George Mathenge is the principal of Brookhurst International School’s Kiserian campus.
He has taught in over seven institutions, both locally and internationally, for over ten years.
In an interview with Chams Media, Mathenge recounted how he became interested in teaching while growing up.
“The primary school that I had attended had very good teachers and I wished that I would become a teacher because so much of what I do today was instilled in me by my teachers,” he told reporters.
Mathenge was the best student in his school during the 1997 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
He immediately went to Chinga Boys in Othaya for her high school education, but tragedy struck and took his mother’s life.
“When I was in Form Two, I lost my mother, which was the most tragic thing that could have happened. I worked so hard because I knew that if I failed, I would have nowhere to go,” he said.
Mathenge excelled in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education (KCSE), and he was invited to join Kenyatta University (KU) in 2001.
With no university costs, he moved to Nairobi and worked menial jobs to pay for his tuition. He started working at a construction site but quit after eating 20 litres of water in six hours.
“I knew that construction wasn’t for me. From there, I developed a tuition program and tutored students in grades 7 and 8,” he said.
Mathenge was able to enroll at Kenyatta University for a Bachelor of Education and Science after raising funds from his teaching profession and receiving support from his siblings.
He was accepted into the Master of Science in Biomedical Science program at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom in 2009.
Mary Keitany: Athlete Who Rose to Become World Champion Despite Working as a Housemaid
Although he needed Ksh 2 million to pay his tuition fees, Mathenge only had Ksh 60,000 when he landed in the UK.
“I did not attend on scholarship, but I was determined to succeed. I had to collect the money and survive because I couldn’t envision returning
“There was no mother or father, so I was completely on my own; it was either I did it or I didn’t. There was no other option,” he explained.
Mathenge began searching for whatever job he could find.
“The majority of the offered jobs were cleaning-related. Despite having a degree, I used to get up in the morning to do cleaning jobs,” he explained.
He worked casual jobs for a while before saving enough money to enroll in the University of East London’s Masters program in Biomedical Science.
He eventually began working as a teacher before realizing that London was not the ideal fit for him.
“If you taught in London, you can teach anyplace in the world. In London, it can take a teacher up to 20 minutes to get kids to settle and listen to you; the experience is terrible. I also didn’t like the culture and how they were bringing up their kids and so I didn’t want to start a family in the UK,” he said.
In 2013, Mathenge decided to return to Kenya permanently and began working with local institutions.
While at it, he received a call offering him the position of principal at Brookhurst International School.
“They told me that they knew I had no experience s a principal but they’d like to give me a chance to prove myself
“For me, it was the finest chance to accomplish things on a new level. I wish to give an international curriculum that incorporates African disciplines. I do not wish to teach the culture,” he said.
