As we near the end of this visit the possibilities that we have been pursuing seem to expand in all directions, offering way more on-the-ground work than can possibly be accomplished in the time remaining! One cannot know what life will offer just around the corner, until the corner has been rounded and the worldview expands.
Today we began by meeting with Mukonda, the bright Zambian nurse who we are in the process of bringing onto the Living Compassion team. Shortly after we sat down at QuickSave, a small market and eatery in Ndola, we were joined by Mwando, a tall, stunning woman who is a professional tailor and clothes designer. We had asked Mwando to consult with us about a variety of issues related to the sewing cooperative in Kantolomba, particularly about pricing the goods produced by the cooperative. She offered some helpful tips on other sewing-related issues as well, information that will assist the cooperative in being successful as a commercial enterprise.
After the conversation with Mwonda concluded, all attention turned to Mukonda and the huge change that is possible in Living Compassion's work in Kantolomba as Mukonda joins the team.
From left, Jen, Cheri Mukonda and Mwonda having coffee at QuickSave.
One important order of business was to create a collection of medical supplies for Mukonda to use in her work in Kantolomba. Pharmacies in Ndola are very, very different from those in the United States, with most of the items behind counters that are not accessible to the customers. We were assisted by one of the many counter attendants: Mukonda talked with him about what we needed, and he gathered the items, offering advice occasionally. We left with two small boxes of items such as bandaids, antibiotic lotions, q-tips, alcohol, Ace bandaging, a thermometer - just the basics to allow Mukonda to begin to help the folks in Kantolomba.
When we arrived in Kantolomba, Mukonda went immediately to work, speaking with Veronica about sores we had noticed on the legs and arms of Veronica's baby Elizabeth. It was truly heartening and awe-inspiring to see how easily Mukonda spoke with Veronica, melting away any resistance that might have been there to this "outsider," whom the community had been trying to push away only a few days earlier.
Within just a few minutes, it seemed, Mukonda was set up in one of the large rooms in the community building, with a table, chair, water and her just-purchased equipment , examining Elizabeth and beginning to clean and apply ointment to her sores. As Elizabeth was being seen, a line began to form just outside the treatment room, and Mukonda worked with people without a break for the next few hours. She seems to have been accepted by the Living Compassion team, and the health of the community will be the beneficiary.
Mukonda caring for one of the women on the Living Compassion team
While Mukonda was working with ailing team members, others were gathering into groups representing the work they are currently doing. Jobs other than specialized tasks - such as sewing and teaching - are rotated among the team members; the people on the "cooking team" this week, are likely to be on the "cleaning team" next week, and so on.
The cooking team, from left top: Sophia, Christine, Susan, Beauty, Bernadette, Angela, Pauline, Brenda and Foster
The cleaning team, from left top: Martha, Margaret, Bernadette, Eugenia, Maureen, Lucy and Mable
The women who oversee the Tuck Shop: Margaret, Violet, Regina and Ann
Some of the men's carpentry team: Peter, Pascal, Winter and Rubin
The teachers: Georgina, Nellie, Beatrice, Ethel, Veronica and Charles
The carpentry team making a message board for the building
While Mukonda was seeing patients, Jen and Cheri spoke with Theresa, continuing the process of clarifying roles and beginning to consider the best strategies for improving communication within the Kantolomba team and between the team here and Living Compassion in the U.S. - communication channels that will rely to a large extent on Mukonda, as well as Theresa.
During the afternoon Jen was able to offer to the English-speaking leadership a very important class equality. In stressing the importance of girls and women getting an education, it is going to be critical to address the built-in assumptions about women's and men's roles: women are seen as inferior to men and, by and large, the women accept that as their place. In one of the classes we had discovered a blackboard with "Father" written in chalk, and an arrow pointing down to "Mother," and then an arrow below that pointing to "Children," with the clear message that Father was above Mother. When Jen asked if anyone saw anything odd about that, there was a long silence with mostly shaking of heads to indicate they did not. Finally Ethel spoke up noting: "Father and Mother should be on the same line." What ensued was a great discussion about how important it is to model for the students the possibility of men and women being in equal partnership. Everyone was eager to talk about their experiences of places where that is and is not the reality in everyday life in Kantolomba and it seemed all were on board with a willingness to help make a difference for the future. It's likely be a long time before it is natural to Kantolombans for the men to help with lunch cooking and clean-up at the compound - but in the kitchen and in the classrooms the project has begun.
Jen introducting the concept of equality
At one point in the afternoon we learned that there were several boys nearby who had successfully completed their 7th grade exams and were now eligible to go into the 8th.
3 of the 4 boys who passed their 7th grade exams: Stanley, Arthur and Geoff.
Cheri, Jen and Theresa went over to meet and to congratulate them. We had also learned that their school fees for the coming year would be 400,000 kwacha - or about $100 - per child, money that their families have no way of providing.(Sadly, school fees have been raised dramatically and new regulations require that all students-whether children or adults - pass through all grades, regardless of age.) In the conversation Cheri told the boys that, if they were willing to come and spend some time tutoring the younger children in English, Living Compassion would provide the money to continue their education. The boys took that in and said they would be willing. Everyone wins!
Boys being congratulated
Later Theresa learned that Geoff's mother, a woman who had been ill for a long time, had died just that morning.
When we left late in the afternoon, there were still people in the queue waiting to see Mukonda. She let them know that she would be back on another day, and would see them then. Another heart-opening, transforming project has begun.
Some of the women resting at the end of the day.