Jacinta is an early childhood development teacher in Mathare North. Her class consists of middle level children. Teaching was not one of her prime desires but she became an ecd teacher out of necessity.
Being a second born and at the same time a girl-child in a family of seven led her to take up responsibility roles early on in life. It became a normal part of her daily routine to help her mother care for her siblings. They lived in a rural part of Kisumu which is in the Western part of Kenya.
Her dream was to become a police woman to serve her country but circumstances led her to have a great passion for children. The eldest child in the family, who happened to be a son, passed away leaving Jacinta with the obligation of raising his children. The children needed basic care, educational empowerment, and financial help. In the years that followed, some of her cousins also passed away leaving the extended family to care for their children.Offering basic care and financial support was not easy, but at least she some idea about how to meet these needs. The children’s education, on the other hand, had been a big issue. Childcare centers and schools lacked the resources to offer the all-around commitment to mold the little ones into people with the means to improve their society.
This triggered her to try find a solution to the problem. Jacinta first began by working at a near-by nursery centre as an untrained teacher, but one filled with the desire to help out. This enabled her to save money to attend ECD training. This eventually paid off when she was able to attend a training every school holiday for two years to earn a certificate.
Jacinta is currently taking part time classes for her diploma in early childhood development, which she says will help her pass on her knowledge more effectively. Her greatest desire is to mold children to become better people in society and give them a chance to be able to learn how to read and write.
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