Award-winning teacher Peter Tabichi on meeting US President Trump

2019 Global Teacher award winner Peter Tabichi meets with US President Donald Trump. [Courtesy]

The 2019 Global Teacher award winner Br Peter Tabichi has started off his duties with high-level meetings themed on education and consultations with dignitaries across the world.

Br Tabichi, a Franciscan Brother and a teacher at Keriko Day Secondary School in Nakuru shot to the global limelight, flooring thousands others to win the converted teacher’s prize earlier this year.

At the start of his global tour whose theme is education, Tabichi had the rare chance to visit the White House and met US President Donald Trump.

Tabichi, visited Trump alongside Varkey Foundation Chairman Vikas Pota and billionaire Founder of Varkey Foundation Sunny Varkey.

“It was all like a dream. I had received an invite from the White House as part of the line up meetings I will be having here in the US. After the security protocol, we were ushered in to meet President Trump who was very eager to meet us,” he said.

The meeting, he said, was laughter-filled, taking close to 15 minutes.

“He looked so much at ease. We talked, laughed and took several pictures. I appreciated his support on education and technology more so partnerships that have boosted education in African countries,” Tabichi told the Standard.

On the other hand, President Trump, appreciated his efforts in teaching and emerging top in the 2019 Global Teacher award.

“He told me he was very happy and that I was the only global teacher winner he has met. He did not ask many questions but asked how Africa and Kenya were doing,” Tabichi said.

The stay at the White House, would last an hour, a moment Tabichi said, ‘all looked like a dream’. “It was the best moment, a special day too,” he recalled.

Brother Peter Mokaya poses with the award during his homecoming celebration at Keriko Secondary School in Njoro Sub-county in Nakuru on March 30, 2019. He was crowned 2019 Global Teacher Award winner. [Harun Wathari/Standard]

On Monday, Tabichi also toured Google offices in the legendary Silicon Valley.

As an educator, he said he shared stories on homegrown solutions and technologies learners in Kenya and Africa are coming up with.

He also told the Standard that he is set to attend other high-level engagements including the United Nations General Assembly set for today, Tuesday in New York.

 In his line-up this year, Tabichi is also set to attend meetings in Paris, Armenia, London, Dubai and Las Vegas.

In the UN general meeting, Tabichi will recite the Prayer of St Francis during the opening session. "I will be conducting special prayers to usher in the start of the general session," he said.

 “All meetings are themed on education and much of this year is really backed up with travelling,” he said,

His projects, which he had lined up after his win, he says, will kick off early next year.