Today was our final day of work - it was exhilarating, it was exhausting, it was inspiring. We had 20 Zambian teachers from 10 different communities here for an all day workshop - primarily community schools but we also had two guidance teachers from the local government school, Simon Kapwepke School.
In the morning, Lucia, Cheryl and Wendy (with help from Ruth and Norm) presented "the Tree of Life" - a collective narrative therapy technique developed in South Africa for use with traumatized children. The teachers were very active participants and were very positive about the workshop. They have been asking CWB for help with the psycho-social needs of their children - it was good to be able to respond.
In the afternoon Ruth presented a workshop on early literacy - the teachers ate up her every word. One teacher especially liked her method for teaching contractions. He kept laughing and repeating "would not, wouldn't, would not, wouldn't." It was a pleasure to be part of such fun learning!
After the workshop Amy, Jen, Eva, Zoe, Tessa and Danielle distributed supplies to the teachers - it was great fun
Tomorrow we go to Simukaka - forgive my spelling. I'm looking forward to seeing the African countryside! Lucia
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Entry from 3 July
Dear family, friends and FUSN loved ones, (from Wendy Haskell)
My first chance to blog and
WOW, where to start! Not to repeat what others have already said, I ill just say first that this experience hasn been over the top, from the first day where we were greeted at the Garden Compound for the Graduation Ceremony with the songs, loving hand shakes, childrens' excitment and such disciplined sitting still and looking us over with eager eyes the prepared performance of the women of a play about AIDS and orphans' adoptions by caretakers ad school. A couple of us cried, but very quietly we were so touched and thoe feelings have been repeated throughout our stay.
I was assigned to work at Chawama Compound where the FUSN team of Dede Vittori and Kim Shanks' work of last year lives on. The posters of animals, ABCs and numbers still hang proudly!! John who is sooo dear, patient and skilled, is completing his Certificate program in December and will go on for his diploma with much investment. He asked aboutyou Dede and Kim and wnated to send you his regards. He misses you!!! Balony (whom we called Baroun without understanding his ame and spelling) is in the government school now in 4th grade but returned to the Chawama school for our last three days there to be with John and us and at first to find Dede!! He spent time writing a letter to you Dede which he gave to me the last day and I have given it to Norm Thibeault since he will see you before I do. He must have mentioned his hope that you safely get his letter ten times that last day and clearly missed you!
I have loved these little pre schoolers and kindergarteners, their eagerness to lern and be loved up and I have found the new teachers at Chawama w ork with (David Timbo and Gift) both to be up and coming good teachers. John often comes for only part of the morning as has school. Today, I and the two guidance teachers Cheryl Crowder ad Lucia Gates presented our second workshop on the Tree of Life to the teachers from SAWAAZ, ZOC, Zancob and a government school nearby that Lucia has made wonderful connection to. W e could never have imagined how well it went!! - as well as the first workshop we did last Saturday with the leaders of these NGO's! I think many will be able to use it all or parts of it right away and we are thrilled!! It is one of the first psychosocial tools we have had to offer these communities to address trauma issues these children bear in a way that does not re-traumatize them but strengthens them. Inn our work in the schools and with the Tree of Life I think we have given them a shot of penicillan or maybe better said, a shot of a multivitamin, and they have given me a shot of a strengthened sense of the human spirit and resiliency
Dinn er is ready here so I'm off . Tomorrw we are off to Simakanka on our way to Livingston ad Victoria Falls for a fun time. We've been preped on the rough road travel but have heard that road work has progressed a bit since last year. Here's hoping!
My best
Wendy
My first chance to blog and
WOW, where to start! Not to repeat what others have already said, I ill just say first that this experience hasn been over the top, from the first day where we were greeted at the Garden Compound for the Graduation Ceremony with the songs, loving hand shakes, childrens' excitment and such disciplined sitting still and looking us over with eager eyes the prepared performance of the women of a play about AIDS and orphans' adoptions by caretakers ad school. A couple of us cried, but very quietly we were so touched and thoe feelings have been repeated throughout our stay.
I was assigned to work at Chawama Compound where the FUSN team of Dede Vittori and Kim Shanks' work of last year lives on. The posters of animals, ABCs and numbers still hang proudly!! John who is sooo dear, patient and skilled, is completing his Certificate program in December and will go on for his diploma with much investment. He asked aboutyou Dede and Kim and wnated to send you his regards. He misses you!!! Balony (whom we called Baroun without understanding his ame and spelling) is in the government school now in 4th grade but returned to the Chawama school for our last three days there to be with John and us and at first to find Dede!! He spent time writing a letter to you Dede which he gave to me the last day and I have given it to Norm Thibeault since he will see you before I do. He must have mentioned his hope that you safely get his letter ten times that last day and clearly missed you!
