second year, through my cousin brother, Moses who has also been my mentor, a social worker at my church's organization and a teacher at the Mbuyu’s Read for Life program.
I started as a special needs teacher under Read for Life, since I was eager to get some working experience. I have learnt a lot from charity work ...and I really enjoy doing it - I have finally have a real passion for it and for teaching ... I can now freely express myself with lots of confidence all due to studying to become a teacher and through working with The Mbuyu Foundation.
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Working with The Mbuyu Foundation has taught me so much, especially how to work together - I feel at peace when I am working with the kids at the programs at The mbuyu foundation.
I am now not only a teacher at Read for Life but also co-ordinate the Sports for life program where we aim to help boys in the slum see how important education is – we do this through sports and fun.
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So, I have learnt that everything that happens in life, happens for a reason, not to hurt us but to give us good skills and tools for our future and I’ve learnt that God’s timing is always appropriate and enough