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
Chawama shelves
Some of the followers have asked for blogs concerning the work we are doing at Chawama. As an appetizer, I'll offer the following. Copying last year's example of an inexpensive, utilitarian, and "gotta get it done today"
storage solution, the Chawama group provided funding for two sets of "Murphy" shelving units. One set is in the storage room and the other set is in one of the classrooms The group has been busy keeping up with the children's needs and will soon post a more detailed blog celebrating all of their accomplishments.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Health checkup day
BLOG - July 2, 2010
What a wonderful day ... not that we accomplished much in terms of teaching, but today other things were more important. We arrived early due to this being the Health Screening day in Ng'Ombe and yet we were able to begin and accomplish the first part of our planned lesson. Nina had also had the children learn a song for us which they sang and swayed to and fro as they sang "Enjoy life" with huge smiles. We were all very touched. Nina also had hung the Church School Banner from Pilgrim.
The screening group began to get set up and then people began to arrive, at one point we counted over 70 children. They ranged in age from 2 & 3 to middle school students. We sang songs and continued to read stories aloud to try to help pass the time. Finally one of the old students from last year wanted a book and we then passed all the board books around and will get you pictures soon. Erica was one of the students who arrived from last year, our major translator from last year, and I was thrilled to see her. We hugged and she read for me and additionally did some translating as she did last summer. When she left she came to me to give me a sucker and one more hug, once again, I was deeply touched.
The greatest thrill for me came as I was going outside to get a breath of fresh air and to see what was happening with the digging for the wall ... and I walked into Juliet Mawele from two summers ago. We hugged and talked and I made sure I got information to continue the contact. She was also met by two folks from SWAAZ who additionally took her information and she became scared and cried while I wiped her tears with my skirt. We hugged and I kept telling her it was OK, this was a good day for her. We took deep breaths together and hugged more. As we began to talk she asked me for a Geography and a Science 8th Grade book which we will get to her. I gave her my Kleenex packet and almonds before leaving for she was hungry, along with a book HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. Before I left she had calmed a bit and pulled out some knitting. She was knitting with two pieces of wire and I pulled out some needles and cast on 22 stitches as she requested. Fortunately I had an extra pair of needles and ball of yarn I had brought at the last minute. She seemed very pleased.
In all the craziness of the morning, dear Cheryl Crowder and Lucia Gates also arranged to have the electricity turned on in Ng'Ombe and a meter put up sort of a pay-as-you-go system so no one goes into debt. This was a $200.00 contribution by these dear ladies of Lexington Public Schools.
We left silly bands for every child as well and some special ones to some children as Juliet and Erica and Teacher Nina.
Thank you all for your continued support and interest ... blessings, ruth.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Pictures
Pictures have been somewhat challenging to get on the blog. It might be because I am technologically challenged!
This is a picture from last week's certificate ceremony at Garden. I was very excited to see so many faces from last year, but had been disappointed that I did not see Musa. The ceremony started, and before I knew it Musa was standing up next to Dick receiving his certificate. It was the greatest feeling to know that he has passed his exams and he is a remarkable adolescent. I felt so proud of him, so this picture is my "proud mom" moment.
Wednesday, June 30th
Busy busy busy! We are working quite hard and typically only spend meal times taking a break. Working on side projects, blogging, preparing lesson plans for teaching, sorting materials, meetings with different agencies and ceremonies are very much worth working hard. Today's adventures started off by teaching at all different schools. Many of us have created "lightbulb" moments where children finally get a specific concept. It is particularly special when we have a small part in creating that moment. Children here are so happy and always have a beautiful smile which is contagious.
We visited the Kalingalingli Hospice which was anticipated as being a challenging trip but many were still eager to go and learn about the program. A few different nurses showed us around the hospice and it was very clean and the facility had a church area, cooking/kitchen, and a few different wards. All patients in the ward are HIV positive, and there is also an outpatient clinic where other services are provided. It was interesting to learn that people do not die from AIDS/HIV, but because the virus weakens the immune system, they will die from other infections and diseases. Typically people who are HIV positive or have AIDS die from diseases like malaria, TB, parasites, cholera, pneumonia and meningitis. We also learned more about antiretroviral treatment (ART) which if taken correctly extends life expectancy and boosts immunity to diseases. One of the biggest challenges in Zambia has been getting people to continue taking their drugs/medicine when they start to feel better. AIDS treatment needs to be for life. Very rewarding trip!
