INAMILLION
schools. She has even made her own charity, the Medasi Foundation, who raise money to help poor children in Ghana. We did a head to head sports day competition where we filmed our sports day and Ms Pollock filmed theirs. It ended up a draw.
“We also got to get pen pals from Ghana and we also did a story writing competition.
“She made my year extraordinary and she really is a role model and an inspiration to not only me but the whole of St Helen’s Primary and I think she is the best teacher ever.”
Anne-Mharie first went to Ghana for a holiday 10 years ago. While out there, she was invited to visit a school and was staggered by what she saw.
She went to an ICT class where there were no computers. Instead the teacher drew a picture of a computer on the blackboard and the children used their finger to simulate a mouse.
Anne-Mharie said: “It was very humbling but the children were engaging with the lesson. Before I left Ghana, I went to a dump where I found many discarded computers. We managed to get bits and bobs from them and make four working computers. Then I went to the local, very basic, computer shop and bought all of his computers.”
She also spent money she got for her car after it was in a crash on flights and accommodation to Ghana and used the rest to set up a computer hub. That school leads the rest of the region in ICT results.
As soon as she returned home, she began fundraising for the school and established the Medasi Foundation.
The headteacher at her former primary supported her efforts and encouraged the school to fundraise. When she transferred to St Helen’s five years ago, they were also keen to get involved. Through Anne-Mharie’s efforts, a school in Ghana, Our Lady of Fatima – where 800 pupils are educated from nursery to secondary – was built. Her scholarship programme means kids who would never get to go to secondary are now getting a full education and three of her students are now at university.
One of them was her first scholarship pupil, an orphan, who is studying to be a teacher.
Another is taking a nursing degree and the third is studying engineering.
Children at St Helen’s have taken part in events to raise money for the school after learning more about their way of life from their teacher.
And they take part in joint lessons which demonstrate the similarities between the children. Anne-Mharie said: “One of the projects we do is the Medasi Foundation Writing Competition. Each child is given a topic to write about. I take the Scottish children’s essays out to Ghana and the childre adjudicate, deciding who should get the gold, silver and bronze awards. Then at Easter I go out to Ghana and bring their stories back for our children here to judge in the same way.”
Joint science projects which involve every child in both schools are carried out over the internet.
Since proposing to Anne-Mharie, her husband Jim Reilly, a university lecturer, has inherited her project as well as a wife and accompanies her on her inter-continental trips.
She said: “He believes in the Medasi Foundation and we have seen the impact it is having – not just on the children in Ghana but on the children here too.” ● If you have an outstanding teacher like Anne-Mharie, nominate them for an award by Wednesday, February 14.
Ms Pollock is a role model and an inspiration to all of us at St Helen’s
PUPIL