Train Montessori HS teacher in Eswatini

Greetings,

As you know we've been raising funds to train two teachers for this Montessori high school in Eswatini.  One teacher, Nhlanhla, is well on his way to finishing his Montessori adolescent training, while the second teacher, "Mimi" Fato, has her application ready to submit.  

According to reports about Nhlanhla, he is doing very well and is contributing in both the teacher meetings and in his classrooms with greater knowledge and understanding of the adolescent student development.  Everyone, students, teachers and parents are all benefiting from his training.  Lilima is very pleased with his progress and delighted that he'll be certified in the near future.

The second teacher, Mimi, is eager to start her training as well.  The challenge is the need for additional funding.  Lilima is not a wealthy school.  It must have all the funds in hand before submitting an application.  While close, they still need some additional funding. 

As our contact at Lilima stated in their application, "Mimi is our glue....She is currently in administration, but came to us as an experienced and qualified English teacher. She holds us all together. She is a strong person who has a great rapport and relationship with our students. She has heart and all of us love her."

Assuming all goes well with the fund raising, Mimi Fato will now begin her training at the start of the third quarter of 2024.  This is about six months behind Lilima's plan.  We want to close this gap soon.  You can help with a donation.

Nhlanhla is continuing his studies to become a Montessori teacher.  While shadowing other teachers at Lilima, he's studying online with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, the largest online Montessori certificate training program. Nhlanhla is spending about 8-10 hours per week on the distance learning while also shadowing, and working with current students. He'll have to do two short residential sessions as part of his training. He'll also have a 9 month internship, teaching in a Montessori classroom under the mentorship of an experienced certified Montessori secondary teacher before he finally earns his certification. The entire course requires approximately 20 months to complete.  It's a demanding program, but Nhlandhla states that he's learning a great deal and is already applying his new knowledge in the classroom.  

In the midst of his training, Lilima Montessori HS moved to a new more permanent location about 9 kilometers ourside Mbabane, Eswatini.  Currently, enrolment is still less than 50 students, but with the new campus, student capacity will be up to 150 students.  Thus, having Nhlanhla complete his teacher training is critical to the long term growth of Lilima.

Your gifts are making this progress possible. Lilima serves students who don't fit in the mainstream educational system.  They may have physical challenges, intellectual or emotional difficulties, or lack the necessary resources to thrive in a standard high school. Having a school such as Lilima is a highly valued resource for these students.  With your donations, Lilima has become a International Baccalaureate accedited school using Montessori pedagogy.  

MGGF, Nhlanbla, and Lilima's students thank you for your continued support and generosity.

Links:

• Read more about Lilima on our website