We visited the Kalingalingli Hospice which was anticipated as being a challenging trip but many were still eager to go and learn about the program. A few different nurses showed us around the hospice and it was very clean and the facility had a church area, cooking/kitchen, and a few different wards. All patients in the ward are HIV positive, and there is also an outpatient clinic where other services are provided. It was interesting to learn that people do not die from AIDS/HIV, but because the virus weakens the immune system, they will die from other infections and diseases. Typically people who are HIV positive or have AIDS die from diseases like malaria, TB, parasites, cholera, pneumonia and meningitis. We also learned more about antiretroviral treatment (ART) which if taken correctly extends life expectancy and boosts immunity to diseases. One of the biggest challenges in Zambia has been getting people to continue taking their drugs/medicine when they start to feel better. AIDS treatment needs to be for life. Very rewarding trip!
Tuesday, June 29th
What a life changing experience today! Many of us were able to go to CIDRZ which is an AIDS research company and visited the Kamyama Health Care Center. We were all so touched by a woman who recounted her path to seek out her status and is now living a healthy life. Although she has tested positive for HIV, she has gained great strength by being open and sharing her story with others and joining a support group. She has found true happiness by helping others. Her happy ending is that she is married to a man who also has AIDS/HIV and has a healthy baby who has tested negative. It is remarkable how knowledge and openness about one's status can help make many people live a healthy life.
The major goals of this organization are to decrease the stigma against AIDS and to make treatment more readily available. The support group spends countless hours sharing their stories and publicly speaking about the importance of knowing one's HIV status. Younger to middle aged adults are most affected by HIV/AIDS. This puts a great deal of stress on the family structure in Zambia. One of my hopes, is that support groups like this can continue gaining popularity and that in turn, will decrease the amount of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
The major goals of this organization are to decrease the stigma against AIDS and to make treatment more readily available. The support group spends countless hours sharing their stories and publicly speaking about the importance of knowing one's HIV status. Younger to middle aged adults are most affected by HIV/AIDS. This puts a great deal of stress on the family structure in Zambia. One of my hopes, is that support groups like this can continue gaining popularity and that in turn, will decrease the amount of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
Monday, June 28th
Where to begin? The morning started off by us all departing for our respective schools-Ng'ombe, Chawama and Garden. We were all greeted with happy faces and an eagerness for what was being taught. Some of us went to meet with the PeaceCorp in the afternoon about what services they are working on in Zambia. Those who went last year on the trip, recognized one of the ladies who spoke-her name was Mary Lou Switzer. She met with us last year at the US Embassy, It was a very helpful meeting as we were all allowed to ask different questions, and they were happy to learn about the work we were doing in the community schools. Interesting facts we learned: for every post or job that PeaceCorp has, they set it up into three stages. Each volunteer spends two years at their post, and then two other volunteers will consecutively follow, so that each job will have help for six years. There are many different programs that they offer including fishery, health, education, agriculture, and many others. There are 150 PeaceCorps volunteers in Zambia and the administration of PeaceCorps anticipates that they will reach 250 volunteers in the next two years.
Ng'Ombe
What an amazing trip even the third time around ... even more amazing. I have spent most of my time in Ng'ombe with Nina and Elizabeth and am brought to tears often with the wonderful work they are doing. Three years ago on my first visit to Ng'Ombe the children were able to do very little and there were about 40 of them. We met in the home of one of the ladies of the community in a room that has no floor, no windows, no water, no electricity and where Nina had no materials except one chalk board. Nina's school now consists of a building with three rooms (two for a care taker to live in and secure the building) and a large front room that serves as the classroom with one large window, a level floor, desks that have all been repaired and the possibility of electricity when the billing is figured out. Additionally there is a front porch that now serves as their kitchen.
Nina actually has a grand wooden desk with three chairs and a wooden bookcase along with the bookcases we built for her of cinder blocks last year. However, now she has also earned her Certificate and is an even more amazing teacher. Her room in now filled with educational charts that she uses and had made for the children. Everything has a purpose and reason for being there and they are all things she has made, she is quite an artist. Her children are at a level far beyond those she had three years ago and I have had to up my lessons to challenge the children. I have been told by the folks at SWAAZ that she is their "BEST" teacher and I have no doubt this is true. I whispered this to her and she also proudly shared that her children do not go to the First Grade, but instead to the Second when they leave her. I spoke with her about advancing to the "Diploma" program and she as thrilled and told me how "grateful" she would be. We will support her with this and I personally am determined to take her further as she also told me how committed she was to the children in Ng'Ombe and SWAAZ. I will be putting together an article for the CWB site on Nina soon.
