When 49-year old Emerthe Akimanizanye, a teacher at Groupe Scolaire Rwakirali was recognised by the Ministry of Education’s Rwanda Education Board for her excellent and selfless service to students, it did not come as a surprise to those who know her. 

For twenty seven years, Akimanizanye has been demonstrating that effective teaching is all about motivation and the determination to give each student a shot at a future regardless of the personal sacrifices and hardships the teacher has to endure.

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It is no wonder that all her colleagues and students speak so highly of her.

"Akimanizanye is a multi-skilled, very hard working teacher who has both motivation and initiative,” says Dennis Ngirimana, the deputy headmaster of Groupe scolaire Rwakirali.

Oscar Ntirugirimbabazi, a teacher of Social Studies, describes her as courageous, very organised, competent at her job, humble, sociable, helpful, and a good advisor.

A student of hers, Eline Niyonizera, who is in Primary Five says, "Teacher Akimanizanye is a good teacher who treats all students the same. She is intelligent, experienced and always keeps time.”

What very few people know is that as a child Akimanizanye did not once dream of being a teacher. Indeed her journey into the teaching profession was a result of the death of her childhood dream.

Teacher ‘by accident’

Born into a poor family in the rural area of Rwakirali Sector in Gakenke District, Northern Province, Emerthe Akimanizanye, the fifth of eight children, dreamed from an early age of being a nurse.

"There were not many nurses in our village and so many people died needlessly simply because of ignorance,” she recalls bitterly.

After her primary school education, she applied for Nursing as her first choice and Education as her second. To her great disappointment, she was rejected for Nursing and admitted into the teaching course instead.

"I was heartbroken because all my hopes were in pursuing a nursing career in order to transform my rural area. I felt guilty because I could not help my people,” she recalls.

Not one to wallow in self-pity, however, the young Akimanizanye soon picked herself up and purposed to be the best teacher she could be.

"I decided that all I needed to carry on with life was a mindset change. Hence I chose to focus on the opportunity I had been given rather than dwell on what I had lost,” she says, a look of determination on her face.

It is a decision she has never regretted.

"Very soon teaching became my vocation, and I committed to dedicate my very blood to my students by sharing with them my full knowledge and skills when I finished my studies.”

A heart for the weak

In 1985 Akimanizanye completed her training. She remained in her rural village until 1987, when she started teaching in Groupe Secondaire Rwakirali where she still works todate.

One of the first things she noticed on joining the profession was how some teachers treated the so-called "weak” students. 

"I have always believed any student can perform well given a chance. I made it my goal to help the weak students improve on their grades, without ignoring the needs of the intelligent ones. My aim was to ensure that they all achieved much more by working together,” she says.

Her teaching style

"I place my students in groups, allowing them to help one another. To the brighter ones, I simply give guidelines on what to do and supervise them occasionally. Then I focus on the weak ones until they are at par with the rest. I also encourage the students to consult and help one another,” Akimanizanye shares regarding her immensely successful teaching style.

Within no time her success with students other teachers had given up on started to draw attention.

"My fellow teachers would get surprised when some students who they had considered too weak emerged among the top five best performers in class,” she narrates.

Another technique 

Akimanizanye uses creative aids that can help her students understand and retain what they have been taught.

For instance, she uses ‘Vowels and Consonants cards’ to help students learn to read and write Kinyarwanda.

"We do lots of practice in the classroom, and they do it even when they are alone,” says Akimanizanye. It is no wonder that her students routinely excel in the language.

The veteran teacher adds that she makes it a point to keep on learning and coming up with new innovations so that her students can get new skills every day.

Inspiration

Asked what drives her, Akimanizanye says it is the memory of her beloved husband and role model who died in 1997.

"My husband was a head teacher of a primary school. He always supported and advised me when the challenges were too many and I felt like giving up,” the single mother of five narrates.

"It was him that inspired me to love teaching and to give my all for my students without expecting any recognition in return.”

Advice to teachers

Akimanizanye  advises fellow teachers to be committed and never give. She also advises them to be purpose-driven and reliable in order to be successful.

"You should always be motivated, set targets and work hard to achieve them in your lives,” Akimanizanye says. "You need to be innovative, creative and help every student to get better academically and socially.