Six Teachers Who Gave, And What Their Classrooms Gained

This IWD month, CcHUB is telling 30 stories built on a simple truth: when women have access and opportunity, Africa gains measurably, and permanently.

Six of those stories belong to women you may already know. They are teachers, principals, and mentors from Nigeria and Kenya, all members of the re:learn Teachers Lounge community. They turned what they got—a program, a peer network, a space to grow—outward. Into classrooms. Into students. Into numbers that speak for themselves.

Maranatha Nguhilen Haa · Nigeria

Through CcHUB’s Teachers’ Lounge Mentorship Programme and Digital Literacy CoP, Maranatha has trained over 500 students in STEM and space education, and more than 2,000 students and teachers in digital literacy and online safety—including deaf learners. Seventy-five percent of her participants are girls and women.

Ogundipe Oluwakemi Dorcas · Nigeria

A scientist and STEAM educator, Oluwakemi has won Best Junior Teacher (2022, 2025), Best Innovative Teacher from ACCA (2025), and Best Robotic Teacher in Lagos State (2021, 2022, 2025). She has coached students to the World Robotics Olympiad in Panama and Singapore, and brings climate awareness and inclusive technology into every lesson.

Nelly Kagoro · Kenya

Nelly is the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Peer Learning Pioneer and Director at Ohana School, where she oversees the learning of over 100 students. Through the Teachers Lounge Mentorship Program, she has mentored 12 teachers—and through Milimani Rotary Club, more than 70 students.

Grace Irungu · Kenya

Grace has supported over 300 students and 50+ teachers with digital learning tools, boosting classroom engagement by 60%. She has connected with 70+ local educators and 800+ global educators across Africa, Brazil, and Asia, and helped create 12 virtual and 28 physical tools for inclusive education.

Mary Kahonzi · Kenya

As principal of Mwijo Secondary School, Mary has made it her policy that no vulnerable student or young mother leaves her school because of fees. In 2025, she personally supported a KCSE candidate through pregnancy to graduation. The result: a notable drop in dropout rates in Mwijo-Kilifi County.

These six are part of a larger campaign spotlighting 30 women across Africa whose impact proves what happens when women are given the conditions to grow.

Know a woman whose community can’t stop talking about what she gave? Nominate her here. Nominations close tomorrow.