Sunday, July 10, 2011
Flight Information
We leave tomorrow morning at 8:25 Zambian time on British Airways. The flight from London to Boston is 239 British Airways and we should be arriving around 9:45 at night. We will have to gather our luggage and go through customs. This may take up to half an hour depending on how efficient they are! We all look forward to being home but will miss our many connections we have made in Zambia.
July 8th
July 8, 2011
A truly amazing day … off to Ng'Ombe this morning with Nina and Martha. Graduation was to be this morning and Dick had joined us to this ceremony and he told me to watch me teach. Nina began the morning and I let her and tried to support her as she had the children trace their hands and then write their names. Then in her kind gentle way, she looked at me and raised her hands as if to say it is your turn … so I did and of course it was the first day I did NOT really have a written out lesson plan but all went well with Read Alouds, songs, writing letters – all the lower case which is new for them & we did them all even though I was more than aware it was too much, it was my only and last chance … so we did them all and used the chalkboards we have brought through the years. It was amazing to see the children pick this up so quickly, it clearly speaks to what Nina has been doing with them, absolutely amazing to see the growth she has made in these last few years.
Graduation with all the ladies crammed in the back classroom and singing as we arrived. Agnus then dragged me forward and made me dance and sing with her and I did my best – it was wonderful. Dr. Dick then presented the certificates and I took pictures to send them. Unfortunately, only 2 showed up the rest were in school, but there were about 8 who had graduated. They shared their dreams of becoming engineers which please Tom tremendously. Please also note that as I was in the classroom,Tm was hanging a ABC chart in Martha's room and repairing a desk in Nina's while teaching one of the graduates to do so in the future. He is amazing.
Back to Nina's room and she said she had a surprise for me. She lead me outside and as we turned the corner of the school, she made me close my eyes, no peaking and when I opened them JULIETTE MAWELE was standing in front of me and we hugged as I cried. We hugged more and then she presented ME with a gift … a crocheted bag and change purse that she had made along with a letter to be read later. Once again, I was deeply touched. She is now in 9th grade and doing well but I learned later in her letter that she needs funding to take her exam and pass to the 10th Grade. I simply could not let go of her and am so very proud.
If this was not enough,Nina insisted she also had something for me and quickly returned to her home to bring both Dick and I a gift, pottery that she had made as she apologized for not having something for Lucia. Nina gave me a chicken that was hollow underneath, a place for three chicks that wentBwith it and that fit under the mother – I give one chick to Lucia and will also give one to Tom.
No, the day is not done yet … back to the Guest House and then off to Garden Compound to teacher the ladies how to knit. They really knew how, but I was able to take them some yarn, show them how to crochet a flower and the 'drop-knit' scarf that is so easy and they were so impressed. Quick stop at the Guest House and off to Mandevu to go to Kabangwe Farm which they work and are in the process of building a place to raise pigs as well. It is huge and we did a good bit of walking through the cinders – they burn the fields to get rid of the snakes and rats. Not much growing now, although the onions have just begun and more to come as they begin to replant later this month. They walk to this farm twice weekly and those are 16 hour days with no food. They grow peanuts for the peanut butter they make, maize for the nshma they grind it into and they also sew uniforms for several schools to make money for their children. They are amazing ladies. After the Farm, Mrs. Teressa Banda took us back to her home and presented me with a beautiful piece of cloth, finished edges for a chitange, skirt and again on this day I was deeply touched and it is truly lovely with the bonus that she taught me to tie it which I have never really understood. Her home was filled with lovely pieces of crocheted doilies and I will definitely bring her or get to her more of the string to do this. They are magnificent.
Finally back to the Guest house and I collapsed for a nap - an unbelievable day.
A truly amazing day … off to Ng'Ombe this morning with Nina and Martha. Graduation was to be this morning and Dick had joined us to this ceremony and he told me to watch me teach. Nina began the morning and I let her and tried to support her as she had the children trace their hands and then write their names. Then in her kind gentle way, she looked at me and raised her hands as if to say it is your turn … so I did and of course it was the first day I did NOT really have a written out lesson plan but all went well with Read Alouds, songs, writing letters – all the lower case which is new for them & we did them all even though I was more than aware it was too much, it was my only and last chance … so we did them all and used the chalkboards we have brought through the years. It was amazing to see the children pick this up so quickly, it clearly speaks to what Nina has been doing with them, absolutely amazing to see the growth she has made in these last few years.
