Donate ribbon

Author Archive for Marsh

Making the Most of a Rainy Day

Published
on June 23, 2009
in Paraguay
. Comments
Photo from LSP '09

Torrential Rains

Today, we attempted to complete work at two different schools. But due to the rain, planned work was not able to be completed. We were going to paint murals at the first school and plant flowers and build fences at the second school. I wish we could have done these things because I was very pumped and ready, and then the rain came.

Instead, we had a multicultural exchange which went from learning some Spanish and Guarani to reading books in these languages. Overall, today was a very unscheduled yet fun day! The thing I enjoyed the most was when I was given the task of drawing a small mural on one of the walls of a school building. Even though I didn´t get a chance to finish it, the school administrators really appreciated my efforts!

Harry, a student at Friendship Collegiate Academy

NB: Please note that you can subscribe to receive nightly blog updates via email on the sidebar of the main LSP ‘09 blog page. Also in that sidebar you may find a link to the LSP ‘09 photo gallery, which contains more photons than we can include in posts.

Building Bicycles

Published
on June 23, 2009
in Zambia
. Comments
Photo from LSZ '09

Building Bicycles

OH MY GOODNESS. Hello, hello! Today we had an exciting day. We spent the day at World Bicycle Relief (WBR), splitting up into 9 groups and building 2 bicycles each for a total of 18 bicycles that will be donated to the community. Who would have thought that a bicycle, something that I take for granted back home, could make such a difference in the lives of Zambians? I never imagined building a bike could be so hard and I gained a new-found respect for not only the people who build them but the whole program itself. One of the more impressive parts was the amount of thought WBR puts into the design of these bikes, otherwise known as 60 lb workhorses, because of how sturdy and durable they are. The staff that helped us build the bikes was amazing – they showed such care and knowledge and clearly understand the importance of what they are doing for the community.

After building the bikes, we got to ride them around and, oh my goodness! These bikes are not the 10 speed bikes we have in the U.S. These are heavy bikes that come in a one-size-fits-all with no gear shifts or hand brakes because that type of equipment tends to break down too easily. These bikes are being made for the long haul and last 5 to 6 times longer than the average bike here in Zambia. We got to give each other rides around the compound which proved more challenging to some of us (ie, the smaller ones) than others.

Photo from LSZ '09

Traditional dancing

But, we all had a good laugh and came together at the end of the day to celebrate a hard day’s work at the house of the WBR Director here in Zambia with a night full of dinner and DANCING. The entertainment for the evening was a group of African dancers who performed dances from all across Zambia. It was truly amazing. At one point, they grabbed Rachel and Andrew, two of the students, and brought them up to dance. They did a great job in the spotlight, imitating the dance moves as best as they could. It provided us all with some more laughs for sure before we were all pulled up to practice some African dance moves of our own.

Photo from LSZ '09

The crew after building 18 bicycles

WBR has always donated its bicycles to healthcare workers in their struggle to combat HIV/AIDS but they have recently hit their goal of distributing 26,000 bicycles over the past four years. So, tomorrow, we will truly be part of history as WBR launches its first program with the Ministry of Education – we will witness a distribution ceremony in which WBR will give the first 60 bicycles to teachers and students to help them overcome the distance that separates them from their schools. Some children and teachers have to walk to a school that can easily be 4-5 miles away. They don’t get to rely on buses or cars like we do at home. The fact that their schooling is worth a 2 to 2.5 hour walk each day made me re-evaluate my own education and what I would be willing to sacrifice for it. It is amazing the things we have learned here so far, about Zambia as well as ourselves, in just 4 days.

Natalie (and Gaby Grebski), a student (and teacher) at Sidwell Friends School

NB: Please note that you can subscribe to receive nightly blog updates via email on the sidebar of the main LSZ ‘09 blog page. Also in that sidebar you may find a link to the LSZ ‘09 photo gallery, which contains more photons than we can include in posts.

I WAS The Art Project!

Published
on June 22, 2009
in Paraguay
. Comments
Photo from LSP '09

Painting murals

I expected the schools in Paraguay to be different from the schools in the United States, but they are similar. This is true of the students and citizens as well. They are perhaps more gracious to guests than we are in the U.S., however. For example, they fed us very well and played live music for us while we ate our lunch. I was very surprised and impressed that the students all know at least two different languages- Spanish and Guarani.

I was a little disappointed because it was raining so much and we didn´t get a chance to plant any trees. Instead, we painted murals and signs within the school building. The students from the school had many ideas about how to paint the walls and that helped because some of our ideas weren´t that great.