We have begun the work on the perimeter wall and even managed to work through the dispute on the boundary which stopped the work for several days. We do not have surveyed plots, but instead one owner to the next using mango trees as points of property line, so you will begin to understand the challenges. However, with Tom Murphy's work and SWAAZ things are settled and work resumed which is most exciting. I am not sure how much we will actually see in terms of it being done, but we will certainly have photos of ditches for you all.
I would also like to share the possibilty of actually seeing Juliette this summer, the young girl I met and was only able to come for one day three years ago. I am hoping to connect with her for I have heard that she is now doing well in Gov't school and we would like to support her. This is really very exciting and I hope to share more with you soon about this wonderful young girl to include pictures. Cross your fingers!!!
Tomorrow is our last day in Ng'Ombe this year and it will be very sad as well as very exciting for we have been able to arrange for all the childeren to have a Health Screening. This will include screening and medications for ring worm, a parasite - Schistosomiasis determined by a urine sample, an eye exam, measles vacine and medications to include bronchitis, pneumonia, maleria all done by a clinical assistant, "Physicians Assistant". Additionally they will be given Vitamin A to boost their immunity.
Additionally, we will be getting crochetted bags for First Parish, we have 'silly bands' for each of the children and have left many things throughout the week for Nina that she is absolutely thrilled with. Say a prayer and know that you, each and everyone one are part of a great thing for many children and many are smiling and thanking you.
Blessings, Ruth
PS I of course have more to share in terms of afternoon visits to the Peace Corp. USAIDS, community graduations, church with Bernadette, walks before dark and on the list goes. However, we do have pictures of all.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday Funday!
Sunday, June 27th
Allelulia, Allelulia! This was the beginning of many church songs we heard at the Roma Catholic Church Service Sunday morning. Many people made the two mile walk to attend a mass. It was a beautiful service, and the music was fantastic. As we walked back, we heard many more services and such uplifting, energetic music.
We shopped til we dropped in the afternoon. Arcades, the local shopping mall, has a huge craft market on Sundays. The whole group (minus Dick) went shopping, and tons of things were bought and another SHOW AND TELL happened on the van! We end up being very proud about how much we were able to barter and talk down the prices of different things. The locals make such interesting crafts out of different materials, and it is incredible how talented they are.
Going out to eat for Ethiopian was definitely another highlight of today. It was a great meal and was a nice variation to our dinners at the guest house. Coffee had been ordered at the beginning of the meal, and we were anticipating we would drink it during the meal. What we did not understanding is that when Ethiopian Coffee is ordered, it is specially brewed, and a ritual is served after dinner that involves incense and a beautiful pot. It was great coffee! It was just enough caffeine for many people to get an extra kick and finish their preparation for another day of teaching on Monday. We are all very excited to get back to our schools!
Allelulia, Allelulia! This was the beginning of many church songs we heard at the Roma Catholic Church Service Sunday morning. Many people made the two mile walk to attend a mass. It was a beautiful service, and the music was fantastic. As we walked back, we heard many more services and such uplifting, energetic music.
We shopped til we dropped in the afternoon. Arcades, the local shopping mall, has a huge craft market on Sundays. The whole group (minus Dick) went shopping, and tons of things were bought and another SHOW AND TELL happened on the van! We end up being very proud about how much we were able to barter and talk down the prices of different things. The locals make such interesting crafts out of different materials, and it is incredible how talented they are.
Going out to eat for Ethiopian was definitely another highlight of today. It was a great meal and was a nice variation to our dinners at the guest house. Coffee had been ordered at the beginning of the meal, and we were anticipating we would drink it during the meal. What we did not understanding is that when Ethiopian Coffee is ordered, it is specially brewed, and a ritual is served after dinner that involves incense and a beautiful pot. It was great coffee! It was just enough caffeine for many people to get an extra kick and finish their preparation for another day of teaching on Monday. We are all very excited to get back to our schools!