Graduation with all the ladies crammed in the back classroom and singing as we arrived. Agnus then dragged me forward and made me dance and sing with her and I did my best – it was wonderful. Dr. Dick then presented the certificates and I took pictures to send them. Unfortunately, only 2 showed up the rest were in school, but there were about 8 who had graduated. They shared their dreams of becoming engineers which please Tom tremendously. Please also note that as I was in the classroom,Tm was hanging a ABC chart in Martha's room and repairing a desk in Nina's while teaching one of the graduates to do so in the future. He is amazing.
Back to Nina's room and she said she had a surprise for me. She lead me outside and as we turned the corner of the school, she made me close my eyes, no peaking and when I opened them JULIETTE MAWELE was standing in front of me and we hugged as I cried. We hugged more and then she presented ME with a gift … a crocheted bag and change purse that she had made along with a letter to be read later. Once again, I was deeply touched. She is now in 9th grade and doing well but I learned later in her letter that she needs funding to take her exam and pass to the 10th Grade. I simply could not let go of her and am so very proud.
If this was not enough,Nina insisted she also had something for me and quickly returned to her home to bring both Dick and I a gift, pottery that she had made as she apologized for not having something for Lucia. Nina gave me a chicken that was hollow underneath, a place for three chicks that wentBwith it and that fit under the mother – I give one chick to Lucia and will also give one to Tom.
No, the day is not done yet … back to the Guest House and then off to Garden Compound to teacher the ladies how to knit. They really knew how, but I was able to take them some yarn, show them how to crochet a flower and the 'drop-knit' scarf that is so easy and they were so impressed. Quick stop at the Guest House and off to Mandevu to go to Kabangwe Farm which they work and are in the process of building a place to raise pigs as well. It is huge and we did a good bit of walking through the cinders – they burn the fields to get rid of the snakes and rats. Not much growing now, although the onions have just begun and more to come as they begin to replant later this month. They walk to this farm twice weekly and those are 16 hour days with no food. They grow peanuts for the peanut butter they make, maize for the nshma they grind it into and they also sew uniforms for several schools to make money for their children. They are amazing ladies. After the Farm, Mrs. Teressa Banda took us back to her home and presented me with a beautiful piece of cloth, finished edges for a chitange, skirt and again on this day I was deeply touched and it is truly lovely with the bonus that she taught me to tie it which I have never really understood. Her home was filled with lovely pieces of crocheted doilies and I will definitely bring her or get to her more of the string to do this. They are magnificent.
Finally back to the Guest house and I collapsed for a nap - an unbelievable day.
Relaxation
Fifteen travelers went to Simakanka and Livingstone for the weekend. Five of us stayed behind (Lucia, Ruth, Danielle, Dick and myself) as we had other commitments. We have all enjoyed the slower pace that the weekend brought and enjoyed catching up on leisurely reading, and cups of coffee and tea. Friday afternoon, Danielle and Lucia had a Tree of Life workshop at Garden compound and it was very successful. They have found that the ideology behind the Tree of Life builds a lot of self confidence in the young people. Ruth and I went to a farm that SWAAZ started last year which supports many groups of women in the communities we support.
Saturday, Danielle and I were interviewed on the radio by Daniel Mwansa who is one of our liasons in Zambia. He hosts a show called Close Mates which is broadcast on Monday evenings throughout Zambia. Teenagers and young adults call in with questions that they have about their relationships. We were called upon numerous times to share our thoughts-Danielle and I can both say that they are much more open about asking personal questions. We were happy to add our thoughts and can only hope that shows like this will continue to help young people make safe choices about the relationships they enter.
We all went to the Fountain of Hope and Danielle and Lucia held another Tree of Life Workshop. They worked with some amazing men who volunteer at the Fountain of Hope which is an organization that supports the street children in Lusaka. There are 24 boys who are living at the Fountain of Hope that Vasco and Kenny oversee and they are so compassionate and selflessly dedicated to the well being of many young children with no other options.