I have loved these little pre schoolers and kindergarteners, their eagerness to lern and be loved up and I have found the new teachers at Chawama w ork with (David Timbo and Gift) both to be up and coming good teachers. John often comes for only part of the morning as has school. Today, I and the two guidance teachers Cheryl Crowder ad Lucia Gates presented our second workshop on the Tree of Life to the teachers from SAWAAZ, ZOC, Zancob and a government school nearby that Lucia has made wonderful connection to. W e could never have imagined how well it went!! - as well as the first workshop we did last Saturday with the leaders of these NGO's! I think many will be able to use it all or parts of it right away and we are thrilled!! It is one of the first psychosocial tools we have had to offer these communities to address trauma issues these children bear in a way that does not re-traumatize them but strengthens them. Inn our work in the schools and with the Tree of Life I think we have given them a shot of penicillan or maybe better said, a shot of a multivitamin, and they have given me a shot of a strengthened sense of the human spirit and resiliency
Dinn er is ready here so I'm off . Tomorrw we are off to Simakanka on our way to Livingston ad Victoria Falls for a fun time. We've been preped on the rough road travel but have heard that road work has progressed a bit since last year. Here's hoping!
My best
Wendy
Photo sharing site
Our trip is over, but if you would like to take a look at our shared photos go to
http://cwbzambia2010.shutterfly.com/
and use the following password
lusaka
http://cwbzambia2010.shutterfly.com/
and use the following password
lusaka
Friday, July 9, 2010
Home again
Up early again, a quick loading of the vans, then off to the airport, where's Tom?
Oops, I guess someone had to pay the bill at the guest house. The group did decide
to return to the guest house and pick him up. British Airways was having computer
problems at Lusaka, so the takeoff was delayed about 1 hour in order to process
the ever increasing backlog of passengers that were lined up at the ticket counter.
Fortunately we made up the delayed time, and landed at Heathrow pretty much on-time
but because of the computer problems in Lusaka, some of us did not have boarding
passes for the LHR to BOS leg. The stop at the ticketing desk did not take too long and
it was off to security. Security was a bit slow, and one of us was tagged for extra carry-on inspection.
When we got to the gate, there was a ticketing problem with Lucia and Tom's seat
assignments, but where's Tom? He finally made it to the gate, catching the last
bus out to the plane. We finally arrived in Boston pretty much on time and said
our goodbyes as we exited customs.
Oops, I guess someone had to pay the bill at the guest house. The group did decide
to return to the guest house and pick him up. British Airways was having computer
problems at Lusaka, so the takeoff was delayed about 1 hour in order to process
the ever increasing backlog of passengers that were lined up at the ticket counter.
Fortunately we made up the delayed time, and landed at Heathrow pretty much on-time
but because of the computer problems in Lusaka, some of us did not have boarding
passes for the LHR to BOS leg. The stop at the ticketing desk did not take too long and
it was off to security. Security was a bit slow, and one of us was tagged for extra carry-on inspection.
When we got to the gate, there was a ticketing problem with Lucia and Tom's seat
assignments, but where's Tom? He finally made it to the gate, catching the last
bus out to the plane. We finally arrived in Boston pretty much on time and said
our goodbyes as we exited customs.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Game park and victoria falls
Up before dawn, on the road after a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and beans and off to see the animals. We tried to get to the park early, in fact it was too early since it hadn''t yet opened. The driver (and the promise of cash up front) convinced the gate guard to let us in so we could see early morning activity of the animals. Guinea hens greeted us, then the warthogs, followed by impala, giraffes, crocks, hippos across the river, large monitor lizards and finally a snake in the tree. No elephants seen in the park, but there is a herd of about 20 that is roaming around the hotel and occasionally blocking traffic on the main road.
Around 0930 we were off to the falls. The water in the mighty Zambezi is high this year, so we all were treated to fullest extent by the place that roars. No one was spared the drenching of crossing the footbridge over to the island by the falls, and most everyone got a good cardio workout returning from the "boiling pot."
After 1530 we split into groups either returning to the game park or to go craft shopping. We are looking forward to another evening meal here at the lodge; last night we were treated to sweet potato soup, green beans with ground "ground nuts" (i.e. a kind of peanut butter made using local peanuts), chicken, steak, potatoes, and lots of veggies for our non-carnivorous colleagues.
