Week 1 in Zambia

I cut and pasted into my blog so I can't remember where I got to with this blog so my apologies if I repeat myself. I don't like to be on line for long so its a quick in and out with the dongle. I think its quite expensive to use so I won't do it more than once a week, plus you will all be fed up with me twittering on. I know Shaun will say 'what's new'!!

Well back to yesterday, Friday, my first full day in Zambia – started with me over sleeping – Geoff had invited me to join him for breakfast at eight, I made it my nine so today he said nine so of course I was awake at 7am.

Anyway back to yesterday, we first of all visited Kiine School, Obed the headmaster took us around to all the classrooms, where I was asked to introduce myself to all the children. We started with the older children (year 7) who are in the new classrooms that the 2008 MD team built. The children were all sat at their smart new desks which had also been donated by folk from the UK. They still need blackboards. I suggested that we could paint blackboard paint on the wall to make a temporary B/board. They could also do with somewhere to put the children's work as they have no notice boards – we will have to wait and see what they want. Then into the old original school building, we visited four classes from 4 years upwards. Most of the children were wearing sports gear as it was the day when they do sports. The boys play football and the girls netball. The younger ones seemed to just run around. The boys didn't have football boots so were playing barefooted with a ball made up of old plastic bags – it was remarkably effective, the goals were made out of their shoes. Football seems to be quite big here as after school they play football in the compound just over the back from us.

From the school we walked around to the new building site, the builders have dug (by hand) the footings and all the steelwork was being carefully lined up ready for the concrete which was being mixed by hand by about 14 guys. There were four wheelbarrow loads of concrete waiting to be tipped when we arrived. We went back at about four and they were still working like mad, it wasn't going to be finished in one day because of the late start – they were hoping to finish today but I think that may have been a bit hopeful as it was a lot of concrete to mix. When the first team arrive they will be laying blocks, back filling with all the soil taken out of the holes, tamping it down ready for the first floor slab to be laid. Its going to be really heavy work as the blocks are very heavy, then of course we will be mixing the mortar ourselves and fixing the wires in. We will all certainly be a lot fitter by the end of the first teams visit.

We then went through a little door in the wall over a rickety bridge (2 planks) over a ditch to go and see the bus and police stations which are in Kaunda Square. To get there we had to pass through a very poor area, lots of little stalls by the side of the road, some with just a few oranges, a few with tiny fish or Kapenta even smaller (bit like whitebait). Lots of people and children about, very few go to school as its too expensive. It was very different from the Dominican Republic, the houses here were built of blocks, there weren't all the motorbikes, nor the loud music. There was some but it was very quiet after DR.

After lunch we made a start on updating the briefing document – the dreaded paper work. Later back to the building site where the men were still working, the men don't have boots they tie plastic bags over their shoes, some also used the plastic bags as gloves to protect their hands. On the way home we met Cosmas who runs ECZ, a lovely man who is desperate to raise enough money to finish the school, they have a vision of having 900 pupils which is a reality as the buildings will be built (Dutch and Swizz folk have provided funding for another 3 blocks of 3 classrooms, ours will also have 3 classrooms but is being built so that it can be extended to the first floor. This will give them 15 new classrooms. They will then use the present building for admin and a nursery school will go into the building that MD volunteers built last year. Its very exciting, but the build is only part of the project – they will have to find teachers which isn't easy as they get paid less than office staff in the Government so they lose a lot of trained teachers. They will also need books and all the other equipment needed. It was pitiful to see the small box of books in the classes. What they did have tended to be old Ladybird type books which aren't culturally relevant to the children. It seems to me that rather than sending out books it would be better to buy them locally which would help local industry and provide a teaching facility more in tune to the needs of the children. We have a lot of teachers coming out working on the teams so it will be interesting to hear their views.

We have also been shopping to the local shopping mall where Geoff and I brought food for a few days. We are cooking for ourselves until James and Emily arrive, we will then be sampling the food that the teams will be having when they are out here. We treated ourselves to a local paper, all about Mr Brown so I guess no changes yet.

