Quilombola educator Maria José de Souza Silva guest edits teachers issue of Assembly

(Courtesy of Yasmin Velloso / Malala Fund)

My name is Maria José. I have been an educator in Brazil for 28 years and I’m excited to be guest editing this special issue of Assembly that’s all about teachers. At this time when many students are out of the classroom, I think everyone is appreciating educators a little more than usual these days.

I come from a quilombo community, which means a community of descendants of slaves. As a quilombola educator, I face many challenges both because of the color of my skin and because I work in a rural area. Lack of transportation to school means I have to walk 10 kilometers under the midday sun or in the rain. Underfunding prevents our school from having internet, libraries, bathrooms or air conditioning. Racism pervades my interactions with managers and other school employees. 

There’s a feeling in quilombo communities that we don’t exist to the rest of the country. That others in Brazil want to erase our history and our knowledge. 

But despite the challenges and discrimination, I keep teaching. I keep teaching because of my students. My students are smart, ambitious and eager to learn. They want to use their education to help our community. And it’s my job to support them. With Centro Cultural Luiz Freire (CCLF), a Malala Fund-supported organization, I am building a movement of black girls, teachers and social workers to ensure that quilombola students are able to go to school and receive a quality education. I want my students to be able to learn and tell the story of our ancestry and our community. I want them to be able to realize their full potential. 

Every day around the world, teachers like me go to work despite challenging circumstances. This special Assembly celebrates the important role teachers play in students’ lives and our (often unacknowledged) work. In today’s issue, girls from India, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan tell us about teachers who have changed their lives. We share the story of Ms. Rawzia, a teacher in Afghanistan who helps convince parents to keep their daughters in school. We reveal a statistic about the lack of female educators in low-income countries. And we highlight teachers who are changing students’ lives in Australia, India, Nigeria and more. 

I hope you enjoy this issue — and if there’s a teacher in your life who you’re grateful for, be sure to let them know when you’re back in school!