The Power of a Mentor, a partner through the Liminal Space.

When we hit a wall that says to us,

"What you once knew... no longer applies. Change, or fail.",

we can feel incredibly lost. Powerless even.

Welcome to the liminal space.

Refugees, who have been forced to leave what they knew behind, can feel trapped behind this seemingly impenetrable wall. They can become despondent, depressed, immobilised. Add to that a burning, driving urgency to go on, to survive, to get to the otherside of the wall, and you have a desperate situation.

Now imagine the weight of those feelings and heap them up with an overwhelming empathy for those who have accompanied you. Children, young people, who need guidance and direction. Children and young people who may be orphans. They are your people. Your responsibility. Their needs are great. Perhaps you can meet some of them.

Perhaps you can be a teacher.

Many of the teachers in Kakuma Refugee Camp live this senario. They still feel lost but they are emburdened with a responsibility, a calling to help those younger and less fortunate than they are. So they have bravely stepped up, and wake every day with a sense of hope that they can help the many, many, young refugees of Kakuma to make progress in this time of standing still. They hope that they can provide a sense of empowerment, even though, as untrained teachers, they are really keeping just a few steps ahead of their students.

The future learning space of the Pop Up University aims to provide fast, targetted, accredited training for teachers,

but the power of its success lies with its mentors.

Pop Up University Mentors will be qualified, locally based, and trained by our contributing partners in the effcient use of Pop Up University's tools.

* Their job is to be there at the start to set up and welcome those accessing training.

* They will walk with the teachers as they discuss their learning needs and decide on an appropriate training path.

* They will assist with enrolment into online courses.

* They will help craft a learning pathway that suits the needs of each teacher and sets them on their journey to qualification.

* They will open the way into the confident use of the ICT resources that are available.

* They will be a professional colleague who can be a sounding board, a collaborator, a member of the Community of Practice (CoP) who will support and cheer the teachers on to achieve their goals.

* They will be focused on being available both in person and via mobile phone apps or email.

* They will walk with the teachers through their study and back into the classroom, offering ways to incorporate their new learning.

* They will help the teachers to build their own CoP with fellow colleagues in similar situations, experts from within the Kakuma community and from around the world, utilising the ICTs that are provided for them.

When you have a mentor, you learn how to become one.

Pop UP University aims to build capacity within Kakuma so that those who have studied become mentors and part of the CoP for the next group of students.

As the CoP grows in number, and in expertise, the benefits begin to overflow into the community of Kakuma.

With more teachers being qualified, more children can go to school and experience a quality education.

Teacher's aides can be trained at the Pop Up University by the local teaching community - increasing effectiveness in the overflowing classrooms.

The ongoing development of the professional CoP via mobile phone apps brings richness, confidence and support for teachers in the classroom.

Pop Up University provides an opportunity for teachers to walk together, through the liminal space they are in, break down the wall of impossibility and achieve their dreams of becoming qualified teachers.

They don't need to wait. They don't need to be rescued. They don't need to try to migrate to another country to access a quality university education.

The future can start right where they are.

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