Another full day!
When we arrived things were quiet as all the children were still in class. Theresa and Jen took the opportunity to go through the First 100 Children video made in 2006 to catalog where each of those children is now. We mostly want a sense of the trend of the girls—are they dropping out? If so, why?
Theresa watching the 100 children video.
Josephine assisted us; it is truly remarkable the number of children these women know and the details of their lives!! “Oh, that one has gone to Lusaka, taken by a relative after the mother died. The father had already died 3 years earlier…” The vast majority of the children are still with us. Four girls have dropped out due to having a baby and/or getting married. Quite a number have moved, and of those the majority were taken to relatives in other parts of Zambia after parents died.
One girl has died. She had a terrible case of abdominal TB and doctors were unable to save her. We had a quiet moment remembering her.
It was inspiring to hear of Maria, a young girl who had just delivered a baby the day before! She passed the standardized grade 7 exams at the end of last year (already quite pregnant and bucking the trend to stay in school even during pregnancy) and qualified for grade 8! Her mother went to the secondary school she was to attend (she was too pregnant to begin grade 8 when the year began in January) and asked for, and was granted, a maternity leave! Wow! In three months Maria will begin grade 8 while her mother cares for the baby. Needless to say, Theresa said this is a very strong mother!
Just as we were finishing the 100 children project, Rose and Floriano arrived. We had arranged to meet them both for a photo together and a quick follow up conversation.
Floriano is the skills scholarship recipient who earned his bricklaying certificate and now works in the community. Both Rose and Floriano are quite proud of the achievement and were happy to have their picture taken together.
Floriano and Rose.
Floriano takes great care with his certificate. He had it laminated—an expensive but worthy investment for him!
We then walked together to visit the new cooperative kitchen. This is Floriano’s work done by donation. Gratitude wants to give. It truly is a beautiful job. Rose commented that you can tell it was done by someone who was trained because, in addition to being neatly and carefully executed, “it is also done to standard.” Floriano beamed as she spoke.
Rose and Floriano in the kitchen.
As we walked out, three members of the team were pounding the peanuts for the peanut butter rice for lunch that day. Christine, who was taking her turn resting her arms at the time, called Floriano over and said that she would like to contract with him to do some repairs on her home. She then told us in Bemba, with Rose translating, that Floriano is already much accomplished in the community—he built (ground up) four houses last year. Rose told us that he even employs people as the demand for his work is so great. “He is a boss,” she smiled broadly, patting him on the shoulder. It was easy to project a deep sense of self-respect onto his bright eyes and wide grin as she spoke.
Christine, in the middle, contracting with Floriano.
Floriano was off to a job, and Rose and Jen spoke for a few more minutes on the topic of skills scholarships. There is gigantic potential for this as part of Living Compassion. As we noted in previous blogs, our children are growing up! Some of them may go on to colleges and universities and many of them will be candidates to learn a skill to make a living. I told Rose she could have her hands VERY full in four or five years!
So the next exciting event was the weekly quizzes.
A few months after our trip in 2014, as the reading was really taking hold and students were loving it, they approached the teachers: “How about we have a weekly contest? Can we have an English quiz?” Together the students and teachers schemed and came up with a fun forum. Each week, in each class, students volunteer to be part of one of two teams. Earlier in the week the teachers prepare a series of questions. The teams rotate answering questions, scoring 3 points for every correct answer. At the end of the contest a winning team is announced. But here is the genius part: after the “winners” are announced, the prizes (a notebook and pencil purchased by the cooperative) are awarded to every child who actually participated (raised their hand to answer a question)! Perfect! As we always say—it is participation that makes for a happy life!
The first contest, with the younger children, was in Veronica’s class. By the time we finished with Rose and Floriano, this contest was complete and we were there just in time for the awards ceremony.
The participants showing off their prizes.
The orchestrators for this round: Joy, Beatrice, and Veronica.
We did get to sit in on the contest for Charles’ class. There were two teams, three students on each team. There were 16 questions, asked orally. I remarked that I was glad they put me in the audience and not on a team—I would have been a liability. “True or false: it is the male mosquito that carries Malaria.” The answer was false. “Can you tell the difference between a male and female mosquito?” I asked. “No,” the teachers, replied laughing. “That is the problem!” ‘The green on the Zambian flag stands for_________.” Team B correctly answered: “vegetation.” We were told the red stands for blood shed in the fight for independence from the British (October 24, 1964—they just celebrated their 50th Anniversary) and the black “stands for us,” Charles said, pointing to himself and those around him.
It was a great deal of fun, and what was most striking was that the whole thing was in English!! Again, a question such as: “Multiple choice: We can keep ourselves clean by A) taking a bath or B) playing in the dirt” can seem incredibly simple until someone translates it into Bemba and asks you!! They did very well!
Jen was invited to be in the audience.
It is truly hard to tell who is having more fun—the students or the teachers!
