In honor of National Teachers Day, Unity 4 Orphans is proud to recognize the incredible educators who help vulnerable children learn and believe in themselves.
The children in our programs are born into circumstances that often limit their opportunities to grow up healthy and earn solid incomes as adults, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Our program Education 4 Change now employs 25 teachers and tutors across the six countries where we serve, a number that will continue to grow in 2024.
Teachers Play Pivotal Roles in the Lives of Their Students
Dedicated teachers impact countless students’ lives throughout the course of their careers, and their positive reach goes far beyond the classroom. In one study more than half of students reported that a teacher helped them overcome challenges, with 80% saying a teacher has encouraged them to follow their dreams and boosted their self-confidence.
Teaching is something that I’m passionate about; my dad is a teacher and my brother and sister have also taught. It’s something that runs in my family. My goal is to give the kids the opportunity to fight for better lives. They have seen all the bad in El Salvador and by teaching them English we’re helping them see something better.
–Becky, ESL Teacher in El Salvador
In El Salvador, like many of the countries we serve, children face a lack of consistent and sufficient education due to multiple factors. The education system is often not capable of accommodating all of the children, unsafe conditions due to violence can deter educators, and many kids work to help feed their families.
Providing quality teachers and tutors to the children in our programs is pivotal in helping them stay in school, graduate, and move on to university and gainful employment.
Students’ and Teachers’ Lives Are Transformed by U4O’s ESL Programs
Education 4 Change has already begun producing ripple effects from our ESL program in Miramar, Nicaragua. One former student and graduate of the program returned as an intern and is now dedicated to and enthusiastic about helping children learn to speak English, raising their confidence and future prospects.
I love to develop myself and share my knowledge with these students, to share what I learned in the program. I have students who know my story and are able to believe that one day in the future they can be an English teacher, or work as an interpreter or translator. They’ll have many opportunities.
–Yanelis, ESL Teacher and Former Student in Miramar, Nicaragua
As another teacher in Nicaragua shares, U4O is changing teachers’ lives too, something they happily pour back into their students. Learning English as a second language is an important aspect of Education for Change.
This foundational program has expanded to provide tutors to children in Ecuador who must work, to orphaned children in Mexico who fall behind in school, to high-school dropouts in Panama, and in many communities where resources are limited or inaccessible.
Educators Can Help Lift Their Students Out of Poverty
Not only do quality teachers encourage their students, but studies also show that they boost their class’s estimated income substantially and a good teacher can alter the trajectory of a child’s life. As we create teaching jobs in other countries, we identify and empower educators who share our passion for vulnerable children and want to see them thrive.
When children receive an education, their lives are changed and they change the lives of their families, they change communities, they change the perception. In Nicaragua, we even have children who have come through the program and are now teaching. All of our program teachers give their students tools that will change their lives.
–Joe Brandi, Founder and Mission Director
We look forward to welcoming more teachers and tutors into the U4O family who will teach their students ESL, empower them to try their best in school, and cast a vision for their futures beyond what they’ve imagined. Join us in thanking all of the educators out there who are making a difference every day!