Courage Chipatiso teaches English and Accounts at King George V1 Memorial School in Bulawayo. The school specializes in providing education to students with disabilities. Courage has muscular dystrophy, overcoming the challenges of her condition to become a motivated teacher, as well as an award-winning dance and drama coach for her students. Muscular dystrophy is a group of conditions that damage and weaken muscles over time. Muscle weakness decreases mobility, making everyday tasks difficult. She is loved by her students and colleagues, who see her as an inspiration and rely on her work ethic, dedication to duty, commitment, organizational skills and determination to get things done. Chipatiso’s English and accounting students have a high pass rate. “From the time I started teaching, I had a belief in my students who are deaf, that they could write an exam, a national exam, and pass the exam like other students who are not deaf,” she says. Chipatiso maintains a high teaching standard by understanding the learning needs of her students, giving them extra time to grasp subjects, and working individually with students. She is also very active in the life and community of the school. She advocates for the representation of students in decision-making bodies, including the administration and special committees. This ensures good governance of the school, allowing decisions to be reflective of the pupils and any special conditions they may require for their education.