Long ride back to Lusaka tomorrow, and maybe we'll be back in time to attend a graduation at Linda Compound. For dinner we'll put on our fanciest (or cleanest) duds for a dinner at Molly's. Thursday we're up early again for our flight back to the states.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Garden Health Clinic Screening and Teacher's Workshop
It was great to see community leaders, and many caregivers with their children. Every family who registered got a clinical visit, eye exam, vitamin a supplement, antiparasitic vermex, urine analysis test, any necessary injections/shots like measles, and medicines/antibiotics as needed.
It was great to gather information about family history, chronological age, and more about their household information. For those of us working at Garden, it gave us one last time to see the children as well as those from previous years.
The screening was such a wonderful way to get a sense of the community of Garden. I was so happy to meet all the caregivers of students I have taught. It was quite a long process for each child to go through as they had to sign in, take a urine sample, get weighed and measured, get an eye exam, meet with those handing out medicine, and meet with the doctor. Waiting between each part of the screening was anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, and to meet with the doctor was a bit longer as the doctor was very thorough. I can easily see in the United States that waiting this long would be unacceptable and many parents would be outraged. Here, it was quite the opposite as everyone waited patiently! Most of us attending the screening had to leave around 12:30 to get back to the guest house for lunch and to help gather materials for the teacher's attending the workshop. Maria and Jen stayed behind at Garden as they had become part of the team who was handing out medicines to children and their caregivers. They were very much a part of a fabulous team of nurses, doctors and clinical helpers.
The teacher workshop was a wonderful opportunity for us to praise the work many of us have witnessed in the community schools. We had 22 teachers ready to learn about the tree of life, reading, and a make-it/take-it. The communities represented included Chawama, Ng'ome, Garden, Bauleni, Mtendere, Mendevu, Fumbelo, ZOCS (Zambia Open Community Schools), Simon Kapapwe School, and the Pentecostal Church. The morning block was devoted to teaching them about the tree of life and was taught by Lucia, Wendy and Cheryl. The afternoon portion of the workshop talked about reading and a make-it/take-it. Ruth shared her wealth of knowledge about phonemic awareness, reading and providing teachers with some strategies and handouts.
Both sections of the workshop were very helpful. The teachers were so appreciative to be recipients of all the tools and ideas we sent them away with. It was also an opportunity for us to share more materials with them. Each community received a bag packed with school supplies like pens, pencils, colored pencils, rulers, paper, scissors, glue, and many small visuals that could easily be put on desks or walls. Each group was also sent away with 3 big books and 12 regular sized books. I feel that it is so important to cherish these teachers, as they are the ones who can reach hundreds of children. It is truly amazing how hard these teachers work where typically each community has anywhere from 75 to 300 students in school. Each community usually has 1 or 2 teachers. They are truly miracle workers in that they are devoted to their respective communities although they go through many hardships and challenges.
It was great to gather information about family history, chronological age, and more about their household information. For those of us working at Garden, it gave us one last time to see the children as well as those from previous years.
The screening was such a wonderful way to get a sense of the community of Garden. I was so happy to meet all the caregivers of students I have taught. It was quite a long process for each child to go through as they had to sign in, take a urine sample, get weighed and measured, get an eye exam, meet with those handing out medicine, and meet with the doctor. Waiting between each part of the screening was anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, and to meet with the doctor was a bit longer as the doctor was very thorough. I can easily see in the United States that waiting this long would be unacceptable and many parents would be outraged. Here, it was quite the opposite as everyone waited patiently! Most of us attending the screening had to leave around 12:30 to get back to the guest house for lunch and to help gather materials for the teacher's attending the workshop. Maria and Jen stayed behind at Garden as they had become part of the team who was handing out medicines to children and their caregivers. They were very much a part of a fabulous team of nurses, doctors and clinical helpers.
The teacher workshop was a wonderful opportunity for us to praise the work many of us have witnessed in the community schools. We had 22 teachers ready to learn about the tree of life, reading, and a make-it/take-it. The communities represented included Chawama, Ng'ome, Garden, Bauleni, Mtendere, Mendevu, Fumbelo, ZOCS (Zambia Open Community Schools), Simon Kapapwe School, and the Pentecostal Church. The morning block was devoted to teaching them about the tree of life and was taught by Lucia, Wendy and Cheryl. The afternoon portion of the workshop talked about reading and a make-it/take-it. Ruth shared her wealth of knowledge about phonemic awareness, reading and providing teachers with some strategies and handouts.
