His zeal to impart knowledge to the young and change society through education convinced him to defy his disability to take on voluntary teaching service in one of the deprived communities in the Wa West District.
Forty-year-old Bernard Timbouri opted to offer voluntary service upon realizing a significant deficit in the number of professional teachers posted to community.
Younuuri is one of the scattered and deprived settlements in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region.
The community’s zeal for education compelled the Roman Catholic Church to establish a school there.
A philanthropist supported the church by providing a decent learning environment for the pupils.
Ancillary facilities such as a teachers’ bungalow, a library, and a canteen were provided.
However, only three professional teachers have been posted there to handle kindergarten 1 to JHS 3 students.
One teacher permanently handles KG and primary levels, another handles JHS 1 to 3, while the headmaster renders administrative duties and also shuttles between the primary and JHS to teach during contact hours.
Teaching and learning at the school have not been effective, resulting in a reduction in the school’s enrollment.
In 2016, Bernard Timbouri, a senior high school graduate, opted to offer voluntary service at the school and took on two subjects: Religious and Moral Education and Basic Design and Technology (BDT).
Bernard depends on a rickety manual wheelchair for his mobility.
However, on occasions that the father of five becomes unable to ride to school, his colleague teachers move to offer assistance.
They transport him to school and take him back after contact hours.
Bernard uses his knees to crawl on course sand to the classroom whenever he has lessons.
Another challenge presents itself when entering the classroom because the structure is not disability-friendly which exposes him to stress upon arrival in the classroom.
In spite of these challenges, Bernard’s zeal to educate children in his community is strong, even though he is not paid for his services.
He and his nuclear family survive on produce from a farm the students assist him to cultivate.
“Both the school and the community do not pay me for my services, but I am able to raise funds from a farm that the students help me to cultivate. Through that I am able to feed my family,” Bernard said.
Teachers say Bernard’s contribution to the school’s academic progress has been impressive.
Bernard wants support to aid his mobility to enable him do more for his people.
3news.com