In February/March 2022, the English Connects project ran a series of regional development workshops for selected materials writers in SSA. Materials written by the cohort of writers from Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan include teaching tips and classroom activities and are featured on the Teaching English Africa website. This page showcases some of the beneficiaries of the project and celebrates their much-respected contribution. 

Hafsah T. Aminu

Teacher

Hafsah has a first degree in Linguistics, masters in English language and is currently a PhD student of English. She has taught English language and Literature in English for over ten years. Her experience cuts across primary and secondary classes. If she is not in the classroom rubbing minds with her students, she is writing fiction and poems or facilitating a training for her colleagues in the field of teaching. She is the author of many published poems and a novel.

Belay Haileyes Asaminew

Head teacher

Belay has graduated from Addis Ababa University in the Department of English Literature. He has been teaching English as a Foreign Language for the last 4 years. He is a head teacher, currently teaching English at Spring of Knowledge Academy. Teaching is his passion. He is glad to participate in material preparation and believes it's good contributing to materials for the teaching-learning process. 

Dr Mary Oluyemisi Aina

Lecturer

Mary is a lecturer in the Department of English, Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, and also an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Languages and Literary Studies, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. She is a teacher-trainer of many years. Mary's area of specialisation is English Language with a doctorate in Phonetics and Phonology. She is a  TESOL Certified Online English Language Designer, Planner, and Facilitator. 

Zeny Zerfu

Teacher and Trainer

Zeny Zerfu wants creative classrooms. She wants students central to learning, building their confidence and leading the way. This dream inspires her work with the British Council. As a facilitator, she encourages learning through stories and art and supports international partnerships. She embeds core skills in classrooms nationwide, filling them with song as the World Voice programme leader.  Zeny’s work impacts leaders, teachers, and most importantly students. 

Thandi Gumbi

Lecturer

Thandi Gumbi is a lecturer in the Adult and Community Education unit of the Durban University of Technology (DUT). Her role is teaching lecturers/facilitators of Adult and Community Education (ACE) based in various centres in the country. She has a 12 year experience in the NGO sector, training adults and involved in community development. Her career started in basic education where she occupied various leadership and management roles and from teaching to strategic management to leadership. 

Harmony Lerato Tsotetsi

Teacher

Harmony Lerato Tsotetsi is an Educator who has been teaching for 10 years. She obtained her Bachelor degree in Education at Northwest University and is a Grade 2 teacher as well as a Departmental Head for the Foundation Phase (SMT). Lerato teaches at Danielskuil Intermediate School in the Northern Cape ( South Africa). She is a hard worker and very passionate about her work and her learners. Lerato is a hands-on manager and supports her staff in curriculum. She loves teaching young learners. 

Amna Hussein

Teacher

Amna Hussines is a junior Geologist, teaching assistant and English language teacher at Sudapet, Kurdufan University and English Language Centre respectively. She is a talented teacher and enjoys using her skills to contribute to advancing the level of English among her students. She graduated from the British Education Academy in 2017 and Kurdufan University in 2018, Africa Union Scholarship Award in which she is pursuing a MSc in Geoscience.

Zamalotshwa Florence Thembisile Thusi

Teacher

Florence is a Doctoral candidate at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Pietermaritzburg. Her vocation as a teacher is to make learning and teaching fun and enjoyable for all students. As a result, she is constantly looking for ways and methods to bring fun into the classroom. Second Language students also have their Mother Tongue interferences to contend with, so learning for them becomes exceptionally difficult. It makes it her mission to know what these are and embrace them in her teaching.