Photo from LSP '09

Tyler—the human canvas

Painting with the students was fun and helped us bond with each other. After I accidentally got some paint on my shirt, I decided to go with it and allow the students to paint on my shirt. They painted messages, pictures, and handprints, and suddenly, I was part of the project! It was very exciting to see everyone working together to accomplish our goals even though there was a slight language barrier. The day was overall very fun and helped bring our group and the students closer together.
Tyler, a student at The Bullis School

Twalumba Kapati DK!

Published
on June 22, 2009
in Zambia
. Comments
Photo from LSZ '09

Ayinde talks with Bethar
from David Kaunda

Mwabukabuti! This word means “Good Morning” in Tonga, one of the 77 language groups here in Zambia. We learned several Tonga words and phrases today to prepare for an upcoming trip to Monze. During our lesson, most of us struggled; however, our counterparts at the David Kaunda National Technical School were helpful with phonetic spellings and pronunciations. Bertha, my patient and sweet student counterpart (and my grandmother’s namesake), helped me distinguish the formal from informal phrases. We still need a lot of work, though.

Day two at DK was long but exciting. Prior to our Tonga lesson, five LearnServe instructors taught lessons to Zambian students. The entire group shadowed students and teachers for the remainder of the morning. We had varied experiences during our classroom visits that emphasized the diversity of teaching and learning styles at DC metropolitan area schools and at DK. Many of us are viewing our home schools with new eyes—some with appreciation and some with apprehension. Taking tea and painting blackboards were also a part of the day’s activities.

I felt at home all day. I know I am not at School Without Walls right now, but boy do I feel like I’m with my own students watching the LearnServe kids giggle and gossip with the DK kids. And when the DK Dance Team challenged our kids to a dance off this afternoon, complete with all the Michael Jackson moves we could handle, the feeling of being at home only intensified. The video may be coming to you soon on YouTube. We only spent two days at the David Kaunda school, but both students and teachers made our experiences amazing ones. We cannot wait to see them once more on Friday.

Twalumba Kapati DK! (Thank you DK!)
Ginea Briggs, teacher at School Without Walls

Visiting David Kaunda High School

Published
on June 21, 2009
in Zambia
. Comments

Our first full day in Zambia was pretty successful (except for the jetlag). A highlight of the day was visiting the David Kaunda Technical School in Lusaka. Meeting all the bright, driven students was definitely an indicator of all Zambia has to offer.

Photo from LSZ '09

Elizabeth talks to Oscar at DKHS

I talked with an 18 year old girl, Isabel, who is in her last year at David Kaunda. Polite and soft-spoken, she humbly explained her goals after she finishes high school. She’s strong in her English classes, and hopes to be a journalist (a goal we share). She told me about winning an essay contest, where the prize is a trip to the United States, but then the scholarship money fell through and she was unable to go. It was frustrating to see such a talented writer lose out on an opportunity she wanted so badly. I wasn’t expecting to connect so strongly with Isabel — enough to promise myself to find a way for her to come visit America and pursue her dream as a journalist there.

Photo from LSZ '09

Alphius and Marshall
talk with Puta at DKHS

In addition to discussing the different publications in the US and Zambia, I got a brief explanation of the rules at David Kaunda. I think this sums it up: you can get expelled for having a boyfriend. Isabel was shocked to learn that some American girls take their boyfriends home to meet the parents. In short, the school is clearly stricter than any American school I can think of. However, one phenomenon is definitely the same in Zambia: seniors are superior to all underclassmen. All students, except for seniors, do chores around the school.

I’ve been hearing our group leaders say that we will get more out of this trip than we give, and I didn’t really understand that at first. When I pictured this trip, I just pictured various community service projects throughout the country- but I neglected to picture what I might take away from it. After seeing a group of motivated, intelligent, and friendly students seeking to better themselves with whatever opportunities and resources they are given, I’m starting to rethink wasting opportunities at home—opportunities Isabel and her friends would kill for. I’m beginning to realize the magnitude of the appreciation for opportunities at home that I’ll gain from my time here. And it was nice to know that two girls living in completely different parts of the world, with different schooling and living situations, have similar goals for their futures.

~Margot, a student at National Cathedral School

An Unusual Birthday

Published
on June 21, 2009
in Paraguay
. Comments

Celebrating my birthday abroad is not a new experience for me. Since I turned nine, there have always been trips during or around my birthday. The only difference this year was that my family wasn´t there. Also, it was the first time I´d ever set foot in South America.

Photo from LSP '09

I wasn´t sure what to think about celebrating my birthday during a large community service trip deep in the heart of Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. I do know that I was a bit nervous about the whole trip in general. The country of Paraguay has no planes that fly in directly, and based off of my experiences in an Argentenian airport, Swine Flue wasn´t unheard of, either (don´t judge me- the flu is scary!).

