Queen Of Katwe – The Story Of The African Teacher

Last evening, I finally watched Queen Of Katwe, the film that is based on a true story of young Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi and her struggles to succeed despite the odds of growing up in a slum in Uganda. As an amateur movie watcher, I am not qualified to review the acting, cinematography or even the story line. People who are great at such things have said all there is to be said. Read one review here.

For me, Queen Of Katwe was the story of Phiona (the child who breaks out), a story of many more that do not make it out of poverty, but also the story of the African Teacher.

The African Teacher who dares to dream for the students more than he ever dreamed for himself. The teacher who desires for the children she teaches,the success she has only read of in books, but was not privileged enough to pursue it. She lives the dream in her students.

The African Teacher who has repeatedly been failed by the government but chooses not to get jaded and believes that hard work, determination and discipline are the keys to success, despite repeated evidence in her country that corruption is really how people get ahead.

Queen Of Katwe is the story of the African Teacher who teaches hungry children under a tree, and tries to convince them that despite all odds, they can make it. The Teacher that chooses to be continually be inspired by the one that makes it, instead of getting discouraged by the hundreds that are failed by the system.

A story of a group of teachers in a slum in Kahawa West setting aside their meager resources to fund a porridge program for the kindergarten kids, after noticing that most did not have breakfast coming to school.

It is the story of the teacher who does not let a flooded class that does not have windows get in the way of learning.

It is the story of that head Teacher who escorted a girl to Loreto High School Limuru, with nothing but her school admission letter, the primary school uniform she was wearing, and a lot of faith that a teacher at Loreto would figure out something, so that the girl could get an education.

It is the story of a Teacher we all know and have been inspired by, to be where we are today.

For me, a child of an African Teacher, Queen Of Katwe was about the that Teacher, who dares to dream for the kids.