Peter Tabichi, a Franciscan brother and science teacher, has gained international acclaim after donating 80% of his monthly salary to support needy students in his small village in Kenya.
His sacrifice earned him the prestigious Global Teacher Prize worth $1 million in 2019.
Peter's Story and How He Did It
A teacher at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School, located in Pwani Village, Nakuru County, Kenya, Peter is a witness to many of the challenges the student and school faces in a bid for them to be educated.
Running on a student–teacher ratio of 58:1, overcrowded classrooms of up to 70–80 students, severe shortage of textbooks, limited laboratory equipment, and Poor internet access, the school is barely a standard environment for teaching.
Peter often travels to cyber cafés to download teaching materials, and most of the student s walking over 6km daily to attend school, with widespread poverty, drought, and food insecurity.
He stated that many of his students are orphans or come from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds. Yet, instead of seeing limitations, Peter saw potential.
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Despite earning a modest income, Peter Tabichi donates 80% of his salary to help students buy uniforms, purchase textbooks, support food programs, fund community development projects, and assist families struggling financially.
“It’s not all about money,” he said. Peter’s goal has always been to ensure that poverty does not block access to education. Under his mentorship, the school experienced dramatic academic improvement.
His students won awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry, competed in international science and engineering fairs, and increased transition rates to college and university.
Peter strongly promotes science and technology, encouraging students to believe that “science is the way to go.”
He works not only inside classrooms but also within the community, visiting families to persuade them to keep children, especially girls, in school instead of arranging early marriages.
In 2019, Peter Tabichi was selected from over 10,000 nominations across 179 countries to win the Global Teacher Prize. The award, organized by the Varkey Foundation, was presented at a ceremony in Dubai.
On receiving the prize, he spoke passionately about Africa’s future:
“Africa’s young people will no longer be held back by low expectations. Africa will produce scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs whose names will one day be famous in every corner of the world. And girls will be a huge part of this story,” he expressed.
Peter’s victory shone a global spotlight on the power of teachers working in underserved communities. His story continues to inspire educators around the world that their sacrifice will eventually pay off.
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