Once a mound of clay, a pair of hands moulded

I once interviewed a group of women about the one teacher who made a huge impact in their lives.

Although these were women who were successful in their various fields, I had picked them randomly and I had no prior knowledge of whether they'd had teachers in their lives who had influenced their success.

The answers I got were amazing and they left me inspired.

The politician I interviewed held a doctorate degree. She told me about the primary school headmaster who had made a special visit to her home and convinced her father that she was ready for school.

She had even sought him out decades later just before he died and gifted him with a blanket to thank him for his selfless and extraordinary action so many years before.

A tennis player, still in her teens but already gaining worldwide recognition for her prowess, thanked her coach who she said pushed her to the limits.

Looking back at my schooldays, I can name several teachers who changed my life but if I had to pick only one, it would have to be Mrs Wanguhu, the no-nonesense headmistress at St Xavier's Primary School in Nakuru. She walked the school corridors with authority and every student respected her but somehow, she balanced this with love and attention.

She knew each one of us by name and had memorised our parents' names and where we lived. Even after retiring and starting a catering business, she made herself a name as a perfectionist.

There are so many great teachers out there and many of them may never get recognition for their little sacrifices and extra effort in guiding a child on the right path. Today, through the story of veteran teacher Mrs Ng'ang'a who has given her life to transforming the lives of children in slum areas, we would like to salute them.

And if you're on this path of imparting knowledge and wisdom to young souls, soldier on.