Annestin Chi

I was born to business-oriented parents who, although not educated beyond elementary level, valued education. During the first decade of my existence, I saw my parents work tirelessly to grow their business and to also see us through school. We were fortunate to attend the best elementary school in our community and even a high-end secondary school. Many times our parents discussed plans to sponsor us abroad provided we earned good grades. Sad enough, this good life style that whispered a bright future was short-lived as one unfortunate Saturday afternoon my parents’ business centre went up in flames – our standard of living was reduced to ashes.  
I was only in Grade 9 at the time. Life became challenging and we could barely afford food and decent education. We had to drop out of the high-end schools, in which we were hitherto enrolled, to study at low-cost public run schools. Even at that, our parents faced difficulties affording statutory fees and didactic materials. We resorted to farming for survival. Our indefatigable mother of blessed memory😭 spent sleepless nights just to make sure we didn’t drop out of school completely. In addition to farming, our mum did all sorts of petty trading just to raise money.
As the first child in a family of 8, I grew up with the determination to achieve the educational dreams our parents had for us despite the odds. It has been a smooth ride at all! I struggled through university and upon graduation I got a job in an agro-company where I served as administrative assistant. This was an opportunity to support my parents and alleviate their financial burden by helping to sponsor my siblings. However, the quest to attain the educational heights my parents had wished to see us through and the aspiration of a better life forced me to quit this job after 5 years.
I got admission into a teacher training college and eventually became a teacher because I knew a teaching position will offer me the possibility to pursue my dreams.  Of course my continuous struggle to access educational opportunities and to impact the educational community in Cameroon have earned me multiple international awards and recognitions amongst which the Young African Leadership Initiative, the TransformELT Model Teacher award, the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement award, British Council Teacher of the Year award, the IELTS Morgan Terry Memorial award, the Betty Azar award, the Hornby Scholarship and much more. These achievements are a testament to my resilience.
I seek to inspire my learners and young people in my community never to give up because if I could make it with limited access to the right information, they too can make it. I do not just inspire young people through my story but I also help them to access the right information that will make their path to attaining their full potential less rocky. This explains why when I first came into contact with the Country Director of Open Dreams in 2019 during a capacity-building workshop where we were both resource persons and learned about Open Dreams’ vision, I clicked. I take delight not just in mentoring learners seeking access to educational opportunities but also in empowering teachers because I understand that teachers pioneer the future of generations. There is no way we can hope to inspire the next generations while sidelining those who are at the forefront of all civilizations.