Ten days ago I found myself in a complete daze as I stood in front of an Ethiopian airline counter, attempting to rearrange objects in my bag in order to fit the strict requirement of 50 lbs or less. Now I’m making bicycles from scratch, learning from third graders, and trying food that I would probably eat only if I were paid a large sum of money.
Widows of Chikumbuso
Today was our last day at Chikumbuso, so I decided to buy a bag in order to support some of the widows… and then I bought a coin purse… and a glasses holder… and then another bag. By the end of the day, I had bought $30 worth of items and wanted to buy more. The look in each widow’s eyes made me more hopeful and more willing to buy something because there was a face that I could associate with the things I bought.
Soccer balls
On Thursday and Friday, I taught children how to make gimp, a craft which is done in some elementary schools. After working with the children, I thought gimp would probably not make a big impression on them. By Monday, my perception was completely changed. It was absolutely hilarious seeing students run around with gimp necklaces and bracelets. At least 20 students asked for gimp, saying they wanted to practice how to do the basic box and the Chinese staircase. After another day full of arts, and crafts, stickers and small children, we also got to try nshima, a dough-like food made of corn meal. It tasted different from anything I had ever tried.
Gaby and Natalie stir the nshima
At the end of the day, the children of Chikumbuso thanked us for our visit and celebrated the time we spent with them through various traditional song and dance performances. The amazing show full of talent and enthusiasm, summed up the strong bonds formed between LearnServe Zambia and the Chikumbuso community. We finished the day taking lots of pictures and hugging our new-found friends good-bye.
Tomorrow we be leaving for Monze. It’s time to pack.
Thank you for reading.
Zora, a student from Albert Einstein High School