story by Claire Miller
This spring, Veronica Daudi Kidemi visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park with other educators participating in Georgia State University’s Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program.
“Reading Dr. King’s quote, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,’ deeply touched me. It reminded me to keep speaking for justice and equality,” said Kidemi, an English language and literature teacher from Tanzania and founder of Voice of Women Africa, a nonprofit organization that advocates for girls and women with disabilities.
She founded the organization three years after losing her right hand to domestic violence, in hopes that she could amplify women’s voices and fight for equal opportunities for women.
This experience changed her life completely. But it didn’t diminish her passion for education, and she has found innovative ways to run her nonprofit and continue teaching one-handed.
“To me, teaching is not just my profession – it’s my purpose. And losing my hand pushed me to become more creative and more engaging in my teaching,” she explained. “I began to involve students more actively in learning activities. I used discussion, group work, presentations and student-led tasks. I discovered that when students are fully engaged, learning becomes powerful.”
By participating in the Fulbright TEA program – a U.S. Department of State-sponsored initiative that brings teachers from other countries to a host university for professional development – Kidemi gained a new network of educators to share ideas with and learn from.
Georgia State’s College of Education & Human Development, the Intensive English Program and the Office of International Initiatives coordinate the program on campus. The Fulbright teachers attended classes with university faculty, visited local cultural sites and observed and taught lessons in Atlanta-area classrooms.
“We exchanged different teaching techniques and methodologies from our countries,” she said. “Knowing them helped me see teaching from a broader, global perspective and understand the importance of collaboration in improving education worldwide.”
Kidemi believes the program allowed participants to improve their professional practice and take new ideas and perspectives back to their home countries.
“The Fulbright program helped me improve my teaching skills, especially in classroom management, lesson planning and integrating technology in learning,” she said. “More importantly, it promoted cultural exchange, mutual understanding and long-lasting friendships that support continuous learning and collaboration.”