Challenge from day one

Teaching in an African school was the first job with real responsibility for Sam Knowles, Kiwibank chief executive.

He worked as a teacher in a self-help (harambee) school for 450 pupils at Mautuma, in Kenya, near the Ugandan border.

"I went to Kenya to escape the English winter while on my big OE. I met a teacher on holiday who told me about the vacancy.

"I visited the area and was interviewed by the school board. They were very interested in my science background as they had a science laboratory, but no equipment or teacher."

The first day on the job was daunting for the 21-year-old first-time teacher.

"I started the day after the interview and didn't know the curriculum. I taught classes in English, maths and science. The pupils were of varied abilities and levels. To attend the school, a pupil had only to pay the fee, so some pupils were four and five years older than me.

"I got paid local professional wages of 1100 shillings a month [about $50 a week], which was fine as there was little to spend it on."

And there was no inspiring principal to help him out.

"The principal was not overly interested in the school and was an entertaining rogue. He absconded with the school funds at the end of my first term, and I ended up deputy principal for the second term, with the task of managing the staff and timetables."

He eventually stayed at the job for around 18 months, leaving after he had completed outfitting the science laboratories. And he discovered a new respect for teachers.

"[I learned] organisational skills, and that teaching is a very challenging profession. I also learned about working with other cultures - the school had pupils from many tribal backgrounds - and that challenging jobs can be personally satisfying."