Erastus Endjala Saha

Teacher resource centres (TRCs)  are places where teachers meet and resources for teaching and learning are shared. They provide professional services to teachers to enable them to perform effectively in their schools and classrooms.

Erastus Endjala Saha is a custodian of the Karasburg TRC and an education officer. 

The centre, which falls under the
Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, serves as a one-stop shop, where multiple teaching and learning services are being offered, allowing teachers to access these services under one roof.

Endjala coordinates and provides educational guidance, resources and strategies to teachers to be able to develop their capacities to be reflective and flexible, to identify and solve their problems, to create their sources and to effectively apply new ideas to teaching and learning.

According to Endjala, the TRC provides a single access point to resources directly related to teaching practices, such as
lesson plans, curriculum development guides, teacher training opportunities and the latest research on pedagogies.

“I am dedicated to supporting teachers in their tasks by providing relevant courses, resources and information. By communicating with teachers, I can identify their needs – and in cooperation with the assistance of the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture, organise workshops and courses to suit these needs. My duties at the resource centre are not limited to teachers only; I serve the community and stakeholders,” he said.

Endjala asserts, “As an education officer, you may well be viewed as a key source
of knowledge and asked to recommend relevant resources to teachers or teacher education providers”.

Born and raised in Outapi, Omusati region, Endjala has been working for the government for the past nine years. 

He joined the public service in 2015 immediately after attaining his first degree.  

Unlike some who would wax lyrical about having had a dream to work for the government, joining the civil service was not on Endjala’s bucket list. 

He maintained that he joined the public service purely as a source of income.

He, however, indicated that as soon as he started working at the education ministry, which was his first job, his heart was captured, as he fell in love with his work.

“That is when I experienced the joy of serving in the public service, and I felt the environment. I am enjoying the public service,” Endjala said.

Questioned why he opted to be part of the public service, Endjala said, “Working for the public service can be extremely rewarding”. 

More so, when one considers their input as a contribution to the future expansion of government. I believe that I’m helping to build a better civil service. I am living my dream, as I get satisfaction from serving the public”.

While he enjoys every day at work, some days are not without challenges. 

According to him, there is nothing more frustrating than planning to execute a certain programme and learning that you are short of the resources needed for its successful completion.

The rewards

But challenges aside, Endjala is determined to give his best and execute this work to their fullest potential and on time because, according to him, his job is rewarding,
and it has a positive impact on people’s
lives.

“It is an honour for me to get this opportunity to help people – educating
them and instilling knowledge in them. There is no better feeling like that in the world,” he said.  Endjala pointed out the gold medal he received last year for extraordinary performance in the NSSCO final examinations for a passing rate of 96%. 

“Also, every year, for the past eight years, I have been receiving certificates of achievement as a teacher.”

Irked by the popular perception that civil servants are not productive or that they are inefficient at best, Endjala said, “Everyone working for the government is a hero. At least that is what I believe. The unproductiveness comes mostly because of limited resources. The public also forgets that government processes take time. Government is, however, making changes for better and quicker service delivery. I totally disagree with the statement,” he said.

Having served the civil services for nine years, Endjala revealed that he has gained so much experience, and he plans to serve the government for as long as he is able and strong enough to execute his duties.