Our afternoon activity was flying kites in a nearby field. The older kids were very good at flying the kites as high as they could go. Many of the neighborhood children would come and watch as we flew our kites. The school children were in groups of threes, and one would hold the string while the others held up the kite to catch the wind. There is something beautiful about watching these kids fly a kite all the way to heaven. It is a though once, for them, the sky is the limit.
After we finished teaching our classes today at Chikumbuso, we split into groups to receive tours of the community outside the school. Our guide was Mary, who was the tailoring instructor at Chikumbuso and also a HIV counselor. She took us to the local health clinic, Ngombe (which means cow) to see how they take care of those who are HIV positive. The clinic gives free HIV testing and treatment to the community as well as giving an open clinic. Mary, who herself is HIV positive, is in support group for people who have HIV/AIDS.
Mary told us about the stigma that exists for those who are HIV positive and how the group tries to change the public opinion through education. We were welcomed warmly with a song and thanks for our work in Zambia. The men and women in the support group wanted to emphasize how they were actively fighting HIV. They also wanted to meet Americans who were going through the same thing. Despite having this horrendous disease or living in poverty, these people choose to continue making the most of the life they have, which is something we all can learn from.