A ROTARY PEACE FELLOW TEACHING PEACE
This is the eighth in our series of District 5110’s involvement with Rotary’s Peace Fellowships program. Every year Rotary funds up to 130 scholarships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of Rotary’s seven peace centers. Graduates now number over 1800.
Adeola Adefemi from Nigeria has just completed her studies at the Rotary Peace Center at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
During the one-year blended learning program, experienced peace and development professionals with diverse backgrounds gain practical skills to promote peace within their communities and regions. Fellows complete field studies, design and carry out a social change initiative. The Makerere University program is intended for working professionals. Fellows earn a post-graduate diploma upon completion of the program.
Adeola’s social change initiative is impressive. It is meant to foster a culture of peace and understanding among students in a community marked by tribal and religious tensions. “Empowering educators: Integrating peacebuilding strategies and peace podcasting in English curriculum,” became a class where she taught 300 educators over three full days.
At home Adeola is known as “That Public School Teacher.” She is the recipient of many awards, including the Global Teacher Top 50 Teachers in the World Award, the Overall Best Teacher in Lagos, and the Overall Best Teacher in Nigeria in in 2022.
In her application for the fellowship, Adeola wrote: “Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations once said ‘Education is, quite simply, peace building by another name.’ As an educator, especially one in a conflict-ridden country, it is my responsibility to ensure every child has access to quality education that will contribute to peace, recovery, and reconstruction needed for our nation’s sustainable development. I am also responsible for helping learners acquire the right skills and knowledge needed to live peacefully with others.”
Her long term goal is working with the agencies in charge of curriculum planning in Nigeria and Africa.
She thanks our district for sponsoring her for this life changing experience.
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