This young girl in the foreground (can’t recall her name!) was the star of her team!
Joy was the timekeeper.
Afterwards we all went outside and were treated to a performance of three songs Joy had taught the students around the Independence celebrations. They had all made Zambian flags for the occasion.
A bit later, sitting outside on the veranda, Theresa started pointing out children who were among the first 100 (so fresh in our minds from watching the video) as they filed in.
Theresa confirming with several children the date they started with Living Compassion.
James, far right, was among the first 100. He poses here with his two brothers, now also in the program, Dickson, middle, and Harrison, left.
As students finished their lunch, there were requests to break out the typing program. Our hunch that getting the children on the technology would be a way to create a natural momentum is bearing out! Just as Theresa predicted, word has spread, and there are more students showing up to participate every day. 10 minutes per customer. This area of the project especially lends itself to Life leading. It is endless what technology could add to the program! But how to go about it? Where to start? What to introduce? How about: this, here, now. We have a typing program, they are loving it, let’s start there. And, no doubt, the next step will reveal itself from there!
Joy assisting some girls to get started. On the computer on the left, Mary is helping her friend find correct finger position.
Meanwhile outside, Jen was surrounded by this afternoon’s round of “Will you take my photo?”
Even the younger students are getting brave now!
In the main frame of this picture, left to right: Ronika, Cheri and Jen. Watch for these up-and-coming gals—very full of spunk.
Out of sheer survival we start to shoot larger, group shots!
A girls-only shot.
We were thrilled when Mary, this young girl, quietly came forward, “Will you take my photo?” she pronounced shyly.
Next something VERY fun happened. Karen, Joanne’s oldest daughter, stepped forward and took things to the next level: “Jen, will you take my photo? Plastic and bag?” She was indicating that she wanted her picture taken with her book bag. Absolutely, Karen!
Karen with her school books.
Karen with younger sister, Ronika.
And the momentum of Karen’s bravery took us into territory we have not yet been. As the photo session was ending, a group of girls hung back. “Jen,” one exclaimed, “I want to talk to you.” Just typing that sentence does not at all convey the actual experience. Each word is enunciated carefully and with great conviction. As if a performance rehearsed over much time. And what ensued can actually be called a conversation—complete with questions and responses on both sides. Their command of English is moving to the next stage. If Anna were with us on the trip she would have the official names for the language learning stages! But, many of us know from our own experience that exciting leap from vocabulary on a page to having enough elasticity in your grasp of a language to engage a native speaker. And, of course, there is the courage part of the program! We are outrageously supportive of their efforts and great fun is had by all!
At lunch, Theresa and I talked about what a gift it is to do meaningful work in an extraordinary community that is about unconditional love! It seems that is what the project offers—a chance for everyone who wants it to create a simple and incredibly “rich” life.
And in the conversation with the girls, the very first seeds of that were planted. Natasha talked about wanting to become a nurse. We pointed out the progression: stay in school; pass exams; learn English as you go; finish grade 12; go to nursing school; get a job; earn a good living; buy yourself a house with running water, electricity…and eyes widened as they began to see the vision. It is possible. Is there much to be done between now and then, much to hurdle? Yes, enormous amounts. But there is nothing we, as the Living Compassion team, have set out to do that has not been done. Keep showing up, that’s all it takes. And that “all” is huge, for all of us. The factors that are pulling at us to stop showing up are gigantic, but not insurmountable. We can do this together.
The girls peeping in the doorway to ask for a conversation.
The team of teachers, excited about all the additions to the program (typing, audio books…) decided to sit down together to draw up schedules for each class. “Won’t you be bored while we are doing that?” they asked. Bored? No! With many thousands of steps left to take that day and a beautiful afternoon, we set out to photograph the often unseen portraits of the property.
Started at one end of the property, at the kitchen, where the charcoal was cooling down after cooking rice for over 800!
The view from one of the vent/windows of the kitchen.
Artful tools. All handmade.
Out the kitchen door.
Just outside the kitchen.
Looking towards what is now Charles’ classroom.
Joanne’s house is on the property, and as I came up I spotted Karen weeding the maize. Can you spot the purple in the far left among the corn?
Karen
What ISN’T art?? Life is astounding!
Look at this ladder grown right into this tree near the tuck shop.
Coming around the side of the building now.
And the back.
The prolific moss, a sign of the fertile time of the rainy season.
Foster in the garden.
And the teachers worked on their schedules.
Once the posters for each class were complete, Theresa pulled out some flashcards and we had a spontaneous session of “class.” She held up a flashcard with a letter on one side and two pictures of things starting with that letter on the other. We had fun being the “students” and calling out the names of the objects. We even learned a few things: the nuance of wagon versus wheelbarrow, and what overalls are.
As we pulled out for the day, the property was bathing in its top-down weekly cleaning. Ahhhh….
Lucky beings, indeed!