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Mr. Elijah Muli[/caption]

A Family Man

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world.” Margaret Mead

Elijah Muli is a godly, family-oriented man, with a heart and talent for music. Mr. Muli is the Class Six teacher with five years at Kwa Watoto School. Elijah is 34-years old, and the last of four children. After losing his mother as an adolescent, he and his siblings went to live with their grandparents. After completing a secondary education, his grandparents could not afford advanced education, so Elijah stayed home and helped with farming. By the faithfulness and mercy of God, Elijah eventually realized his dream of training as a primary school teacher and graduated in 2007 from Shanzu Teachers Training College.Mr. Muli has a passion and talent for music and is now pursuing a Certificate of Music from the Royal School of Music in Nairobi. He plays the trumpet and the recorder and shares his love of music with students at Kwa Watoto School, where he formed a recorder club and teaches students how to play. Elijah says, “My hope and prayer is they will find music an enjoyable part of their lives and future. It is fun to play the instruments and can lead to a very satisfying future career. I hope to one day be a director of music for either a show or a school.”Elijah says that learning computer skills at Kwa Watoto is something he will never take for granted. “Having some computer literacy has helped me … to communicate easily. I hope to get a more thorough knowledge of computers so that … I can use it in my class as I teach the pupils.”Mr. Muli is proud of the Class Six students, who are an example to the whole school in academic and extracurricular activities. He says they are competitive “and very hardworking, with high discipline and great aptitude. My pupils love learning so much, and they always try to have their tasks completed before, or on time. They love mathematics the most and it is their best performing subject!”Elijah is first-and-foremost, a family man. He says, “(My family) complement my life. After a busy day at school, they offer rest and peace (which energizes me for) the following day.” He enjoys sitting and talking with his family and taking walks with them. In a culture where so many men have abnegated their duty to family, Mr. Muli says, “A real man is the one who provides for his family holistically.”In the middle of the last term, Mr. Muli’s infant son was hospitalized in critical condition. Elijah remembers, “I had to spend the first few nights at the hospital, to give my wife rest. Balancing work and family was a challenge, but my colleagues worked out a schedule so I could attend to my young family. The support of the other teachers, as they spread out my workload among them, made me feel valued and appreciated.”eduKenya and Kwa Watoto School are grateful to have teachers who value the people in their lives. The godly manner in which Elijah Muli cares for his family is reflected in his attention to his students. We look forward to continued collaboration with this fine father and teacher!