Last month, Wellspring’s 11 trainers completed a course on Servant Leadership, one of the first modules in the Whole School Development Program.  The trainers were personally challenged by the material and experienced radical transformation in their own lives.  Now the trainers have had the opportunity to lead almost 20 Head Teachers, Assistant Head Teachers, and PTA representatives from the schools Wellspring is working with through the same course.  They are half way through the 4-week training and it has been so exciting to hear examples of how people’s lives are already being changed.

A Head Teacher from one of the schools in Gasabo District thought the only way to run a school properly was to be very stern and hard on his teachers.  When he would evaluate his teachers, he would put down their techniques and only see the negative in their work.  His deputy testified to the way he lived in fear of his Head Teacher and had built up a lot of anger towards him.  Both the Head Teacher and the deputy have been attending the Servant Leadership course and the change in their relationship has been dramatic.  The deputy cannot believe the difference he has seen take place in his supervisor.  He shared about the humility and goodness that he now sees in him and was even more surprised when he actually came to him asking for forgiveness for the way he had been treating his staff.

Another Head Teacher from a school in Kicukiro District has also been observing a change in one of his colleagues. He had previously dreaded the times when the Head of the PTA would make visits to his school.  He knew that the PTA member would focus on the things that he felt were going wrong at the school and then make bad reports to the district that would reflect negatively on him.  During recent visits to the school, however, the Head Teacher has noticed the Head of the PTA taking the time to listen to him and really trying to understand the situation before jumping to conclusions.  The men have realized during the weeks of Servant Leadership that they needed to modify the way they were interacting with each other and are now building a strong friendship.

While sitting in the training one day this past week, it suddenly dawned on one teacher that he felt lighter, freer.  The topic of the day had been trust and forgiveness and the teacher said that almost without realizing it, he had let go of the grudges he was holding against people.  He had been clinging to painful memories of all the times individuals had wronged him, but now he knew he needed to forgive them and move on.  His enthusiasm for the learning material has been evident in the training and he has developed a strong desire to serve others, live as an example, value people, and become more a mentor to his students.  He is convinced that the Servant Leadership course has brought him closer to knowing what heaven will be like.  "When we can learn to forgive each other, work together, and truly value each other, I feel we are on the doorstep of heaven!"

This reflection was written by Yvonne Dyer, Wellspring's Program Director