Born to Teach: The Story of Kevin Michael Otieno

As told to Loyce Ong'udi

Kevin Michael Otieno joined the Mwanzo Education Center (MEC) as a second-grade teacher in January. A 2018 graduate of Asumbi Teachers Training College, Kevin overcame significant adversity to become a teacher. Kevin lost both of his parents at a young age and was raised in Rabuor by his grandmother. Formal education is very important in Luo culture, and after graduating from secondary school in 2012, Kevin dreamed of studying to become a teacher. His grandmother had no ability to pay for his teacher training, however, because she also wanted Kevin’s two sisters to graduate from secondary school. As a result, at 17, Kevin began working odd jobs so he could save money toward his college education.

Six years later, after completing a two-year training program, Kevin became a teacher at a primary school in Kisumu City. Travelling daily to Kisumu at $3.00 USD per day was prohibitive when his salary was equivalent to $40 USD per month. After his grandmother passed away in 2015, Kevin became his grandfather’s only caregiver. While he emphasizes that working in Kisumu was better than having no job at all, travelling back and forth between Kisumu and Chulaimbo, where Kevin’s grandfather lives, became difficult. 
 
By mid-year, Kevin began looking for a teaching position that would allow him to be closer to his grandfather, and MEC appeared often in his search. In November of 2019, he interviewed at MEC and became the top candidate. After his first week with MEC, Kevin reflected, “The classrooms and building are so beautiful. When I visited here, I thought I was at a college. Mwanzo seems to have a strong team spirit and teachers are supportive.” He added, “Thank you for the chance to be part of this beautiful place. It is hard to believe that the village has a school building which is a garofa [two-story building]!”