Second-to-last day out in Kantolomba—how can it be?!
Are you starting to notice, as we have, that the same children seem to manage to make their way to the front of the greeting party every day!
We did fit in another few minutes of the walk-casually-then-turn-and-suddenly-chase game. The teachers assure us it actually helps them as it gives the children some much-needed exercise before coming back into class. We’re not sure the sincerity of that, but it sure is fun for us (and exercise—yes!)
A brief time to chat after the game before going back to class.
We were excited to see that Beatrice has already incorporated some of the materials in the new program with her own students: she has taken a puppet to “talk” to her students and reports that they LOVE it! It is really fun to see the learning coming to life. It’s clear all the grown-ups on the team have a great heart for working with the children, and with the first introduction of new methods/ideas/materials, they put it into immediate use. We project the learning environment is benefiting already!
Beatrice and Ms. Lamby greet us in English.
Over in the preschool it was Georgina’s day to teach a practice lesson. We weren’t sure who was having more fun, Georgina or the children—a perfect trait in a preschool teacher! Each day it is clear the teachers are becoming more and more comfortable with the new methodology. One of the things that makes it quite fun is that the process of preparing the material for the children is an exercise in English improvement for the teachers, especially with pronunciation since they are using the Genki program software where they hear the clear, native-speaking pronunciation of the presenters.
Georgina starts with a story.
Testimony, star student and also Georgina’s daughter, points to the strawberry. Georgina tells us she has switched over to speaking to Testimony completely in English at home!
“What do you want to do?” “I want to dance!”
Everybody now!
Everyone turns to hear the new instruction.
After the students leave, we have our daily de-brief. Very helpful not only for each teacher to have feedback on their practice lesson but also for all the teachers to get to practice watching and listening for places to offer feedback. We all agree that this team approach increases the depth of the learning—for students and teachers alike.
Meeting after Georgina’s lesson
Going over some materials to use for tomorrow’s lesson
On the way over to the other side of the property, we find some adorable friends in the garden. We marvel at how animals of all kinds—goats, chickens, pigs—wander the compound during the day and know where to return at night. And, that no one makes off with them in the meantime!
Amongst the pumpkin leaves
The sewing team is closing in on finishing the Pantolombas…. One day while doing errands. we found one piece of chitenge (just enough for one pair of pants) that we all knew HAD to be Theresa’s.
Theresa’s BIG heart pantolombas.
It’s pretty much always lunchtime at the property. Students happen to be on school holiday currently (government schools are out until September 9) so they are not in their usual routine. Usually the food program rotates children through all day: the first group at 10am, the last group at 5pm, in order to accommodate the many different class schedules depending on grade level and school a child attends. So, at any given time there are always some children washing their hands, some eating, some doing their dishes afterwards; it’s a well-oiled machine—a blessing for the team providing for 800 hungry folk!
Washing up before lunch
Washing dishes after lunch
Rinsing
And then, of course, there are the giant pots that need to be washed to be used for the next giant pot of nshima.
The knitters are in a bit of a marathon here with a day and a half left. It is amazing to realize that many of these women did not know how to knit as little as six months ago. They started learning from Rose and have continued teaching each other. Every day the scarves are getting longer, and there are many jokes about whether so-and-so’s scarf will be long enough to be proper scarf material before the musungus have to depart.
Theresa sits down next to Violet to offer encouragement, and to practice English!
One of the completed Zambian football fan armbands ready for sale in the community
JoAnn’s great smile and laugh are a wonderful addition to the team. Someone captured some great portraits of our feathered-friends.
The next lunch shift begins
Enjoying the garden
A beautiful shot
And this one!
The after-lunch reading sessions have become a committed routine. And, just as we had hoped, the girls who truly want to learn to read, and to get all the extra help they can, have self-selected. We’ve known it before, but this trip has solidified what a transformative (and effective!) approach it is to simply offer what one is offering in a clear, kind, consistent way. Those who are attracted to what is offered will come forward and join; those who are not, will not, and how perfect that is. We are not a school. We are not offering the mandatory government curriculum. We are a place for children to come to learn English, to receive encouragement and assistance to go where they wish to go in their lives, to move beyond the limitations potentially imposed by their economic circumstances—if they wish. What’s great is that it spreads. Inevitably, those who choose it start improving quickly and have a great deal of fun. As that happens, others who may not have had the initial vision to choose it for themselves start to notice and take another look. More students start to opt in. The more students are choosing to be there, the better the learning environment for all. It’s a model we are implementing throughout the project and will be the backbone of the tutoring program soon to be implemented.
The committed team!
We always spend a great deal of time with the English-speaking folks on the team when we are here. Each trip we make a point to have at least one major meeting that includes everyone. Today, we looked at how the project is going and talked about some aspirations for the future. A big one is to improve the English of everyone on the team, not just those who already know some English. Theresa has put forth an exciting and ambitious goal: Starting January 1, 2014, all daily business of the project will be done in English! We expected some resistance but did not detect any. There was a lot of laughter and good-natured joking as they cajoled one another to try out some phrases. And they actually did. What we saw in that session is that the adult classes have been having a far greater impact than we realized. As team members got past their self-consciousness at trying out their very new English skills in front of native speakers, whole phrases were spoken—and understood! It was quite exciting.
In the meeting.
Can you tell what today’s color is?
Theresa is a skillful orator. She has a presence that both commands and communicates respect. And you know you had a good meeting when it is ended with a session of singing and dancing.
Josephine starts us off.
Estella can move her hips in a way that seems impossible!
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Such a tiny clip but almost gives you a sense of it.
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Georgina’s turn
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Even the musungus get in on the action!
But, as soon as the music stops, it is back to business—we are almost down to one day!
The knitters just stay right where they are and get back to it.
Benendetta and Foster
Foster tries it on to see how far she has to go—almost there!
And, perfect, we end the day with completion of the Pantolombas. 40 pairs bound for the United States, one to remain here in Zambia.
Theresa shows off her new Pantolombas.