How being a refugee teacher shaped my research

How being a refugee teacher shaped my research

By Zebron Mwenebatu

“Refugee teachers, like their national counterparts, possess great potential. If empowered, they too can become valuable assets for productivity and progress in the communities that host them.”

My name is Zebron Mwenebatu. When I fled my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2017, I arrived at Mayukwayukwa Refugee Settlement in Zambia with hope. After several unsuccessful attempts to find employment, a new idea changed everything. I noticed that many young people and adults in the refugee community were unable to access quality education and employment because of language barriers. In response, I started a small center where other youths and I taught English. I believe that in today’s modern world, learning English can improve literacy, employability, and access to education. I have been doing this since 2018, but due to financial challenges in 2024, the school moved online, where only a small number of students continue to attend.

As a refugee taking on the role of researcher, I felt excited to be part of the solution to challenges affecting people in situations like mine. My positionality and background also shaped how I understood participants. For instance, when interviewing an inactive refugee teacher¹ who spoke French and Lingala, I could easily understand and translate even the most colloquial expressions because I am a born-and-bred Congolese. Overall, participants responded positively during the different phases of data collection. National teachers and active refugee teachers² appeared more cooperative and open than inactive teachers, but all participants were willing to share their experiences.

What fascinated me most was the quality of interaction during the sessions and how this contributed to the achievement of the objective. One moment that still stands out is when a Zambian female teacher said, “This interview creates a kind of safe space where I feel free to speak about the stresses of my work—stresses I have not been able to share with anyone at this school for a long time.” This reminded me of the power of meaningful dialogue and reaffirmed the value of the research.

I did not face many significant challenges during data collection. With the skills and materials I gained from PR training, along with my multicultural and contextual knowledge of the community, I worked with minimal obstacles. However, due to the shortage of electricity in the settlement, I once found myself about 20 kilometers in the outback where both my tablet and keypad shut down after seven hours of continuous work. Fortunately, I had carried a manuscript copy of the questionnaire and a notepad, which allowed me to continue my work without major disruption.

I felt particularly confident conducting interviews because of their semi-structured nature. This format allowed me to seek and obtain detailed information while maintaining enough flexibility to naturally bring out deeper insights from participants.

During one interview, an Angolan refugee who had worked at a government school for nearly three years revealed the painful dilemma he faced before resigning. He had to choose between continuing to teach while watching his dependents live in misery, or quitting his job to hustle and provide for them. I found this teacher’s experience deeply moving. It reminded me that sometimes even heroes bear the burden of their own sacrifices for the sake of others.

It took my first semester of serious involvement in research work to realise that research is indeed important in all aspects of life. It helps us uncover what is often unseen and bring hidden truths to light.

From what I have learned so far, I can confidently affirm that refugee teachers, like their national counterparts, possess great potential. If empowered, they too can become valuable assets for productivity and progress in the communities that host them.

Footnotes:

1. ‘Inactive’ teachers are those who have taught in the past (either in the home or host country) but are currently not teaching because they either do not have access to or interest in teaching work in the host country. ↩︎
2. ‘Active’ teachers are those who are currently teaching in informal or formal school settings. ↩︎

Funding

This work is supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, a joint endeavour with the International Development Research Centre, Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.