We arrived in Monze yesterday after a long day of ceremony with World Bicycle Relief, and lots of driving. The group managed to settle in nicely, and after our first cold night in Zambia under a vast canopy of stars, we awoke to the sounds of rural Zambia, and the sounds of a working farm. Some heard and saw the lights of the tractor, while others were awoken by the rooster’s crowing and the barking of numerous baboons. After a hearty breakfast, our group was divided into two groups, one which taught in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
While the morning group was hard at work, the afternoon group received a complete tour of the farm, visiting the pig’s pen, the field where the cows that are used for breeding are kept, the building where the animal feed is treated, and the seamstress’s quarters.
After the tour of the farm, some of us walked through the traditional village, while others stayed behind and enjoyed some rest. Walking through the village was a truly rewarding experience. Everywhere we went, every winding, dusty road we strolled down was lined with spectators, all eagerly waiting to greet and meet the strangers. We were able to practice some of our Tonga, trying to use phrases such as “Mwabukabuti” or “Good Morning”, which was answered with a smile, a subtle, humble bow and a polite “Kabotu”, the equivalent of “thank you”.
We reached the school which consisted of a few whitewashed buildings surrounded by thatched huts, children all dressed in a plain blue uniform, and lots of chickens. The students that were not already busy watching the creation of our mural, our artistic and educational donation to the school, immediately surrounded us. At first they were tentative to interact and with the language barrier it was hard to communicate verbally. However, once we showed them that we knew how to play hand games and tag, we began to play a hand game which they taught us, one in which the loser had to succumb to the tickling of their opponent, which sent them into fits of giggles.
On our way home from the school, we were followed by a large group of children, enthusiastically waving, doing cartwheels and dancing. They all loved looking at the pictures we took of them, a behavior that we have noticed all across Zambia. Many have asked that pictures of them be sent to Zambia when we return home, and everyone is excited to be able to share the pictures we have taken! After we got back to the camp site, we ate lunch and immediately turned back to teach our first lesson. Our greeting turned from “Mwabukabuti” to “Mwalibhihabuti” which means “Good Afternoon” in Tonga and we were answered just as enthusiastically. Teaching at the school was a very gratifying experience.
Afterwards, we received a lesson in working with Tangrams, puzzles in shape form, which we were taught to use to create animals and play various strategy games.
We arrived in class just after the children had finished an English lesson, immediately distributing Tangrams and animal outlines amongst the students who had been previously separated depending on their academic capability. They did not know why they were separated because in the words of the teacher, Mrs. Loveness, it would “give the more capable students something to hold over the others”. All of the students were eager to learn and fill the empty animal outlines and were constantly asking for another to fill. The divide in learning capability was really evident when we were working with the Tangrams, although it was impossible to get frustrated or upset because all of them were constantly smiling. This divide might be attributed to malnutrition among other factors, the presence of which can seriously affect the learning process and brain development, a problem that Chikumbuso was also dealing with and attempting to overcome with daily distribution of food.
After we returned home and ate dinner, there was a movie (Madagascar) set up outside the seamstress’s quarters. Not only were the LearnServe students and teachers in attendance, but so was half of the village. Even with the language barrier, the students found the moving picture captivating, and would laugh and giggle at almost everything. Today was another great day in Zambia!