Zambia Independence Day 2008

On October 24, 1964, Zambia gained independence from British rule. This year we spent most of this day of celebration at Katungu, one of the communities where ZMF-C has contributed to a fair number of development projects. I was able to enjoy most of the celebrations and Richard joined me after he and our main construction worker, Mr. Daka inspected the progress on the newest 1 x 3 classroom block.

It was a hot day but very enjoyable as many of the 502 pupils, teachers and community members gathered under the big tree in the Katungu School yard. Village life is very simple but harsh, with no nearby water supply and no electricity. All of the children’s games and entertainment come from well developed imaginations and the earth e.g. telling stories, playing with rocks and sticks, footballs made out of bits and pieces of plastic and whatever else, toy cars made with cast off pieces of wire and shoe polish tins!

Mr. Phiri, the grade 6 teacher, had all eyes on him as he told the students quite seriously a news story he’d heard about. “There was a rooster and a knife that got into a fight.” The children are not sure, if Mr. Phiri is serious, or if they should laugh. “The knife won the fight, of course, and the rooster was sent to the mortuary—the cooking pot. Beside the chicken in the cooking pot are the tomato and the onion and a few other vegetables.” Mr. Phiri relayed the gruesome stories of their deaths—by this time the kids are laughing, but trying not to laugh too loud because they don’t want to miss a piece of the story! The crowd of students is mesmerized as he continues, “Then after a while the relatives come to take the body home and of course the relatives are lumps of nsima!” (Nsima is the food staple for Southern Zambians.) By this time the students are in full laughter. Mr. Phiri tells it much better than I; he is absolutely serious as he leaves his story telling station—this is the Zambia News!

The picture above is of the girl’s dancing group. The kids have been practicing their traditional dancing for weeks for this celebration!

Celebrations continued until evening in all places. We caught some of what was going on at Kalomo High School but did not enter the school ground as there were MASSES of high school kids there! KHS was joined by NCSS and Mwaata schools for traditional dancing competitions and games.

October 30 is the Zambian election for president to replace the late President Mwanawasa. Schools will be closed that day! Pupils have already starting writing their final grade 12 exams. And yes, the election has altered the exam schedule! That may cause results to be late!

Volleyball in Zambia

Last Saturday we took the afternoon off and took three of our Kalomo High school kids on an outing to watch volleyball in Choma. Several schools were playing and so we were able to watch a variety of the teams that we knew.
The photo shows Kalomo High boys playing Choma High. Note the boy in the air—no shoes! These guys are very competitive and serious players playing VERY hard and fast volleyball.

One of our past sponsored students, Kabulo, is a player on a National Volleyball team called the Red Arrows. Kabulo is now a teacher at St. Marks school in Choma. His high school team that he coaches was playing and they came in second in the tournament. We watched his team play and it's amazing how much most of the players play just like the coach! How is that?!

Thanks RGH nurses!

Yesterday we were able to take three (50 kg) bags of maize out to Simakakata using the Casual Jean’s Day money from the nurses on 1D at RGH (Regina General Hospital). Thank-you Staff! These folks are very grateful; maize is their staple food!

Simakakata is known to many as the Blind Community. Several years ago many blind and disabled folks were relocated from Kalomo town to this parcel of land about five km from Kalomo town. There was no water or housing. The Mbumwaes (Ruhtt & Shepherd) along with some of the college kids from the mission where we stay assisted this community by constructing some shelters. The Canadian Education Mission of 1999 was able to assist with funds for a borehole (well). Since then many improvements have been made via various donors including provision of brick houses and toilets and a second borehole. Last year, using some funds that were donated to us personally, we were able to train Mr. Shebby (man in the white shirt) and another disabled man in basket making. We were also able to replace a grinding meal needed for their maize, and we bought them some goats. So, staff at RGH—thanks for your contributions on casual Fridays! For the future (and for your interest) we’ve had requests to help provide some equipment for a nurse’s office at Kalomo High School where we have approximately fifty sponsored students. And the headmaster of that school has requested some paint to paint a classroom or two. If anyone wants to organize some funds (could be a Christmas project?) for either of these projects please do so and forward the funds to:

Zambia Mission Fund – Canada
4368 Lochside Drive
Victoria, BC
V8X 2C9

Good Hope Sponsored Students

Donors of ZMF-C sponsor twelve students at Good Hope Christian Basic School. We don’t worry too much about the kids at Good Hope because that school always seems to have a very good teacher pupil ratio and they have excellent administration under Mr. Wilson Siazilo! Good Hope school has students from pre-school to grade 8. Wilson & Nancy Siazilo and family live on the ZMF-C Seven Fountains Farm not too far from Good Hope school. All of them are vital and precious to the ZMF-C work! We thank God for their life long example of humble and gracious service! By the way Wilson is away this week on his first international trip to Italy. What an opportunity for Wilson and we are all waiting for his return so we can hear the story of Wilson in Italy. Wilson is a grand story teller so I know he’ll have some great action stories on his return.

