This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
On September 16, 2019, Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi made history by becoming the first Kenyan to recite the Franciscan prayer for peace at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
Tabichi, a science teacher at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani village, Njoro, Nakuru County, was welcomed to the Congress to say the prayer, dressed in a dark-brown kean khanoon robe.
"It was a great privilege and honour to open the US Congress with the Franciscan prayer for peace at the Capitol. What a great day! God bless us all," he tweeted.
Tabichi, a 36-year-old Egerton University graduate, has been a teacher for 12 years and has been inspiring many with his commitment to nurturing the academic abilities of his students, majority of whom come from poor backgrounds.
He has travelled the world since winning the 2019 Global Teacher Prize, which came with a Ksh100 million ($1 million) reward, and has been appointed as the champion for children in conflicts and crisis by Varky Foundation, a London-based global charitable organisation.
Tabichi was accompanied by Varkey Foundation Chairman Vikas Pota and billionaire Founder of Varkey Foundation, Sunny Varkey, during his White House visit.
He has also visited the World Bank, Google offices, Unicef’s Education Cannot Wait Programme (ECW) and UN General Assembly, and will address the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to urge decision makers to encourage the teaching of science in Africa.