The LearnServe group was quite enthusiastic once I announced my birthday, however. They enthusiastically sang Happy Birthday and did an encore in Spanish. I was very touched by the whole thing. Several hours later, after we were introduced to our host families in Carapeguá, I told Amanda, my host-sister, about my birthday. Afterwards, word spread and I got many “Felicidades!” for rest of the night.
For my birthday dinner, I enjoyed pizza with corn on it and a huge bottle of coke. This may not sound very spectacular but the coke was in a glass bottle, something which commands much respect in my mind.

The new experience of being on my own for the first time and being introduced to a very welcoming and unique community made this a very memorable birthday. My only regret is that I didn´t get candles for my birthday pizza.

Diana, a student at Georgetown Day School

Lights out

Published
on June 20, 2009
in Zambia
. Comments

Bright and early on Friday, June 20, the 24 students and teachers of Learn-Serve Zambia 2009 embarked on the long journey to Africa. They were 22 hours en route, and when they arrived in Lusaka, the group was tired, but still eager. There was just enough time for a quick bus tour of the city.

Photo from LSZ '09

Ayende writes his reflections
by candle light

When the group returned to its quarters at Juls Guest House, there was an immediate reminder that this was a developing country—the power was out. The students and teachers recorded their reflections on the first day by candle- and flash light. Rachel, a rising 11th grader, had an especially interesting contribution to the first night’s discussion, and we made it the subject of our first blog entry:

I was told by my parents that I had been on a plane when I was two years old. I do not remember that a bit. Twenty-four hours ago was the first time I can actually remember flying. It was THE FIRST TIME I HAD BEEN ON A PLANE.

I wasn’t just on a plane, I was on a plane on my way out of the country to what I call THE MOTHERLAND, Zambia to be exact. There I was on Ethiopian Airlines awaiting lift off. I attempted to prepare myself for lift off with a nice friendly prayer and a quick meditation. While I thought I was preparing myself the plane began to go faster and faster. Before I knew it I was off the ground! Let’s not forget the butterflies already stationed and made at home in my stomach before I even placed foot on the plane. Once the plane took off, it felt like the butterflies were riding a rollercoaster! I gasped and my ears never stopped popping.

I am grateful to have experienced being on a plane and know that I will never forget it. I can’t wait to make a difference in Zambia and I am ready as well to make a difference in myself.

~ Rachel, a student at Hyde Leadership Public Charter School

Arrived in Lusaka

Published
on June 20, 2009
in Zambia
. Comments

I just received a call from Elizabeth Drew [leader of LSZ ‘09]. The 2009 Zambia Team arrived in Zambia safely earlier today. Everyone is in good spirits, though the travelers are exhausted after a very long trip. The team was treated to a city tour this afternoon and everyone is enjoying dinner as I write.

Elizabeth will call with another update in a few days. She indicated that there is internet connection though it is very unstable as they lose power quite frequently. When there is power interruption, the internet connection does not get reset until the next day.

Phoebe, a student participant’s parent

Arrived in Asuncion

Published
on June 20, 2009
in Paraguay
. Comments

I am excited to say that we have made it successfully to Hotel Chaco in Asuncion Though our Miami flight was delayed, it turns out all of our subsequent flights were as well (or they held them for us) so we made it through with no problem, and Domingo and Nelson were right there to pick us up!”

“Our group is settling into the hotel now, and then we’re off to explore Asuncion… Tomorrow we head off to Carapegua (where we should still have internet access, but perhaps a bit more limited) and will be back in Asuncion on Thursday.

— Scott Rechler, co-leader LSP ‘09

Anxiously Waiting

Published
on June 20, 2009
in Zambia
. Comments
Malambo school

During my 3-day pre-trip I drove down to Monze (2 ½ hours south of Zambia’s capitol, Lusaka) and met with the teachers of Malambo School. This picture has Mr. Mwetwee (the principal), Ms. Loveness Maambo and Audrey Chimbwe standing in front of their new School Kitchen built with donations from last years LSZ group.

For the past 3 days I have met with all of our counterparts here in Zambia, prepared rooms, gone grocery shopping, played with children and enjoyed meals with friends – all of whom are excited to welcome this year’s LearnServe Zambia Group.

After 24 hours on 2 airplanes making 4 stops, the group arrives this afternoon – 2:15 pm Zambian time – 8:15 am DC time. This year’s LSZ group represents 10 public, private and charter schools throughout DC. We are 15 students accompanied by 9 teachers, including myself. We will spend the next 18 days building bicycles with World Bicycle Relief, attending and teaching classes at a local high school, building a garden at a Play Pumps site, teaching classes to students at a farm school while camping on the farm, celebrating Malambo School’s 60th birthday with the school and doing 3-days of arts, crafts and sports with children from Chikumbuso.

Please join us over the next few weeks and read anecdotes from our experiences. We will be blogging regularly with hopes to share what we have learned.