Afternoon Classes Growing

On Tuesday we had 17 students crammed into our tiny house, making a cake in our English lesson.

Yesterday we re-located to the church.  We had plenty of room and were able to split into 2 groups according to ability.  We had 20 students.

The draw back of this is that it is a long way from the kettle!!

We Can Stay!

We went to Lusaka this week to collect our work permits so we now have leave to stay until January 19^th 2018!

 

 

We are thankful that it has been so quick to get the permits and that our trip to Lusaka was so simple.  We had a lift early in the morning and got the bus back in the evening.  When we arrived in Choma, we were greeted by a massive thunder storm followed by this rainbow.

 

Rain. No Rain.

We returned to Choma on 1^st January and are already getting stuck in to a routine of teaching.  This time we are in the school for 2 hours 4 days a week as well as having our adult classes.  More of this another time.

For now we want to tell you about a big problem that is facing Zambia in the coming months.  There has been very little rain.  It is now the rainy season, but the rain has been little and late.  Since we arrived we have seen only a few days of significant rain.

 

This maize

 

Should look like

 

This maize

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much of the maize that was planted at the beginning of the season has already dried up and died.  Maize that has been planted later is doing better, but not as well as it should be, so even if there is significant rain from now for a month or six weeks (to the end of the rainy season) the harvest will be poor.  This follows a poor harvest last year because of lack of rain, but this year will be worse.

 

Since Tuesday it has now rained every night, so things are looking up, but this needs to continue for there to be any hope of a harvest.  The rain will make the maize grow, but if it then stops when the heads are "tassling" there will be no grain.

Review

We are coming to the end of our six months in Zambia so this will be our last post for the time being.  A quick review of our experiences here:

English classes

These have been our main activity during our stay and have proved invaluable to us in getting to know people and also in helping us to understand the local culture and language.  We are pleased to report that our students have also improved in their spoken and written English as well as in their reading and confidence.  We will definitely be continuing this next time.

William, who couldn't read when we arrived, reading to his friends

Our afternoon ladies' class is swelled by school children in the holidays

 

School

The problem of funding for the school continues. Although it has improved a little, the long term solution is for the government to take over the funding of the wages (this process is taking a long time). In the meantime it has been a demoralising time for the teachers as they struggle with low or non existent pay, and an uncertain future.  However, some funds have come from the UK, for which many thanks.

Church

The support we have had from members of the local congregation has often kept us going and we are very grateful for the love and encouragement that we have received.  We have at various times also been called on to share from the Bible in times of devotion, and Bridget has taught in the adult Sunday School and even preached.

Hospitality

We have felt ‘taken care of’ in the compounds, in church, by the Sinazongwe bus drivers and the Chibwe canter diver, and by missionaries resident in Choma.  We have been invited into people’s homes, sometimes overnight, (by both Zambians and non-Zambians).  We are very grateful for this and it has given us some of our best memories and closest friends.

Other things to be thankful for:

·         We haven’t killed each other, or died in any other manner!  (We kept the first rule)

·         Our home – perfect for our needs and in a great location.  We have good drinking water and a flush toilet.

·         Good health.

·         An adequate dentist.

·         Bicycles.

·         Financial provision.

·         Friends (here and at home)

·         Knowing people of whom we can ask questions, however difficult.  Taking advice is so important.

·         Being in a position to be able to give help that is asked for.

·         The breaks we had in Sinazongwe and Luapula.

Lessons learned:

·         Look and ask questions.  And then do it again.  And then do it again.

·         Cooking nsima and Zambian relishes.

·         Cooking the above on a brazier during power outages.

 

 

·         Riding a bike with dan brakes (Bridget).

·         Repairing a bike when the peddle drops off 10k from home, using only a bit of rag (Amos).

·         Bathing in a small small tub of water.

·         When and how to greet (it’s more than just the words).

We are planning to return here in January 2016, initially for 2 years, so this blog will continue.

We would appreciate your comments.

3 day prayer meeting

The title says it all!
We went with the intercessors' group from our church and joined about 200 others for 3 days 'on the mountain'  which was actually a slight rise in the ground!
We slept under the stars and had a full day programme of meetings with teaching and prayer.  This was followed by a lovely meal, which we were too busy eating to photograph!
It was good to have time away from it all, to be quiet with God and to spend time getting to know other people.
Some pictures:

We travelled part of the way by canter, these 2 pictures were the best I could do in the crush:

Walking the last few yards

Bedroom. Amos is keeping warm in the foreground - yellow hat



Meeting place



Meeting place

Chibwe

We were invited to spend a night with our friend Pastor Paul at his village home.  This is the place where the snake was killed that wasn't a cobra (post May 22nd).  We travelled by canter (small lorry), but weren't allowed to ride in the back.  We were a little disappointed about this, it is uncomfortable getting special treatment because we are white, but our old bones were very grateful for the comfort of the cab.
We spent a lovely evening with Paul and his wife Emmy and their family.  Paul was called away to one of his congregation and did not return until nearly midnight.  He was then up at 5 the following morning and escorted us the couple of miles back to the road to pick up the canter returning to town.

A few pictures:

Sunset as we walked from the road

The girls cooking in the kitchen

Paul and Amos chewing the fat

Amos shivering in the morning. On the left is the 'store room' and behind it is the kitchen (with the grass roof).  The house is on the right



Emmy washing dishes in the kitchen.  The water heating on the fire is for the morning baths

Sunrise

Bridget grinding maize - just for a photo!

Paul and Emmy

Luapula Province - 3 days, 3 waterfalls and 360 goats

We have just had a trip with our friend Maureen to Kwamambwa in Luapula Province in the far north of Zambia.

Maureen came to Aberystwyth to study agriculture about 16 years ago and she is the first contact we had with Zambia.  Without her we would never have come here.  She is currently working for Heifer International, who provide livestock to families whom they have previously trained in livestock care and business management.  She is based in Kwamambwa (almost on the border with the Congo) and was in Choma to collect 360 goats.  We went with her as she accompanied the truck full of goats to their new home in the north.  The journey took 3 days – which was much longer than it should have been because of issues with the truck and driver.

Loading the goats

Nearly there - we were going a short day's drive beyond Mansa!

So much water

 

Luapula is very beautiful.  There are lots of trees, lots of water, big views and no dust.  (Choma is DUSTY).  The predominant tribe is Bemba, so a different language, and surprisingly, a different outlook on life.  The local people don’t farm, so despite the abundance of water and the good soil, there is no farming.  There is a lot of fishing, but the Luapula river has now been pretty much fished out.  Currently the only thing that seems to be being grown is cassava, which is the staple food.  I did notice some cattle as we travelled and Maureen said ‘oh yes, I think a Tonga lives there’!  Heifer International, in partnership with the Zambian government is trying to improve farming in the region. 

The other side of the river is the Congo

A small village right next to the river, and no crops!

Bridget, Carol and Maureen

 

Our journey home was 20 hours.  Our bus left from Kawambwa at 4am and arrived in Lusaka at 6pm.  The bus from Lusaka left at 7pm and got to Choma at 11.30.  We were home by midnight.  This sounds like a night mare, and a few years ago I (Bridget) would never have believed that I would submit myself to such a thing, but it was ok and a good way to see so much of Zambia as we bounced past!

A bit of the journey: