MBETIMANGUE Elisabeth

Classroom number one, bottom floor, first on the left. Five days a week this classroom is filled with 63 tiny first grade orphans and one courageous teachers. Currently finishing up her first year of teaching at Project Hope and Charité, Elisabeth is by no means new to being a teacher. Elisabeth has wanted to be a teacher since she was the age of her first grade students and she has been living out her dream for the past 29 years teaching in many different schools around Bangui. Her mother was illiterate but Elisabeth said her father was a teacher by occupation and he did a good job of making sure his children were educated, most importantly in the Word of God.

When I asked the small spunky women what her favorite subject to teach was she promptly told me it was teaching about God. “I have been teaching kids and adults of all ages the word of God at church and in schools, private and government alike,” Elisabeth told me, “I like to teach little kids better than grown-ups, though. Grown-ups are not so excited to learn but little kids’ hearts want to learn and believe. I get so much joy when I see that my students are understanding what I’m teaching them and growing in the Lord.” Elisabeth was teaching addition the day I sat in on her class. As Elisabeth taught, the little kids were busy chalking numbers onto their small slates and adding them up. I’m not sure how she kept the attention of that many little kids.

Elisabeth’s motivation for teaching is a desire to be a role model. She loves to learn, read, and study the Bible and she wants to inspire kids to be excited about learning too.

She is very proud of her class of 63 PHC first graders. They have been doing excellent this year, I’ve been informed, and are receiving very good grades. Elisabeth, who is quick to smile and not afraid to be stern, has done a great job teaching her overflowing class of first graders! Project Hope and Charité is fortunate to have a teacher as good as Elisabeth.

Elisabeth with her 1st grade class