Kenyan dance teacher in race for Sh100m global prize

A Kenyan teacher is once again in the race for a Sh100million global prize.

Mr Michael Wamaya, a dance teacher at the Spurgeons Academy Kibera, K.A.G School Kibera and in Valley View School in Mathare has been listed among top 50 best teachers who will be eyeing for the prize by the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2017.

The winner will be crowned at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on March 19, next year.

Mr Wamaya teaches ballet and fellow teachers have commended him stating that his ballet classes have also had a positive effect on students’ wider academic work.

The dance teacher celebrated his nomination through his Twitter page posting: “The dance classes are the brain child of Anno's Africa, a UK-based charity that offers arts education to different schools in Nairobi slums.”

Mr Wamaya dropped out of high due to financial constraints, but a chance to audition with the visiting Kenya Performing Arts Group enabled him to move to Nairobi and study dance.

In 2015, two Kenyan teachers; Ayub Mohamud of Eastleigh High School and Michael Walter Kagwa of Mwangaza Primary School, IFO 2 Refugee Camp were nominated among the top 50.

Jacque Kahura of LIBA organization was the first Kenyan to be nominated for the annual prize during the inaugural Global Teacher Prize in 2014.

The Global Teacher Prize was set up to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society.