Tomorrow we start on visits to some of the projects that I will be involved with. We will be going everyday so that I can get a feel for each place alongside starting t do risk assessments.

I forgot to say that its going to be terribly expensive to extend my temporary visa once my 30 day one expires, Cosmos (ECZ Direct of Admin...) has suggested that I go for a work permit, it means that I can come back again...........as it last for three years. Do please pray that my application will be accepted as it will save about £300. Thank you Pat for finding and scanning my EFM certificate – the paper work has now gone to Cosmos who will take it to the “Ministry of …....? “

Since I last wrote I'm been out and about visiting all sorts of people and projects.

The first project was the Chilanje Maid Training project. Irene the leader, works on this project on a voluntary basis with just a little help from some of the members of her church. They open Mon-Sat 9-1 when Irene gives them lunch. The course runs for a month, she trains them in cooking (when she has the money to buy ingredients), home management, nutrient, first aid, hygiene and the word of God. They met in a small room about 12x10 ft. there were 12 ladies and 1 man, they may be widows or single. The one month course aims to equipment them to get a job locally – the problem seems to be that the jobs are very poorly paid and they don't even give them any meals although they are working all day. In the room is a large table, chairs, fridge, cooker, filing cabinet and a stand which holds a small dustbin shaped container which has a tap with a small basis underneath. So no hot water. She has 2 saucepans, 1 frying pan and 2 sandwich tins. She has no cutlery, scales etc. The women all looked very thin and sad, one lady had bad scaring around her neck. We will be taking small groups of ladies to this project we might take ingredients so that we can show them how to cook a meal, they also want to know how to crochet and knit.

The next day was a contrast, we went to EFZ where Hope told us about the project where a group of ladies visits folk in their own homes. They help to administer drugs – particularly for TB and HIV/AIDS which although free have to be taken on a regular basis, they also help with cleaning, will buy food and cook if there are no primary care givers. We will be having an afternoons training by the ladies then going out with a volunteers leader the next afternoon. They work in three different compounds. The staff team will be trained next Thursday/Friday so do prayer for us as it will be very challenging for the team.

Then onto Kumbayah Ministries, this is a school converted from a tavern. We couldn't get the car up the track to the school, so we went on foot pass some very poor housing and came to an open square full of children. As soon as they saw us they all streamed towards us, I can only describe it as being like a big wave that catches you out at the seaside. Geoff and I were completely surrounded by children all vying for our attention. It felt like we would be knocked over by the number of bodies and hands. They were so excited to see us, they had been waiting to meet us for ages. Ketty (committee member) then came and rescued me and took me my the hand shooing all the children in front of her, we then all stood in a circle (power has just gone off, it happen most evening usually a bit later – this means we have no water as its pumped by electricity. Luckily Geoff is cooking tonight – he has gas) then we had a display of African dancing. There were about 350 children, the whole school. They usually come in shifts through the day – eventually it was time to go into the school all the children were put into lines and loads entered the building – finally half were told to stand outside and we were ushered inside. There we found two small rooms with about 4 small bodies at each desk and loads more standing around. We are going to bring the teams here, we will be sending along beef, mealy meal, oil, onions and tomatoes which will be cooked for lunch. We will then come and serve them. All their guardians are also invited but won't be fed as there is no way they could cook for that number on charcoal fires. They are expecting about 1,000 people so its going to be a great party. Before we left we walked around the compound to the site they have found to build a proper school. Its tiny, not really big enough as they think about 500 children don't attend school. Off course they have no money and rely on faith and gift offerings.

I'd better switch off as power won't come back on tonight – I look very fetching with my torch light on a band around my head!! But it works, I can even read and of course I have my shuffle. Thank God I've just had a cup of tea!