We ended our night with a treat-we were welcomed into Dr. Muka Chiluba's home for dinner. The 5 students from Bowdoin College joined us and we were fascinated with all the answers she was able to provide about AIDS/HIV. Dick has known her for a number of years as she was working at one of the hospitals in Boston for about 10 years. She is currently working for USAID and is hopeful that as a nation, Zambia is winning the fight against AIDS/HIV. There is still a lot of work to do, but she is on the frontier of making a difference. She also introduced us to Simakanka a number of years ago. It was a wonderful treat!
Saturday, Danielle and I were interviewed on the radio by Daniel Mwansa who is one of our liasons in Zambia. He hosts a show called Close Mates which is broadcast on Monday evenings throughout Zambia. Teenagers and young adults call in with questions that they have about their relationships. We were called upon numerous times to share our thoughts-Danielle and I can both say that they are much more open about asking personal questions. We were happy to add our thoughts and can only hope that shows like this will continue to help young people make safe choices about the relationships they enter.
We all went to the Fountain of Hope and Danielle and Lucia held another Tree of Life Workshop. They worked with some amazing men who volunteer at the Fountain of Hope which is an organization that supports the street children in Lusaka. There are 24 boys who are living at the Fountain of Hope that Vasco and Kenny oversee and they are so compassionate and selflessly dedicated to the well being of many young children with no other options.
We ended our night with a treat-we were welcomed into Dr. Muka Chiluba's home for dinner. The 5 students from Bowdoin College joined us and we were fascinated with all the answers she was able to provide about AIDS/HIV. Dick has known her for a number of years as she was working at one of the hospitals in Boston for about 10 years. She is currently working for USAID and is hopeful that as a nation, Zambia is winning the fight against AIDS/HIV. There is still a lot of work to do, but she is on the frontier of making a difference. She also introduced us to Simakanka a number of years ago. It was a wonderful treat!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Pilgrims in Zambia
July 6, 2011
Finally access to the internet a week after our arrival, it has been an amazing week and so much accomplished.
We have all traveled to all the communities and Tom, Lucia and I have spent most of our time in Ng'Ombe with Nina. It is amazing how far she has come in the four years I have known her both in teaching skills as well as personally in her self-confidence. She is a flower who has bloomed and done so beautifully. We are so proud of her and of course as usual she made Ruth cry.
We have also been to Mandevu, Pilgrim's new community where we have been repeatedly welcomed by the women with singing and dancing. We have learned about the things they do such as making the uniforms and maize to be made into nshima, their staple starch. There are two wonderful teachers there, one the longest in-system teacher, Eletina, and Oyna the younger and very able teacher. When we visited Wednesday afternoon they had their graduation for their 7th and 9th Graders and there were SEVENTEEN of them. They were amazing, all wanting to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, policemen, soldiers and on the list goes. We have many pictures and it was truly wonderful. Just to walk into this community and see this number of graduates brought tears to my eyes once again.
Teachers were all involved in a teacher training session over the weekend which was well attended and well received. Each community left with a backpack full of materials. It was wonderful to see and be part of all this. We also were able to get each community a copy of the letter from Fiske along with their book. It was well received by everyone and pictures we taken as well.
We went to Kassi Orphanage yesterday and gave out the knit dolls from everyone. It was amazing and we learned they have 200 orphans. Everyone was amazed once again at how clean the orphanage was and the wonderful care given to the orphans by the Polish nuns. This is the best place one could ever hope for these children ... and on top of the care the wonderful grounds and flowers, garden and planting are amazing beginning with the huge poinsettia TREE at their entrance.
One last wonderful thought for everyone. We were able to get the tennis balls from Dex Whittinghill to three communities and the joy expressed by everyone was amazing. We have many pictures and it was wonderful. Again we took many pictures at all three communities that will bring a smile to many.
