Teacher Spotlight: Liina Hamunyela

Building Futures, One Kindergartner at a Time

By Liina Hamunyela, Kindergarten Teacher

When I first arrived at Joy to the World English Private Primary School in January 2013, I didn’t know how deeply this place would shape my life and the lives of so many children. I joined as a kindergarten teacher, guiding our youngest learners—just three to four years old—as they took their first steps into the world of education. Back then, we were small: only three classrooms, three staff members, and a simple feeding program that ran three days a week. But our hearts were big, and our school was full of love, laughter, and a sense of purpose.

Those early days were not always easy, but they were filled with joy. I remember how we would sing with the little ones, teach them to hold a pencil, and encourage them to say their first words in English. We were building something special—one child, one lesson, one day at a time.

In 2014, we faced a challenge when our school director, Sister Getrude, had her car stolen. That car was so important—we called it the Village Donkey. It helped us reach the road, the market, and even gather and bring supplies like the firewood we use for cooking to the school. We didn’t know what to do, and were so surprised when our friends from America bought us a vehicle to keep our operation going in our time of need. That act of kindness reminded us that we were not alone.

Over the years, our little school started to get a big reputation. Our first kindergarteners were welcomed into some of the best private schools in the area—a sign that our teaching was making a difference.

In 2017, we added a pre-primary class. Then in 2018, something very special happened: Joy to the World was officially approved by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture to add on grades 1 through 3!

We chose to expand slowly, adding only one grade each year. We wanted to make sure that we continued to give our best to every child as we grew.

Without the love and support of our American donors, maybe we wouldn’t still be here. Their help changed our school in so many ways. They helped us renovate classrooms and the office, adding ceilings and tiles to keep our spaces cool. They brought in books for our school library and bought chairs, desks, and chalkboards for our classrooms (small, colourful chairs and tables for my small ones). With their help, we became a full primary school, now with more than 270 learner from kindergarten to grade 7.

They also helped us build a strong fence around the school, provided scholarships for learners in need, and gave us 32 desktop computers to bring technology into our lessons. And when they installed solar lights across the campus, it made our school feel safer and more welcoming—even after the sun went down.

We have been a boarding school for many years, but this year we reached a big new milestone for our school: we built and opened the completion of a spacious new hostel with modern bathrooms and sleeping areas for our learners who live far away. That same year, we celebrated the graduation of our first grade 7 class—a moment of great pride for all of us.

Today, in 2025, we are a vibrant community with 14 dedicated teachers, 2 hardworking cleaners, 2 loving cooks, and 3 kind hostel matrons. We now serve 270 learners, each one full of dreams and potential. When I look back at my 12 years at Joy to the World, serving with Sister Gertrude, I am filled with happiness and I feel grateful—for our donors who believed in us, for the teachers and staff who have worked so hard, and for the learners who remind us every day why what we do is important. At Joy to the World, we are more than a school. We are a family. And with love, faith, and continued support, we will keep growing, one joyful learner at a time.

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