CELEBRATING THE UNRECOGNIZED: FELIX KOFI DAMTE

About a week ago, I met a man I had always been with during my days in Senior High School. But my meeting with him now challenged my thinking and view of the world: he really deserves to be celebrated.

Felix Kofi Damte is a tutor in the Assin North Senior High School, where he has tutored in ICT and Geography for over 9 years. He is currently studying for his Ph.D in Medical Geography in the University of Cape Coast. He is 34 and unmarried.

A brief about the Assin North Senior High School
The Assin North Senior High School is a rural secondary school in Assin Asempaneye- a village in the Assin North Municipality. It is very deprived and one of the 303 less endowed schools, according to the GES categorization.No science lab, inadequate classrooms, students with low motivation to learn due to harsh economic backgrounds, etc. etc. etc. were some of the many things you are to realize if you were to be there.
And that is where I graduated!

During my stay in school, I got very close to this man (he was my geography tutor). It was very normal to see students all around him, cracking jokes, sharing stories and learning. I was privileged to be one of his favorite students. He taught all his students how to be versatile and to set goals, how to be resilient etc. I really understood most of these things when I met him recently.

Before he began his Ph.D, he had appointments to work with several other firms in Accra and in Kumasi. He turned most of those offers down, and with some, he went to work there for a a few weeks and would quit. You ask him why and his answer is "I AM A TEACHER". When he had teaching appointments in these urban areas too, he turned them down with no reason at all. We could not understand. But later, we realized his passion towards building his students in the rural areas. He would sacrifice anything. He gave us food if we wanted, gave us his books, gave us money, will even borrow for us if he does not have.

 He is still turning offers in the city down with the reason of  "I AM A TEACHER" even now that he is doing his Ph.D. When I met him last week, he narrated to me how he is struggling to pay his tuition to complete his Ph.D. Asking him how he is going about it, I was stunned! "I am farming now.", was his answer.  He grows rice in the same village on a borrowed land, where he employs himself as a farm labourer. He does all the menial work: from weeding to planting to etc.

 He is the only teacher who was a real motivation then. Supporting his students, making sure we are not discouraged even in those unfavorable circumstances and also making sure he serves as an example we can always look to.After interfacing with him lately, I had no option than to commit to helping him on his farm during my vacation and to help him teach.

This man is a true example of all Africa will want to see- passion for development and passion for what he does. I will just want anyone who reads this to look for this man and celebrate him. Although his efforts are seemingly unrecognized, I believe that the few who will read this post will help me celebrate him.

Kofi's farm

Kofi in his farm

THE PLIGHT OF AN AFRICAN DREAMER

"What if I could generate electricity by trapping the free electrons in the atmosphere?" "What if I could send food via quantum mechanics?" "What if I could make a car that just needed air to move?'

Seems funny! But that is how my junior brother, Ralph Danquah thinks. He is always dreaming; trying to make sense out of every 'silly' idea that drops in his head.  Most at times, his ideas just get a spank, and then he shuts up about them. But getting much close to him, I realize he still holds on to those wild dreams and just won't talk about them. He is just not content with making the 90's in his exams, but really wants to apply; he wants to do something. He thirsts for a scientific revolution!

There are many students in the country like Ralph. There are many who after watching fiction movies, FEEL like, "all things are possible". Some spend days daydreaming about the future they will make if they had the ability to manipulate the world with science. 

I have always asked myself a very simple but important question. "Is that feeling right?"

The classical physicists could not easily accept Einstein's theories. Einstein could not easily accept the theories of quantum physics. This tells me, and it's obvious, it's not easy to break through a tradition, unless you believe in it so strong. Yes! the feeling is right!

I have two issues:

Can't anyone make these young ones believe in their wild dreams? 

Can't anyone make them understand that scientific revolution is possible? I address this to Africa!

The African child is only seen as a dreamer. Why?Because we have failed to acknowledge that it is our  responsibility to SHAPE the dreams. We have miscontrued the meaning of "SHAPE". It is not just to make him tow the lines of the current generation of science in Africa, nor making him maintain vague optimisms, but directing him to have a balance of the two, as we do our best to lead him to his ultimate best through practical education.

I was privileged to attend the Next Einstein Forum in Dakar, where scientists, engineers and technologists across the globe gathered to pursue the search for the next Einstein. It was a real passionate platform, and I realized that there were people who were ready to invest in the future of Science in Africa. My only hope is to see that passion from the NEF travel through Africa; where everyone in Africa will believe in our future; a future propelled by the solid wheels of science.

We indeed will see a New Africa. We will surely invest in it. But the present will have to do more. It should not be just about talking, but holding on to the passion; doing all we can to see it happen.

I SEE A NEW AFRICA