Tree of Life and other adventures
Today, June 26th adventures were endless. The focus of today was to present a social-emotional curriculum to the organizations in Zambia that we work with. We had about 10 people come to the guest house and listen to Cheryl, Wendy, and Lucia present The Tree of Life. Some of the organizations that were respresented included SWAAZ (southern women against aids in africa), ZANCOB (zambian association nysunga communities without borders) ZOCS (zambian open community schools), Chipego Women of Hope, and one representative from the Simon Kipatwe School, which is a government school across the street from our guest house. All of the representatives were receptive and excited about the possibility of using this program with students. Social emotional curriculum is so important to children that CWB support and has often been a challenge they have voiced to us. As you know, CWB is supporting orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) and many children have had traumatic experiences. It is great that we have finally found something that will serve as a great tool for so many. The tree of life curriculum can be adapted to any age group and much of the discussion at the end of the workshop was about how teachers can adapt this program and reach more people. It was a great opportunity to see Wendy, Cheryl, and Lucia in action, and was definitely very helpful for us to learn more about what these amazing teachers in Zambia are doing to support OVC.
Those that did not attend the workshop went to visit the Zambian Museum and the former presidents house. They learned a lot of the history of Zambia and also found it interesting that the furniture and house have been preserved for many years. Their afternoon was spend at this great craft market where bartering was learned by many! It is quite challenging when bartering to think about the exchange rate and get a reasonable price for our purchases. Earrings, necklaces, handbags, and other things were all put on display in a "SHOW AND TELL" when they got back to the guest house!
Members of the ZANCOB board (Zambian Association Nysunga Communities Without Borders) came and met with Dick, Maria, Amy, Danielle and Ruth. It was great to exchange our concerns about the upcoming year for Garden as well as hear about the good work they have been doing. For me, it was a great opportunity to rejoice in their hard work this year, and I especialy noticed their efforts during the Garden Certificate Ceremony as it was well attended and could not stop complimenting their successes. It is hard to express in words the power of the Certificate Ceremonies. Some of you may know, that Bernadette, the former director of ZANCOB retired and there was no preschool teacher at Garden . The last year has been a work in progress through transfering administrative roles, and it is incredible how much work they have done to increase the preschool program to 54 students and a full time teacher. I am very proud to represent First Baptist Church Lexington as a partner of Communities Without Borders and pass along to those at my church that Garden Compound is working hard to reach as many students as possible .
Those that did not attend the workshop went to visit the Zambian Museum and the former presidents house. They learned a lot of the history of Zambia and also found it interesting that the furniture and house have been preserved for many years. Their afternoon was spend at this great craft market where bartering was learned by many! It is quite challenging when bartering to think about the exchange rate and get a reasonable price for our purchases. Earrings, necklaces, handbags, and other things were all put on display in a "SHOW AND TELL" when they got back to the guest house!
Members of the ZANCOB board (Zambian Association Nysunga Communities Without Borders) came and met with Dick, Maria, Amy, Danielle and Ruth. It was great to exchange our concerns about the upcoming year for Garden as well as hear about the good work they have been doing. For me, it was a great opportunity to rejoice in their hard work this year, and I especialy noticed their efforts during the Garden Certificate Ceremony as it was well attended and could not stop complimenting their successes. It is hard to express in words the power of the Certificate Ceremonies. Some of you may know, that Bernadette, the former director of ZANCOB retired and there was no preschool teacher at Garden . The last year has been a work in progress through transfering administrative roles, and it is incredible how much work they have done to increase the preschool program to 54 students and a full time teacher. I am very proud to represent First Baptist Church Lexington as a partner of Communities Without Borders and pass along to those at my church that Garden Compound is working hard to reach as many students as possible .
Friday, June 25, 2010
Muli Bwanji
Here we are at the airport after arriving at Lusaka.
Today is our first teachers workshop.
The internet coverage is better than last year, though it seems to go off during the evening when we are trying to get this post out. We've only had one minor power outage, and compared to years past, the water is hot and actually has sufficient pressure to rinse you off.
First teaching day
This is my first trip with Communities Without Borders - it has been both overwhelming and inspiring; confusing and exhilarating. This morning my team (Ruth, Cheryl, Tom and myself) met the teachers and children in Ng'ombe for the first time. Ruth has been teaching here for 3 years and when she first went to Ng'ombe, the "school" was an empty room with no books, paper or supplies. The young teacher, Nina knew very little about teaching. But now the classroom has tables and benches for all the children; there are bookcases with books on display; there are charts on the wall; and best of all, CWB has sponsored Nina to get teacher training as well as providing the books and supplies.
