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