Today we were able to visit with nine of our twelve Good Hope pupils. We reviewed their terms 1 and 2 report cards, a routine we do with every ZMF-C student. Then I had an opportunity to have a discussion with them on Girl Education in Zambia. Here are the facts: For every one hundred girls that enter grade 1 – only seventy-five will progress to grade 7. In grade 8 the number is down to twenty-three and only seven will sit for the writing of grade 12 exams. I asked them, "Why it is that so few girls write the grade 12 exams? What happens?"

They all answer, "Girls stay at home to look after younger children and do work, carry water and wood. They have to walk long distances and so attendance is poor. They get pregnant." ZMF-C has had three young female sponsored students in the last year drop out because of pregnancy.

So we talked for a while about remaining pure until marriage, because that’s the way God planned it, and because Zambia needs educated girls and boys! They all agreed that they’d write themselves a purity covenant and show it to me next month when we visit.

Another great group of kids! Tomorrow the children’s teacher liaison will hand out the food we left—roller meal and kapenta for each of these sponsored kids.

Have a good rest of your week,
SK and RK

A Week Ends - A Week Begins

Today we went to Simakakata for church. Simakakata is a community where many blind and disabled folks live. We love going to Simakakata and are always warmly greeted! This morning our sponsored student, Steward, the choirmaster for Namwianga Secondary, wanted to come along with us and bring his choir! Steward is a grade 11 student, a double-orphan from a very poor community not far from here. He has flourished and become such a confident young man in this secondary school. Praise God. The other students really respect him and he is so full of integrity! So, we said, "Yes, of course!" I’m not sure of the count, but we more than tripled the little Simakakata congregation! The choir sang about six songs and then a quartet! made up of eight male singers ended off the program. We are ever so grateful to share with these students who are always expressing their gratitude at receiving sponsorship from you.

Today I received a letter from from Mvwula Hajaya, a grade 11 sponsored student at Namwianga Secondary. It says this: “First and foremost I declare glory and honour to God the author of life. I am very grateful for the love that God expresses to me through you Canadian people”.

Mvwula is a village boy who has scored among the very best of all grade 11’s at this secondary school of approximately 450 students! He does not take the opportunity of this education for granted in any way. He is a very serious student with a great smile!

Well, it's bedtime. It’s best to go to bed early here because you don’t want to miss the coolness of the morning, i.e. 05:30!

Love to all and enjoy the blessings of your week!
Sue and Richard

Micah

October is the hottest month of the year in Zambia! It is heating up! The thermometer I hung near the back door consistently reads 35+ degrees Celsius by noon each day! One day this week it read 37 degrees. The nights feel quite fine. Tonight it's 26 Celsius.

Our week started at Seven Fountains Farm orphan home. Sue Calder had gone to Lusaka to retrieve her husband, Rod, who had been away for one month in America. Our task was to look after the Calder kids and gang and just be there in case we were needed by the aunties (hired helpers for the babies) and the babies. There are about twenty orphan babies right now. There was no lack of cuddling! One morning while Richard was still waking up I placed baby Richard (named after him) on the bed beside him, just to help Big Richard wake up! It did!

We organized a baby choir with a baby choirmaster! We sang Building up the Temple, Running Over, Who did Make the Fish to Swim? We had lots of laughs and looks from the aunties. Eventually, Queen, one of the aunties, grabbed a baby and joined in as well!
Micah is my special baby! Micah will be two years old in December. He is HIV positive and on ARV(AntiRetroViral) medication. He doesn’t stand yet and doesn’t talk, but his smile and his eyes speak volumes and grab at the heartstrings! I took him all around the garden showing him the flowers and the trees; he just sat quietly on my hip while I did the talking!
I had met his father on the road in April of 2007 as he was heading to Seven Fountains Farm (the home of the ZMF-C orphanage). Micah’s mom had just died, and Micah’s dad had wee tiny Micah fastened securely in a chitenge on his back. I’ve heard since that Micah’s dad is also HIV positive, but apparently not on ARV’s yet. The dad has not had much at all to do with Micah and visits very little. So my treat at the orphan home is to go and fetch Micah and just spend time with him!