The children were inspiring - they look at you with such big eyes and they smile so easily. Little boys are the same everywhere - they wrote on their faces with chalk, they climbed under the table but when we settled down to work, they really learned. Little Peter who looked to be five worked very hard to write the letter "f" - and when he got it, he wanted to write it over and over!
Recess was such fun - we taught the children songs and games. (Lucia and Cheryl taught them "Hokey Pokey"!) Lillian ( age 6 or so) led all 45 children in singing a song that involved shaking their little behinds - we all laughed at that one.
While Ruth taught the kids, and Lucia and Cheryl were her helpers, Tom gave Nina technology lessons - her first time ever to use a keyboard!
We left exhausted but thrilled with our morning work. We won't see them again until Monday and we can hardly wait. We are also full of ideas for future improvements. While we taught, workers were digging up the dirt courtyard. Thanks to some wonderful donations to CWB, we are funding a wall to enclose the playground. This will make it a safe place for children to play - now we need to get them some outdoor supplies!
Back at the guesthouse we continue to be pleasantly surprised at the comforts here - hot water and showers!!!! (Ruth can't stop talking about the wonder of this!) And the food has been delicious - there is a new cook, Benson, and he is serving us a nice variety of meats and vegetables. For lunch today we had broiled fish - very boney but very flavorful. He served it with nshima - it is the national food here. It is made with maize and is similar in taste and texture to cream of wheat. Benson served it with a delicious tomato sauce. I'm looking forward to eating lots of it! Breakfast was bananas, toast with peanut butter, cold cereals - all very comforting. And hot water is always ready for coffee and tea.
This afternoon the group is splitting into many directions. The Lexington teaching group is touring the local basic government school, Simon Kapwepwe School. We are hoping to set up "sister school" connections. Another group is going to Bauleni to atttend a graduation of 7th and 9th graders - they are expecting to hear singing, dancing and poetry and to see very proud teachers and students.
As a group we were sad to say goodby to Patrick who is flying back home today for medical reasons. Already our group seems smaller without him - we will continue on with all our best wishes to him! Lucia
The children were inspiring - they look at you with such big eyes and they smile so easily. Little boys are the same everywhere - they wrote on their faces with chalk, they climbed under the table but when we settled down to work, they really learned. Little Peter who looked to be five worked very hard to write the letter "f" - and when he got it, he wanted to write it over and over!
Recess was such fun - we taught the children songs and games. (Lucia and Cheryl taught them "Hokey Pokey"!) Lillian ( age 6 or so) led all 45 children in singing a song that involved shaking their little behinds - we all laughed at that one.
While Ruth taught the kids, and Lucia and Cheryl were her helpers, Tom gave Nina technology lessons - her first time ever to use a keyboard!
We left exhausted but thrilled with our morning work. We won't see them again until Monday and we can hardly wait. We are also full of ideas for future improvements. While we taught, workers were digging up the dirt courtyard. Thanks to some wonderful donations to CWB, we are funding a wall to enclose the playground. This will make it a safe place for children to play - now we need to get them some outdoor supplies!
Back at the guesthouse we continue to be pleasantly surprised at the comforts here - hot water and showers!!!! (Ruth can't stop talking about the wonder of this!) And the food has been delicious - there is a new cook, Benson, and he is serving us a nice variety of meats and vegetables. For lunch today we had broiled fish - very boney but very flavorful. He served it with nshima - it is the national food here. It is made with maize and is similar in taste and texture to cream of wheat. Benson served it with a delicious tomato sauce. I'm looking forward to eating lots of it! Breakfast was bananas, toast with peanut butter, cold cereals - all very comforting. And hot water is always ready for coffee and tea.
This afternoon the group is splitting into many directions. The Lexington teaching group is touring the local basic government school, Simon Kapwepwe School. We are hoping to set up "sister school" connections. Another group is going to Bauleni to atttend a graduation of 7th and 9th graders - they are expecting to hear singing, dancing and poetry and to see very proud teachers and students.