We thank you all for all your support and care - you have given an amazing gift to SOOOOOOOOOOO many. Blessings to all, Ruth
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Teacher Workshop-July 2nd
Dedicated, hardworking, joyful, committed, patient, resilent, persistent, lifelong learners...the list could go on and on to describe the 20 Zambian teachers that attended the teacher workshop on Saturday. Seven communities were represented at the workshop including Garden, Chawama, N'gombe, Mutendere, Mandevu, Fumbelo, and Bauleni. These teachers are working at the community schools around Lusaka that are supported by Communities Without Borders/SWAAZ/ZANCOB. These remarkable individuals can typically be in charge of students that range in numbers from 50 to 120 with limited supplies, space, and compensation. For those of us who have been to Zambia before, we have seen these teachers at previous workshops as well as when we have had certificate ceremoniesfor those students who passed their 7th grade and 9th grade exams. Being able to reconnect and have time with these Zambian teachers is certainly one of the highlights of every trip I have been on and a big part of why I keep coming back.
Concepts that were taught during the workshop included:
-receptive language
-expressive language
-preschool frameworks
-alphabetic principle
-guided reading
-phonemic awareness
-literacy games
-songs
-basic math concepts with visuals and manipulatives
- answering wh questions
-multiple ways of learning
One of the highlights for me during the workshop happened after I taught the teachers the song Tooty-ta which is an American song I teach my students in Billerica. After teaching them this song, this teacher named Reagan said he had a song that he wanted to share with us. He proceeded to get us all belting out this song called A-PayPay Ta. It was an active song (which we have found is almost every Zambian song we have heard). A-PayPay Ta works on english words and will help improve young children's language abilities. I can't wait to teach this song to my students back home. I think the most important thing for me to take away from that little exchance was that teachable moments can happen in the most unique situations and provide learning on both sides. I certainly learn new things every time I see these special educators.
The teachers visited with us through the evening. All 20 US visitors got opportunities in the afternoon to talk with the Zambian teachers. We learned lots of interesting facts about their challenges that they overcome within their schools as well as connect to them on a personal level by sharing songs, dances, free style rapping, politics and much much more! We were a bit disappointed to hear that some of the communities have not been getting a meal during the day and we plan to figure out a way to solve this problem.
Before dinner we had a special performance by the Mtdendere Theatre Group. Their performance focused on HIV/AIDS the prevalance and complexity of the disease and related social issues. They told a story that seemed very common in this country but did so in a way that a light and humorous way. The group's goal is to educate communities of young adults and teenagers about the high risk of HIV/AIDS and the importance of being tested and knowing your status.
Chawama Painting
Chawama
Today, those of us that were not involved in the Teacher Workshop, went to Chawama to help them re-paint their school. Tom went ahead of us, very early, to get the supplies in order. When the larger group arrived to the school, a lot of prep work had to be done, including patching up some of the outside walls with cement and sanding the inside walls. We were helped by David, one of the teachers, Lennon, Kennedy and Sengue. During downtime throughout the morning, we were all able to engage and play soccer with the many children around us and high five and shake hands with the children outside of the school who were so excited to see us that they were literally climbing the walls to try to get inside.
Comments from the group included how eventhough painting was not so successful we connected with the kids. We were able to play soccer with the children and it ended up being an exciting day.The children's level of excitement is amazing in comparison to those in America. Gideon was a 14 year old who taught us nyanja phrases and helped control the children from the community and kept others out because the space was so small. Others felt that it was a group bonding experience for the Chawama group because they worked together.
We did eventually begin painting, and although there is still a lot of work to be done, some of the group will be returning on Monday and Tuesday to finish.
Today, those of us that were not involved in the Teacher Workshop, went to Chawama to help them re-paint their school. Tom went ahead of us, very early, to get the supplies in order. When the larger group arrived to the school, a lot of prep work had to be done, including patching up some of the outside walls with cement and sanding the inside walls. We were helped by David, one of the teachers, Lennon, Kennedy and Sengue. During downtime throughout the morning, we were all able to engage and play soccer with the many children around us and high five and shake hands with the children outside of the school who were so excited to see us that they were literally climbing the walls to try to get inside.
Comments from the group included how eventhough painting was not so successful we connected with the kids. We were able to play soccer with the children and it ended up being an exciting day.The children's level of excitement is amazing in comparison to those in America. Gideon was a 14 year old who taught us nyanja phrases and helped control the children from the community and kept others out because the space was so small. Others felt that it was a group bonding experience for the Chawama group because they worked together.
We did eventually begin painting, and although there is still a lot of work to be done, some of the group will be returning on Monday and Tuesday to finish.
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