Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Teacher Profile: Ernest "Saga" Badu

Why do you like teaching with GHEI?

Because I am helping my community. My work with GHEI has also taught me self-confidence. When I first started teaching, I could not even stand in front of 10 students and speak. Now, I can stand before 1000 with confidence.

Why do people call you “Saga”?

“Saga” is short for “Sagacious”. I acquired this name a few years ago, because “sagacious” is my favorite word. It means ‘wise’ and I like to think I am ‘wise’ beyond my years.

Tell me about your background.

I come from Humjibre and I am the oldest of 5 children. My family are cocoa farmers, so I grew up working on the farm. For schooling, I attended primary and junior high here in Humjibre, before going to Sefwi Bekwai for senior high as a GHEI scholarship student.

What are your hobbies?

Football! I played on the boys football team when I was in school. In 2006, my junior high team made it all the way to District finals, the farthest any Humjibre school team has gone in football competition. I still play with the local football team called FGS.

Does FGS stand for something?

At first, we were the ‘Fear Girls Squad,’ but now we are the ‘Foreign Giants Squad’.

Dare I ask why you were the ‘Fear Girls Squad’?

Because, at the time we were afraid of girls. They will break your heart, you know? But, now we are the Foreign Giants Squad because many of us are returning students [from senior high boarding school] so we see ourselves as somehow foreign. And ‘Giants’ because we want to intimidate the other teams, of course!

How did you become involved with GHEI?

I participated in a 2-week summer camp 2005. A group of foreign volunteers ran the camp, and we did activities like science experiments, art projects, and educational games. In fall 2005, I was among GHEI’s first group of senior high scholarship students. When I graduated senior high in 2008, I returned to Humjibre and have been teaching with GHEI ever since.

What is your favorite subject?

Math is my favorite subject to learn and to teach, because it comes naturally to me. I love using logic to solve problems. I think that’s why I like math so much.

Tell me about your career goals.

At first I wanted to be an accountant, which is why I studied Business in senior high. But now, I want to pursue teaching as a career because of my experience teaching for GHEI. I love teaching, because when I am teaching, I am also learning. I learn something from my students almost every day.

For more information on GHEI Education Programs, visit http://ghei.org/health_and_education_programs.html


--Natalie Rich, GHEI Communications Director


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