Meet our Dedicated Faculty

Niall Dorey
Headmaster/Director/Founder

Sayo Mwangogo
Standard 4 Teacher

Nationality: Malawian
Age: 33
Qualifications: M.S.C.E. (Malawian School Certificate of Education)
Teaching Experience: 2 years teaching in secondary schools in Mzuzu (teaching maths, Chichewa, English, and Agriculture); 3 yrs teaching experience with Beehive; currently in standard 4.
Hobbies/Interests: Sayo is an musician and a composer – he enjoys recording, learning keyboard, and performing traditional and Gospel music. He also enjoys going to church, playing pool, watching films, improving IT skills, and spending time with his wife and family.
Brief Summary: Sayo is the longest serving member of the faculty at Beehive and is a good friend to Niall. He is an extremely talented, self-taught guitarist/singer, with two albums out - a natural musician and performer. Teaching is also in his blood, his mother and father are both head teachers, still in the profession. Sayo has learned swiftly the styles and expectations past on by Niall. He is also the composer of the Beehive school song, which is sung by the school in most whole-school assemblies. Until his music brings him fame and fortune, Sayo is a dedicated and integral part of Beehive school.

Flora Kalambo
Standard 1 Teacher

Nationality: Tanzanian
Age: 38
Qualifications: Tanzanian Teaching Certificate, M.S.C.E. (Tanzanian Equivalent)
Teaching Experience: 3 yrs prior teaching plus one year home school teaching two American ex-patriot missionaries, started Beehive august 2006 (now in standard one)
Hobbies/Interests: Flora enjoys going to church and invests her free time in small business schemes
Brief Summary: A Tanzanian by birth, Ms. Kalambo married a Malawian Pastor and has now lived here for over fifteen years. She is fluent in at least 6 local languages as well as commanding a high level of proficiency in English. Although more accustomed to teaching slightly older children, she is currently in standard one (ages five and six) and again the training sessions are paying off. She has a calm, quiet personality and the children seem to be responding well to this. Ms. Kalambo has an active family and church life beyond the school and is a well known and respected member of the community.

Mrs. Bahat Phiri
Standard 5/6 Teacher

Nationality: Malawian
Age: 50
Qualifications: M.S.C.E. (Malawian School Certificate of Education) (sciences, emphasis biology)
Teaching Experience: Vast experience teaching in government secondary school, two years teaching biology at nurses colleges, one year at Beehive School (standard 5).
Hobbies/Interests: Bahat enjoys socializing with friends, watching TV, cooking. She is an active muslim and spends her time looking after grandchildren and reading.
Brief Summary: Originally Mrs. Phiri joined Beehive school on a temporary basis, helping out with a small class of six children in preparation for them going to secondary school. She is a neighbor of the school and three of her grandchildren study at the school. She is now on a full time contract in the oldest class (standard 5/6) and is bringing her experience and expertise to the school. She is a retired secondary science teacher, and although initially skeptical of her abilities to teach at the primary level, she is showing a natural aptitude as well as an excellent command of English and a high level of expertise in pedagogic issues.

Bernard Mkambika Gondwe
Standard 3 Teacher

Nationality: Malawian
Age: 34
Qualifications: M.S.C.E. (Malawian School Certificate of Education)
Teaching Experience: 2 yrs in other private primary schools, 2.5 years at Beehive – currently in standard 3.
Hobbies/Interests: Bernard is a writer and performer – when he is not teaching at Beehive, he spends time rehearsing with Katoto Mualenji Theatre Company. He also enjoys investigating Malawian oral history and performances. He enjoys reading newspapers, going to church, socializing with friends, and spending time with his family.
Brief Summary: Bernard was introduced to the school through Sayo (they go to the same church) and since joining has made excellent professional development. He has made a great effort in classroom management and experimenting with methods mentioned in INSET sessions and also is improving home/school links. The children in his class are responding well to his natural, dramatic flare and the results and their learning are self-evident. He still finds time to rehearse and perform regularly with his drama group and has achieved a certain level of fame in the northern region of Malawi. He is married with two children and is also a strong part of the original foundation of Beehive school.

John Debbins
Standard 2 Teacher

Nationality: American
Age: 36
Teaching Experience: California, Paraguay (international primary school)
Beehive: Joined Jan 2007
Hobbies/Interests: John is a pilot and natural mechanic; he holds a commercial pilot’s license and is very good with car maintenance and “do it yourself” repairs. In his free time, John enjoys reading, watching films, socializing with friends, travel, foreign cultures, and learning Spanish.
Brief Summary: An excellent primary practitioner, John joined the school this year, after taking a break from his previous job in Malawi as a pilot (Nyika safaris). John has brought an additional international level to the Beehive faculty and is assisting Niall immensely in teacher training. He has a realistic and humorous attitude towards the work and is passionate about teaching. John has adapted very well to the differences in resources, space, culture, and pupil background and is making great progress with an exuberant standard 2 class of 24 pupils. He is an asset to the school and is currently working closely with a new teacher who will take over his class when John and his girlfriend leave for Holland later this year.

Bridget Ngosa
Reception Teacher

Nationality: Zambian
Age: 33
Qualifications: Pre-school certificate (Zambia), M.S.C.E. (Zambian Equivalent)
Teaching Experience: Two years at pre-school/nursery in Zambia, two years in other private primary schools in Mzuzu, one and a half years at Beehive school.
Hobbies/Interests: Bridget enjoys socializing with friends and is a connected with the Zambian community of Mzuzu. She also enjoys watching films (especially Nigerian Films!) and fashion.
Brief Summary: Initially in standard 2, Bridget now seems to have found her place teaching the youngest class at Beehive, reception (ages 4, 5). There has also been a marked improvement in her teaching and class management strategies this year as she starts to take on broad ideas and activities we discuss during INSET (Niall’s teacher training program). She is a reliable and independent practitioner who is beginning to show real potential in the early years setting. Bridget is proud of her Zambian roots and enjoys mixing with her compatriots at every opportunity.

The Beehive School welcomes the two newest members of the staff

Mrs. Confidence Ng’ona started at Beehive School this past April, and Mr Aaron Gondwe started very recently. Both are M.S.C.E. qualified and have a few years of teaching experience at other private schools in Malawi. They are on probation