As a group we were sad to say goodby to Patrick who is flying back home today for medical reasons. Already our group seems smaller without him - we will continue on with all our best wishes to him! Lucia
This is my first trip with Communities Without Borders - it has been both overwhelming and inspiring; confusing and exhilarating. This morning my team (Ruth, Cheryl, Tom and myself) met the teachers and children in Ng'ombe for the first time. Ruth has been teaching here for 3 years and when she first went to Ng'ombe, the "school" was an empty room with no books, paper or supplies. The young teacher, Nina knew very little about teaching. But now the classroom has tables and benches for all the children; there are bookcases with books on display; there are charts on the wall; and best of all, CWB has sponsored Nina to get teacher training as well as providing the books and supplies.
The children were inspiring - they look at you with such big eyes and they smile so easily. Little boys are the same everywhere - they wrote on their faces with chalk, they climbed under the table but when we settled down to work, they really learned. Little Peter who looked to be five worked very hard to write the letter "f" - and when he got it, he wanted to write it over and over!
Recess was such fun - we taught the children songs and games. (Lucia and Cheryl taught them "Hokey Pokey"!) Lillian ( age 6 or so) led all 45 children in singing a song that involved shaking their little behinds - we all laughed at that one.
While Ruth taught the kids, and Lucia and Cheryl were her helpers, Tom gave Nina technology lessons - her first time ever to use a keyboard!
We left exhausted but thrilled with our morning work. We won't see them again until Monday and we can hardly wait. We are also full of ideas for future improvements. While we taught, workers were digging up the dirt courtyard. Thanks to some wonderful donations to CWB, we are funding a wall to enclose the playground. This will make it a safe place for children to play - now we need to get them some outdoor supplies!
Back at the guesthouse we continue to be pleasantly surprised at the comforts here - hot water and showers!!!! (Ruth can't stop talking about the wonder of this!) And the food has been delicious - there is a new cook, Benson, and he is serving us a nice variety of meats and vegetables. For lunch today we had broiled fish - very bony but very flavorful. He served it with nshima - it is the national food here. It is made with maize and is similar in taste and texture to cream of wheat. Benson served it with a delicious tomato sauce. I'm looking forward to eating lots of it! Breakfast was bananas, toast with peanut butter, cold cereals - all very comforting. And hot water is always ready for coffee and tea.
This afternoon the group is splitting into many directions. The Lexington teaching group is touring the local basic government school, Simon Kapwepwe School. We are hoping to set up "sister school" connections. Another group is going to Bauleni to atttend a graduation of 7th and 9th graders - they are expecting to hear singing, dancing and poetry and to see very proud teachers and students.
As a group we were sad to say goodbye to Patrick who is flying back home today for medical reasons. Already our group seems smaller without him - we will continue on with all our best wishes to him! Lucia
The children were inspiring - they look at you with such big eyes and they smile so easily. Little boys are the same everywhere - they wrote on their faces with chalk, they climbed under the table but when we settled down to work, they really learned. Little Peter who looked to be five worked very hard to write the letter "f" - and when he got it, he wanted to write it over and over!
Recess was such fun - we taught the children songs and games. (Lucia and Cheryl taught them "Hokey Pokey"!) Lillian ( age 6 or so) led all 45 children in singing a song that involved shaking their little behinds - we all laughed at that one.
While Ruth taught the kids, and Lucia and Cheryl were her helpers, Tom gave Nina technology lessons - her first time ever to use a keyboard!
We left exhausted but thrilled with our morning work. We won't see them again until Monday and we can hardly wait. We are also full of ideas for future improvements. While we taught, workers were digging up the dirt courtyard. Thanks to some wonderful donations to CWB, we are funding a wall to enclose the playground. This will make it a safe place for children to play - now we need to get them some outdoor supplies!
Back at the guesthouse we continue to be pleasantly surprised at the comforts here - hot water and showers!!!! (Ruth can't stop talking about the wonder of this!) And the food has been delicious - there is a new cook, Benson, and he is serving us a nice variety of meats and vegetables. For lunch today we had broiled fish - very bony but very flavorful. He served it with nshima - it is the national food here. It is made with maize and is similar in taste and texture to cream of wheat. Benson served it with a delicious tomato sauce. I'm looking forward to eating lots of it! Breakfast was bananas, toast with peanut butter, cold cereals - all very comforting. And hot water is always ready for coffee and tea.
This afternoon the group is splitting into many directions. The Lexington teaching group is touring the local basic government school, Simon Kapwepwe School. We are hoping to set up "sister school" connections. Another group is going to Bauleni to atttend a graduation of 7th and 9th graders - they are expecting to hear singing, dancing and poetry and to see very proud teachers and students.
