Ian’s Role in PA-MOJA – When Ian was hired as the Education Liaison Officer for PA-MOJA in 2015, it was a game-changer for PA-MOJA. Ian’s passion for teaching and compassion for students were ideal attributes for the position. In this role, Ian communicated regularly with the PA-MOJA committee in Canada, organized school visits for PA-MOJA travelers to Kenya, connected with local community leaders to select PA-MOJA scholarship students and facilitated the disbursement of donor funds. He also did most of the work on the Kenyan side to organize the three PA-MOJA Kenyan student trips to Canada and he accompanied the first group, as a chaperone. Ian has since been promoted to the position of Deputy Head of Community Programs, but he still retains all the hands-on duties that allows PA-MOJA to run successfully in Kenya. He enjoys the critical thinking, problem solving and collaborative decision-making that goes along with partnership between OPC and PA-MOJA.
One of Ian’s many responsibilities is to facilitate the Butterfly Effect program. Ian travels from school to school along bumpy and dusty dirt roads to mentor Kenyan students in technology and research skills, helping to inspire them to select an inquiry question and perform their research. He also coaches local Kenyan students to connect with fellow students in Canada through the digital learning platform, encouraging students to share their learning to ultimately teach one another.
Ian is also integral in the student scholarship selection process. The four-year PA-MOJA scholarships are highly sought-after by the community because there are many families in the area who cannot afford to send their children to a good secondary school, even if they have the grades required to attend. Therefore, there can sometimes be situations where families try to influence local leaders to select their child, even if they aren’t the most deserving. Ian has put many checks in place, including unannounced drop in visits to families and a strict referencing policy to ensure that only local students who are strong academically but in financial need receive these coveted scholarships.
Ian is very proud to be a part of the PA-MOJA team as he believes that PA-MOJA works to help others in a positive way; members in both Kenya and North America mutually benefit through cultural exchange and connections made from around the globe.
