Today was our maiden voyage as an eight-person team. Compounding our logistics was the fact that our car is still in the shop. Fortunately, Gaudencia and Andrew, Steve's right hand man in the Buildings Department, agreed to chauffer us.
Dave was the only one who had been to Kantolomba on this trip, and while he had described the progress on the building, we were not at all prepared for our first glimpse of the construction site. As we pulled in, Jen looked at her watch and realized we had only fifteen minutes before school let out for the day. Much as we wanted to hop out of the vehicles for a tour, even more we wanted to get to the school to see the children and the Living Compassion team.
As we drove up, the Kantolomba welcome began. The gals, decked out in their Bridge Walk t-shirts, attempted to keep the kids from mobbing us as we made our way into the school yard. Inside the school the children took their seats and the teachers began guiding them in the welcoming ceremony. The new visitors were escorted to the front of the classroom, while the children called out greetings, sang, and danced. Then the women danced their way into the room singing, shaking each visitor's hand in turn.
The women greeting us in the school house.
We jump in to dance with the children.
When it was time for the children to be formally excused, we went into the yard to make introductions and say our hellos to the team. As they finished up the school day chores, we made our way back down to the building site.
It is a phenomenon to behold! The trenches for the foundation around the perimeter of the building are four to five feet deep and three feet across. All dug by hand. No machinery has been used on the building thus far. Inside the trenches the men are laying concrete block, re-enforced with wire. These will come up to the top of the trenches, and a four-inch thick concrete slab will be poured on top of that.
The building site.
Trenches for the foundation.
The building has progressed quickly, especially considering the fact that every bit of it is being done by hand, but the workers are now slowed due to a nation-wide concrete shortage. In fact, when we were returning to town Andrew spotted a truck carrying concrete, called Gaudencia, and, dropping us quickly, they raced off to track down the truck to see if they could purchase some of it.
Back, left to right: Cheri, James, Tom, Bryn, Brian. Front: Theresa, Veronica, Gaudencia.
Forty-five workers have been hired for the construction of the building, all from Kantolomba Compound. When we originally interviewed Gaudencia for the position of contractor, we asked her if she would be willing to use local workers. She readily agreed, and we then learned that much of her work experience was in community development. She has very strong views about the importance of a community taking ownership of everything that happens within it and of the necessity of getting local "buy-in" at every phase of a project. And, we've discovered she's very good at what she does.
One example: She met with everyone in the community who was interested in the projects. She offered people the opportunity to volunteer in various capacities. Eight-five folks stepped forward. She met with those volunteers and let them know that they were actually the ones who would be hired as the crew. It is her philosophy that if one is not willing to work as a volunteer for one's community, one will not become a good worker just because there's a paycheck involved.
Some of the men who dug the trenches.
As Gaudencia and Andrew checked in with the crew, we adjourned to the new "palapa" to introduce Tom, Tracey, Bryn, Brian, and Troy to Everesto and hear details about his recent adventures in scholarship. We originally met Everesto at a community focus group meeting. He and three friends were invited to attend as representatives of the young people of Kantolomba. It quickly became apparent that, while shy, he is extremely intelligent and articulate. We learned that he was seventeen years old, in the eleventh grade, and aspiring to a career in medicine. He was very clear that he wanted to become a doctor in order to help the people in his community. We asked him what were the primary difficulties and needs in Kantolomba.
He identified two main problem areas: lack of education and early marriage. He explained that young people are encouraged to marry by the age of 15 or 16--boys and girls both. He told us, "And then they begin to have children who will starve to death as we are starving to death." In that moment we made our commitment to support him in realizing as many of his goals and dreams as he chooses.
Our first efforts have been simple. We pay his school fees, provide his uniforms and books, and supply him with food.
We had heard that he was performing brilliantly at school and were finally able to ask him for details. His school entered him in a science contest. Please understand that the school he attends, in a neighborhood only slightly more advantaged than Kantolomba, is one of the lowest-ranked schools in the Copperbelt. No one would ever expect a student from Lubutu to do well in a competition. He won. People were stunned. He was asked repeatedly if he really lives in Kantolomba. No money, no books, no electricity... how could he win? He was automatically advanced to the Copperbelt Province competition and told that he might as well not compete, as he had no chance of winning. He won. (He was actually searched and questioned repeatedly; they were so certain he must have cheated.)
Well, our guy Everesto just won the competition that makes him the national champion!
He is very proud. The people of Kantolomba are very proud. And, of course, we're all busting our buttons! What did he win, you may be wondering? Two computers for his school and for himself, a color television set and a satellite dish. Bizarre? We all thought so. The computers, yes, absolutely, but a color television and satellite dish? Not only would we all prefer that he receive a computer--studying is obviously what he does, and distraction is not what he needs--but he doesn't have electricity!
One other fun part of the story is that when he won the second time another local NGO approached him with an offer of sponsorship. He politely and proudly declined, explaining that he already has a sponsor, Living Compassion. And, indeed he has. The students with us on this trip have all expressed willingness to contact their universities to see what might be possible for Everesto at Harvard or Georgetown, and we're committed to pursuing options at Stanford. Anyone else?
Everesto, Bryn and Troy.
Back to town for one of our traditional Savoy Hotel planning sessions and a meeting with Godfrey. The old folks sat and listened to a lively discussion of what is current in the world of computer gaming and the hatching of plans to get materials donated from Europe and the U.S. (Tom, from the U.K., has friends who have ready access to equipment that operates on the same systems as Zambia), and delivered to Godfrey. It is his dream to help Ndola move into the computer age, and we're all convinced that he is just the fellow to do it. And in the meantime, he is our resident computer whiz, able and willing to help us with our computer needs as well as acting as instructor to folks, such as Theresa, and now Everesto, who are ready to become computer savvy.
Meeting with Godfrey at the Savoy.
Then to ShopRite for a very impressive shopping trip. With Tracey acting as Captain, we all raced about the store gathering the provisions we need to set up the kitchen. I cannot even begin to give you an accurate picture of feeding ourselves here, but perhaps a couple of little snapshots will give you a glimpse. The stove has two working burners, the oven is held closed with a chair, we've set up a hot plate in the living room, there's only one electrical outlet that works, and the hot water tap is broken. It's astounding what a human being can adjust to, and how quickly! Last night we had lasagna made with tofu, spinach, and cheese. Yum.