As a group we were sad to say goodbye to Patrick who is flying back home today for medical reasons. Already our group seems smaller without him - we will continue on with all our best wishes to him! Lucia
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Old Friends
So after arriving at the guest house, it was time to move that ton of material from the van into the common room (for those of you who have stayed at the guest house before, the dining room and the common room have been swapped; more room for eating, less room for suitcase storage) sort through it to find the "right" material to bring for our first teaching day (Friday morning), then repackage our supplies by type (crayons with writing and office supplies, paper, clothes, soccer uniforms and equipment, ...)
We made a quick trip to the mall for money changing (k5050 per dollar), shopping for school snacks and cell phone purchases. Later we hosted Molly and the SWAAZ team, Jane, and Dr. Chilanga for lunch. Dr. Chilanga brought 80 copies of his latest book geared for young adolescents concerning AIDS and HIV. No waiting at the printer's facility this year!
Off to Garden Compound where we were welcomed by Daniel, and as we walked through the gate into the school grounds, the school moms began singing and dancing to welcome us. For us there were many familiar faces, but the children especially remembered Amy and Maria who taught there last year. The younger children put on a performance to honor us before Dick presented each of the graduates with a certificate from CWB, and Dr. Chilanga presented each graduate with his book. The school moms put on a skit about a drunken unfaithful husband whose became sick and ultimately dies of AIDS; the good news is that their daughter is taken in by relatives who "must quickly register her in the local school so that CWB can help facilitate her education". A sad story with a good ending, and a lesson for the kids to in practicing good marital relations including save sex when they grow up.
Returned to the guest house in time for a quick walk around the block, dinner and sharing time. The suitcases are jam packed with school supplies ready for tomorrow's first day of teaching.
We made a quick trip to the mall for money changing (k5050 per dollar), shopping for school snacks and cell phone purchases. Later we hosted Molly and the SWAAZ team, Jane, and Dr. Chilanga for lunch. Dr. Chilanga brought 80 copies of his latest book geared for young adolescents concerning AIDS and HIV. No waiting at the printer's facility this year!
Off to Garden Compound where we were welcomed by Daniel, and as we walked through the gate into the school grounds, the school moms began singing and dancing to welcome us. For us there were many familiar faces, but the children especially remembered Amy and Maria who taught there last year. The younger children put on a performance to honor us before Dick presented each of the graduates with a certificate from CWB, and Dr. Chilanga presented each graduate with his book. The school moms put on a skit about a drunken unfaithful husband whose became sick and ultimately dies of AIDS; the good news is that their daughter is taken in by relatives who "must quickly register her in the local school so that CWB can help facilitate her education". A sad story with a good ending, and a lesson for the kids to in practicing good marital relations including save sex when they grow up.
Returned to the guest house in time for a quick walk around the block, dinner and sharing time. The suitcases are jam packed with school supplies ready for tomorrow's first day of teaching.
Arrived in Lusaka
Double deckers, phone booths, Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, and the British Museum were all some great highlights from our layover in London. The group dispersed from the airport for a short visit to featured tourist attractions. Everyone agreed that their time spent was well worth it and was a great distraction to the fore coming of a ten hour plane ride to complete our trip to Lusaka, Zambia.
We arrived at the airport at 6:00 am this morning (local time) and began the never ending unloading of suitcases-42 to be exact! We somehow squeezed all our luggage and 15 people plus Brian (one of our drivers) into the big van before departing to the Guest House. Muli Bwanji (which means hello) was the first sign we saw and will become our signature official welcome into the country.
We are definitely looking forward to all the highlights from previous years-we are off to make our first visit to Garden Compound this afternoon to pass out certificates for those who past their 7th grade and 9th grade exams. This was a personal favorite memory for me last year, as it is so important to celebrate their accomplishments and for other younger children to bear witness to student's hard work.
The travelers this year include Amy, Tom, Dick, Ruth, Maria, Danielle, Cheryl, Lucia, Wendy, Jen, Zoe, Norm, Eva, Patrick and Tessa.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Test run a success!
Thanks Tom for setting this up-I know many people are interested in viewing our trip! Five more days until we all leave!
Test blog
Amy volunteered to keep up a blog site to keep our friends and family informed of our daily activities in Zambia if I could set up a free account. Be forewarned that depending on our schedule, power outages, computer access, ... this may not really be a daily post! Anyway, here's a test to see if this will work out.
tjm
tjm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)