On Thursday we had another interesting morning, we started at the House of Moses, this is a facility for babies 0 – 2yrs. They have two nursery's, upstairs are the babies, including 3 new born who were fast asleep the whole time we were there and down stairs 6 months +. They had two girls from the states who were there for two weeks helping with the babies.. The staff are really stretched, when we arrived at 9am they were feeding the tiniest, but still bathing and dressing the older ones. When they are bathed they weigh them to make sure that they are growing. Most of them had a cot to themselves, just a couple of the little babies were sharing. Alice who took us around told us that most of the babies were from the hospital where either the mums had died who they had been abandoned. They try and find adoptive or foster parents for them, otherwise they go onto Bill and Betty's house until they are 5 and from there they go to the House of Martha. I will be going to the other two houses next week when Emily and James are around. The toddlers all put up their little arms wanting a cuddle when they saw us, they have very limited toys, just a few knitted balls. When I think of the toys my grandchildren had at that age it really makes my heart ache, they don't even have a soft toy they can call their own. The ladies looking after them were wonderful, really caring and playing with them. We have a lady coming out in August who is going to stay for a month.

The folk from the states who run these homes have set up an organisation over here and are involved with several schools. So Alice then took us on a guided tour of some schools which are all in need of extending as they could be a possible project for MD volunteers next year. The first school we visited had been converted out of a church, they had divided it up with wooden partitions – one of the rooms was empty as they had no desks, the local desks cost about £50 each they are old fashioned benches with a desk attached made out of tubular steel and wood. This school has some land which could be used to build a block of three classrooms. They next school was in a church, they had built 2 classrooms again out of wooden partitions at the back of the church. Rev Jane showed us around, Another charity has just built a block of classrooms which is nearly finished so she just needs 3 or 4 more which will allow them to have 7 grades being taught at the same time. Most of the village schools operate a shift system, they start teaching at 7am and go through the day in 4 hour blocks. Late afternoon and evening its usually adults that come! They seem to have about 50 in a class, very formal desks all facing forward but they get results. The last school we visited was next to St Stephens an Anglican church, all the teachers are volunteers! They have 100% pass rates to go to secondary school which is really amazing as most only manage a 50% pass rate. All of these schools only take vulnerable children from very poor backgrounds. Some are able to offer feeding programmes but usually not every day. So how MD will choose who to support next year will know doubt depend on how much money they can raise back in the UK.

Then yesterday, we went back to see Hope and her team at EFZ. We started to walk to save having to pay for a car, but got a lift most of the way, but we walked back. These ladies (all volunteers) are inspirational, they all work in different compounds and look after teams of ladies who visit sick people. TB and HIV/AIDS is a terrible problem, The love and compassion of these ladies is wonderful, they always share scripture and pray with the folk they visit as well as providing practical help. What really struck me was that they are totally non-judgemental, they take the view that mistakes have been made but that shouldn't stop these poor folk from receiving help and being blessed by their visits. I think its going to be really challenging for us and the teams coming out from the UK – we won't be going into homes where TB is still at the infectious stage but even so its going to be really hard to see such illness. We will be proving food & clothes for the cares to give out and we will be taking hygiene packs and blankets where needed. They have a major need for multi vitamins and food supplements so I'm hoping that some of the teams will be able to bring some out with them.

So this is the end of my first week in Zambia, its a place of incredible contrasts, the compound where we are staying has lots of trees, shade and space whilst outside in the poor compounds the houses are squashed together – there are just dusty tracks, rubbish everywhere and no trees. Its the same as you drive around Lusaka, wide shady roads with big houses than down a dirt track into another compound. The markets are noisy and dirty then you are in a shopping mall able to buy anything. Its autumn here, we are coming up to the shortest day of the year, when I open my door in the morning there is a real smell of autumn in the air, and again late afternoon as the sun fades it chills down quite fast. The trees are loosing their leaves ,but there is still some beautiful blossom about. Some of the gardens get watered otherwise its just dust.

So as I say goodbye I thank you so much for supporting and praying for me. I really value your love and concern it makes a huge difference being here knowing that you are all behind me. If I can do anything to make a difference it will be by your prayers. Please can you particularly pray that we can find a tent to use as a dining room.- we've spent hours searching, we just need a basis gazebo type with walls to keep out the dust.

Love Carol

ps better start supper as the power might go off as soon as it gets dark – that's they usual. Driving through the town centre without traffic lights is certainly challenging.