This week, thousands of teachers up and down the UK will be preparing to return to the classroom. We think teachers are the hidden heroes of the world – we salute them! And we love our inspiring project tutors who work in classrooms in far-flung places; from mountaintop schools to inner-city slums.

We asked just a few of these men and women why they do what they do, and what they hope and dream for the children they teach:

“I imagine my children becoming good adult men and women for society, people that will make history. That’s my wish for them.”

Mirtha Claros, a tutor from Bolivia.

school teacher in classroom

“I know children are sensitive and not all of them come from happy homes with loving parents, so I gave myself to them. If I saw a child with a sad face, I asked him or her, what was going on, and after a while children began trusting in me. Patience is important in this work.”

Milagros, one of 1,300 project teachers in Nicaragua.

ghana teacher in classroom with pupils

“What I tolerate least in life is to see a child who is sad and alone.”

Bénédicte Tiendrebeogo, Project Worker

classroom group of children with globe of world

“I believe that a tutor’s responsibility doesn’t finish after project hours. I help them to understand their studies. They feel comfortable with me because I allow them to ask questions. All of us have a lot of fun with these kids. It is really great to see the smile and curiosity on the faces of these little angels.”

Xavier, Project Tutor, Bangladesh

xvier teacher outside class bangladesh

“Some of the children who are shy, they are actually very talented, very courageous but they’re not able to express themselves in words. So with music, they’re able to do that so they become more confident. I also teach them about discipline while I teach them. They have to listen and focus.”

Thomas Edison Wodek, Music Teacher, Indonesia

music teacher with pupils thomas edison

“Sometimes children are difficult to handle, but I remind myself that we are just instruments here. It is really God who works in their hearts…helping the children is a life-long process. We may not see the fruits right away.”

Karen Eguilos, Philippines.

karen eguilos teacher portrait photo

“I have grown with them as they have grown with me”

Mark Anthony, a Compassion Alumni from the Philippines, teaches in a remote mountaintop school despite being offered one of the best educational jobs in the country.

mark anthony teacher in classroom

“I am motivated when I see that the children who were registered when they were very small are growing well in the Lord. They can even teach others who are younger than themselves.”

Lesion, tutor, Tanzania

lesion teacher in classroom with pupils

“I love being with children because you know that they want to be with you and the younger ones are better than the older ones when you tell them something. The hardest thing about teaching the younger ones is that they have their own way of doing things.”

Justine, Teacher, Togo

justine togo school teacher in classroom

“Our motto, what we have on our t-shirts, is ‘Never, never, never give up.’ We chose those words because they motivate us and lift our spirits to do our work in the child development centre.”

Joice Lumi, Tutor Co-ordinator, Indonesia

joice lumi tutor teacher philippines

“Jesus went out of his way to minister to children even in situations where others disregarded them. It is difficult growing up in these slums. Many of them come from dysfunctional and broken homes…but I have the opportunity to impact these children’s lives.

Risper, Kenya

teacher classroom children burkina faso

“All the heroes we have in our projects are because of your support and your desire to have a better world, especially for our children. These children will mark a difference in our lifetime."

Sergio, Teacher, Nicaragua.

Eating dinner in Guatemala

“Many of the children at our projects come from homes where there is no discipline or respect. There are no parents to watch out for them. We, as teachers, are to be in the children’s place to understand them and give them love. When children from my first class came back to visit me, this motivated me. Here I found sincerity and love. Children hugged me, kissed me and asked me how I was doing. Adults didn’t even ask me that.”

Nubia Vivas Pérez, Nicaragua