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!
Monday, June 28, 2010
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
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