A Newcastle woman has been recognised for establishing the first and only Kiswahili community language school in New South Wales. Monica Njoroge-Eaton, originally from Kenya, opened the school in 2017 after struggling to pass on her native language to her children in Australia.
The school, which operates under the Wananchi Newcastle organisation, started with Ms Njoroge-Eaton as the sole teacher. It has since expanded to four teachers at the Wallsend campus and two at Hamlyn Terrace, serving about 40 students across both locations.
Kiswahili, also known as Swahili, is widely spoken in eastern and parts of central Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The school offers classes for early learners and primary school-aged children every Saturday at Wallsend.
Ms Njoroge-Eaton said many families attend to help their Australian-born children connect with their heritage. 'It has just given them the social aspect, it has been very good for the community,' she said. Some families travel several hours to attend.
Her efforts earned her the NSW Premier's Community Languages Teacher Medal this year. 'It was incredible, there are thousands of community language teachers, so I really did not expect it,' she said.
Ms Njoroge-Eaton, who works as a special education teacher at Irrawang High School during the week, said the school also attracts students from non-African backgrounds interested in the language and culture.