Both sections of the workshop were very helpful. The teachers were so appreciative to be recipients of all the tools and ideas we sent them away with. It was also an opportunity for us to share more materials with them. Each community received a bag packed with school supplies like pens, pencils, colored pencils, rulers, paper, scissors, glue, and many small visuals that could easily be put on desks or walls. Each group was also sent away with 3 big books and 12 regular sized books. I feel that it is so important to cherish these teachers, as they are the ones who can reach hundreds of children. It is truly amazing how hard these teachers work where typically each community has anywhere from 75 to 300 students in school. Each community usually has 1 or 2 teachers. They are truly miracle workers in that they are devoted to their respective communities although they go through many hardships and challenges.
FUSN Teaching Team at Chawama
Greetings from the F.U.S.N. teaching team!
It is hard to believe that our time of teaching at Chawama Community School has come to an end. I have had the opportunity to work beside dedicated volunteer teachers at the school. John Mukosa has been at Chawama for two years; David Tindi and Gift Menda Menda have been there since January of this year. The challenges they face are great, yet they are succeeding in reaching most of these wonderful children with their caring and love of learning.
The people of Zambia seem open and joyful in spite of the struggles many undergo here. The children are playful, though their surroundings to us seem bleak. My fellow teachers from F.U.S.N. and I have enjoyed teaching these eager young minds and making new friends. Jen and Zoe Newberg, Wendy Haskell, Eva and I are sharing an experience we will never forget. Fortunately, we were accompanied by our "lead teacher" Amy for three days, and Lucia helped with our lesson planning.
Even in our short time here, we noticed improvement in our students' comprehension of the alphabet, numbers, colors and English language. The Chawama teachers thanked us for introducing new methods and materials. We certainly learned from them, too!
This past week, Jen was instrumental in obtaining shelves (see previous blog post). Her collaboration with Tom Murphy and Brian, our driver, produced purchased boards and donated cinder blocks for shelves in the second classroom and storage room. Jen also bought 75 three-section plastic plates, which the caregivers said they needed.
In speaking with John, David and Gift, I learned that they have several desks that need repair. Mary at the school mentioned that she would like a lock on the storage room door. Unable to fit a visit to a hardware store into my morning, I handed 100,000 kwacha to Brian, our driver, once again to round up woodscrews, machine nuts and bolts and a hasp and lock.
To my surprise, during a momentary teaching break, I saw Brian chiseling out a space in the storage room door to install a brand new morticed lock. What a guy! My out-of-pocket cost for materials was 65,000 kwacha ($13 US). They are delighted.
A song that we introduced to the Chawama schoolchildren has become an unexpected hit. They cannot get enough of "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on The Bed." We love this, because they learn counting and English at the same time with this song, and it's fun. Zoe was like a pied piper leading them in another new favorite -- "The Chicken Dance."
--Norm Thibeault
It is hard to believe that our time of teaching at Chawama Community School has come to an end. I have had the opportunity to work beside dedicated volunteer teachers at the school. John Mukosa has been at Chawama for two years; David Tindi and Gift Menda Menda have been there since January of this year. The challenges they face are great, yet they are succeeding in reaching most of these wonderful children with their caring and love of learning.
The people of Zambia seem open and joyful in spite of the struggles many undergo here. The children are playful, though their surroundings to us seem bleak. My fellow teachers from F.U.S.N. and I have enjoyed teaching these eager young minds and making new friends. Jen and Zoe Newberg, Wendy Haskell, Eva and I are sharing an experience we will never forget. Fortunately, we were accompanied by our "lead teacher" Amy for three days, and Lucia helped with our lesson planning.
Even in our short time here, we noticed improvement in our students' comprehension of the alphabet, numbers, colors and English language. The Chawama teachers thanked us for introducing new methods and materials. We certainly learned from them, too!
This past week, Jen was instrumental in obtaining shelves (see previous blog post). Her collaboration with Tom Murphy and Brian, our driver, produced purchased boards and donated cinder blocks for shelves in the second classroom and storage room. Jen also bought 75 three-section plastic plates, which the caregivers said they needed.
In speaking with John, David and Gift, I learned that they have several desks that need repair. Mary at the school mentioned that she would like a lock on the storage room door. Unable to fit a visit to a hardware store into my morning, I handed 100,000 kwacha to Brian, our driver, once again to round up woodscrews, machine nuts and bolts and a hasp and lock.
To my surprise, during a momentary teaching break, I saw Brian chiseling out a space in the storage room door to install a brand new morticed lock. What a guy! My out-of-pocket cost for materials was 65,000 kwacha ($13 US). They are delighted.
A song that we introduced to the Chawama schoolchildren has become an unexpected hit. They cannot get enough of "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on The Bed." We love this, because they learn counting and English at the same time with this song, and it's fun. Zoe was like a pied piper leading them in another new favorite -- "The Chicken Dance."
--Norm Thibeault
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