Tuesday we saw Cheri off. Our usual airport routine of going out to the coffee shop after checking in was foiled when it took over 45 minutes at the ticket counter. The computer system was down and they had to check everyone in by hand! By the time Cheri was finished it was time to go to the boarding area.
Jen set out for Kantolomba to begin a week of implementing all the ideas we have generated over the last few weeks. It works perfectly to have a visionary team here for the start of the trip and then have someone take several days to make the nitty gritty of it happen.
We sat with the health team first to discuss putting several of the new programs in place: the Girl’s program, the sports program and a project to get all of the houses sanitized. A good number of people have come to Rose of late complaining about little tiny bites that cause a great deal of itching. The health team all agree that having everyone in the cooperative do a very thorough cleaning of their households will address this as well as a number of other health issues. We hatched a plan for Theresa and Jen to shop for the necessary supplies: a spray for the houses, detergent to wash all clothing and bedding, and an antibacterial soap to wash with. They are going to choose an upcoming Saturday/Sunday to carry out the plan.
Jen and Rose preparing for the meeting.
The health team.
It is very exciting that we are actually beginning the Girl’s program. It is something we have all wanted to do for some time and we are now launched. Yea! Young girls in Kantolomba are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. In Kantolomba education in general is often not highly valued – and far less so for girls. It is extremely difficult for parents to be willing to make the herculean effort required to send their children to school when there are as yet few models within the community of the advantages education provides. From what we hear, girls themselves do not place a value on staying in school as getting married and having children is seen as an absolute given. In talking with the health team today they talked of girls as young as 13 beginning to drink, be at the bars, get pregnant, be vulnerable to prostitution.
The team decided that we will begin the girl’s program with 20 girls: 10 aged 10 to 13, and 10 aged 14 to 18. They are going to come to the property when Rose is here, on Tuesday afternoons and most of the day Friday. Rose is really the visionary for this project. For a start they are going to learn to knit and have health/life skills classes with Rose. There will undoubtedly be English and literacy lessons, and more as well. This is the kind of endeavor where we will see how it goes and then solidify some structures for it when we are next here. Very, very exciting.
There is also much enthusiasm for the sports program. We are starting with a girl’s netball team, girl’s football and boy’s football teams. The teams will meet twice per week and as soon as we get good we will see about arranging to play other teams in the greater Ndola area. We are all determined that Kantolomba be #1!!
As we were meeting Muyunda was getting photos of the happenings on the rest of the property.
Winter and Reuben studying English.
We had a number of things to lay out with the men’s team, including the window project and the plans for completing the hammermill building and the pit latrine. The window project is something Rose suggested. Houses in Kantolomba have very little ventilation due to tiny windows. People do not have the funds to put rebar or other means of security on their windows so they make them small enough that no one can use them to gain access into a home. The plan is for the U.S. side to help fund a project to improve air circulation in the homes of cooperative members by enlarging the windows, and adding rebar for security. In addition to being a far more pleasant way to live, it will also reduce transmission of TB and other airborne health dangers.
Meeting with the men.
Nothing short of a miracle, who should show up as we were meeting but Friday. Friday, as you may remember, is a dear friend and excellent all-around handyman, builder etc. We have tried working with him any number of times and while his workmanship is always excellent, he NEVER comes through on his commitments. We all (including Friday and the Kantolomba team) openly joke about him not showing up when he says he will. We have not seen him this entire trip and then, all of a sudden, there he was at the exact moment we needed him. He helped us walk through our plans and Jen and Theresa will shop for supplies tomorrow morning so we can do the first sample window.
Jen greets Natasha, Friday’s daughter, who has grown about a foot since we last saw her.
And Samuel, his son, who was just a baby last time.
Friday (left), Jen, and the team work out the window plan.
Before leaving (and not knowing when we might get to see him again) we got Friday to take a look at a water issue we have run into. Both main taps have enough run-off water that they are attracting pigs and mosquitoes—two big health no-nos. We discussed plans for homemade drainage systems that could help with that.
Looking at the drainage issue.
The puddle created by the run-off.