Wow, a week has gone already! It’s Monday again in Ndola, and today was a busy day. We started the morning off running some errands in town – pricing some roofing sheets, and picking up some office items.
The first items on the agenda for the day were going to the classrooms for some dancing and singing. Each room was filled with children with big smiles and swinging hips! It’s amazing how, dance being a significant part of the culture, children of 3 and 4 can move with such grace!
Ethel’s class, dancing to a song being led by Theresa! EVERYONE (children and adults alike) loves it when Theresa dances—“Look, Madame is dancing!”
Bruce’s smile is infectious; he never misses an opportunity to wave for the camera! The kids had a wonderful time dancing around.
Rose was at the property today. Those who are veteran blog-readers will know that Rose is the nurse on the team and an advocate of skills training. When she first arrived she was a vital source of basic health education. The closest clinic to Kantolomba is a long walk away, thus medical care is sought only when absolutely necessary. Pair that with a dire lack of access to education and the result is a good deal of misinformation about disease, its origin, prevention and treatment. Rose has turned that around and the team is very well informed on how to care for themselves, their families and the 800 children of Living Compassion.
Rose poses in her nurse’s uniform.
In the meeting, Rose started us off by remembering when she first joined us many years ago. “We have done an amazing job here at Living Compassion. The children were dying of malnutrition. Today there is a very big difference. We are not losing children from malnutrition. I am very proud, indeed.”
And this has not been an easy road for Rose. In the beginning she was the bearer of information that many did not welcome. In one extreme example, when she facilitated a member of the team who was chronically unwell to get tested for HIV, the husband vehemently refused to accept the diagnosis and even came to Rose’s clinic to shout at her. Today, this same couple has come to have great respect for Rose and seek her opinion in the care of their whole family. Theresa and Rose both spoke about the transformative power of compassion and patience. “When you treat one with kindness and respect, even when they are angry or do not understand, they will often come to see what you are saying.”
As we looked back over the past year Rose and Theresa told us how Floriano, one of the two recipients of a skills program scholarship, is flourishing. He attended a year-long bricklaying program and is now the first choice of bricklayers in Kantolomba. He has a wife and daughter and is able to support them well with the money he earns. Rose’s comment was quite touching: “Even if I die tomorrow, I will rest well knowing that I have saved even one soul who can now care for himself and his family.” It could seem small, but we all know the starfish story, yes? It matters for this one. AND, if we stop and do the math, if each of us, when we are able, with what we are able, turns to someone next to us and makes a difference…well then, we would all be more than well-cared for!
Rose explained that she has even had a hand in helping members of the team see the value of learning a trade skill. Georgina, whose eldest son Mwewa had been home “doing nothing” after finishing grade 12, talked with Rose about it and enrolled Mwewa in a bricklaying program. He is now earning money and even helped Georgina pay some of the school fees of his younger siblings this year!
Rose is interested in continuing with skills programs in the future, and we all spoke about the potential of this as an option for the young girls who come to Theresa asking for help after having married or had babies at a very young age. We also said that, just like parents, we are suddenly realizing that “our children” are growing up. It will be only 3 more years until the just-more-than-toddlers of the first 100 children will be finishing high school!!! Wow. In some ways that is when the real work begins. They are now the next generation. This is the moment when there is the potential for something different to take root. With no shoulds and no attachments and no rights and wrongs, we boldly go forth as a team offering all we can to support these young folks who are so dear to us to live the life they wish for themselves.
Now for lunch! Today’s menu: soya chunks (soy-based “meat”), a local type of greens and, of course, nshima. As you may recall, nshima is a staple of the Zambian diet. So much so that if someone asks a person if she has eaten that day, and she hasn’t had nshima, even if she’s eaten a banquet of other foods, she would respond “No.” Nshima equals food.
Emmanuel, Josephine’s second to youngest, proudly holds up his nshima for us to see.
Yum!
During the lunch break, we went to check on the library to see how the reading was going. It is thrilling to walk into that room and see so many children eager to read. Some were listening to the books on tape and others were reading out loud in groups. Veronica called us over – she was teaching extra lessons – because one of her students had requested us to be there while he read. His name is Sydney and he is in grade 3. He read one of the primary grade readers front to back, flawlessly! It’s happening, team, your participation is making a difference—800 adorable starfish at a time!
These girls are reading one of the primary readers. These were a great find and have become very popular with the children.
Perhaps you recognize these two lovely ladies from the Friday blog?? Elizabeth on the left, Veronica’s “last born,” and Little Veronica, Veronica’s oldest grandchild. Check out the matching dresses!
We were confused seeing Elizabeth here, though, as we had been told she is afraid of school and refuses to come. But, when she had come by for a brief visit on Friday, met us and saw all the exciting goings-on, Veronica told us she woke up on Sunday morning and asked, “May I go to school today?” Veronica told her it was Sunday and there was no school, but that she could come on Monday. And come she did!
This is Monica (left) and Mary (right), sisters in the program. The team is amazed how easily we pick out relatives: That must be so-and-so’s brother, or that is surely so-and-so’s daughter… But we think the family resemblances are unmistakable!
By the time we bid adieu to Rose, the older girls had arrived, eaten their lunches, and there were ready to show off their dance routines! All we can say is, wait until you see what they put together – it is pure joy. Lots of children were watching, and after the older girls were done, they asked when their turn would be! They wanted to participate too. Fun footage of that will be included soon…
After a practice round, we film the routine!
Time for a different formation – they had several different routines for us!
Everyone was enjoying the dance!
We also brought more computers with the typing program for both the adults and the children to use. After a little introduction on how to begin the program, both Beatrice and Joy jumped in. Some of the girls who had tried the program on Friday saw what was going on and asked if they could use the computers too, so then Natasha and Susan jumped on board. Before we could count to five, there was a line of more then 10 children eagerly waiting to work on the computers. We took them in groups of 3-5. We would show one of them how to use the program, and then they would teach the others. We think this program could take off! In fact, Theresa commented later, “Wait until tomorrow. Word will spread.”
Joy and Beatrice are excited to use the new program to improve their typing skills. As Joy stated, “This is very good.”
One of the things we have been working with the children on is using English for everyday things they do. For example, “Let’s go to lunch,” or “Will you take my photo?” Remembering from the Friday before, at the end of the day about 15 children surrounded us asking “Will you please take my photo?” Then, on their own, they asked if they could take a photo with us! A line formed quickly, and the team took many pictures and eventually had to say “Milo, milo!” which means “Tomorrow.”
A handsome pair of fellows!
A nice portrait!
Natasha and Mary strike a fun pose for us.
Everyone jumps in on the fun!
It was a very full day of meetings, dancing, reading, typing, photos and lots of smiles. We headed back to the lodge, ready to rest up for what will be, no doubt, the next very full day, and even had a dinner with nshima so we could answer “Yes!” if asked if we ate today.