“Every young person, rich or poor, needs a good teacher who doesn’t only provide knowledge but helps build up a whole person.”– Minori Nagatomo
Minori’s world was “shattered” when she experienced children living in poverty as a high school student, and it was at this early age that she decided to dedicate her life to teaching. She studied in the United States, and had the opportunity to serve in Rwanda and Uganda. Here her passion for teaching in the developing world was reborn, and she applied to study at Oxford’s Department of Education.
Without the financial resources to pay for her studies, Minori received a “miraculous” full scholarship from the World Bank to study International Education. This scholarship left a lasting impact on Minori’s life – “I am keenly aware of the power of education and the power of individuals, schools and organizations choosing to invest in a young person’s life.”
After graduating, Minori came to serve in the Philippines, and now co-leads an education program that sees thousands of scholars educated every year. She has helped bring education to some of the remotest areas of the Philippines – “Both Filipinos and foreigners are shocked by what I do and how I live, particularly that I have been to places where not even Filipinos dare to go, but this is possible, because courage rubs off on me from colleagues with whom I can trust my own life. We now have kindergartens in areas known for armed conflict and a massacre but desperate for educational provision. Our kindergartens are bringing hope to many families!”
Join Minori’s journey to bring education to the hopeless in the Philippines here.
