PlayPumps

(click for more info)

The PlayPumps, in my opinion, are a great idea. Having clean water is one of many issues facing Africa today, and it is because of PlayPumps that many will have clean water. Children, I believe, enjoy the PlayPumps more than most because the community gets clean water through playing on the pump. The children spin around on a contraption that is similar to a merry-go-round and this action pumps and filters the water. The water is then stored in a huge storage tank where anyone in the community can access clean water. Also, the water never runs out because the children always play on the PlayPumps. It must be stated that using a child’s playing to make a difference is a most ingenious idea.

Written by Ivory

Globally connected

Dancing

Tonight our group had a very loose schedule for dinner and several adults went out to a restaurant while other adults and some students went bowling. We dined at a Pakistani restaurant in Zambia and on the radio we listened to the Gypsy Kings sing songs from the Eagles, and American rock band. We had to laugh at this example of how globally connected our world truly has become! We then joined the bowling crew that was great entertainment. After the incredible work of our students for over two weeks with students throughout Zambia it was great to watch how strong their relationships with each other have developed as they danced and laughed in funny bowling shoes!

Written by Eric

If you are not infected, you are affected

painting at FOH

Today, I received the greatest education I could have. Our morning began with a run—absolute sanity and some of the best parts of my personal experience of this LearnServe trip. Then, we had a wonderful and informative discussion with Mulenga Kapwepwe, Head of the Arts Council of Zambia and daughter of the first Vice President of Zambia. She presented much that gives me insight to take back to the United States, my classroom, and our community. Most importantly, she reminded me to listen—not just to the popularly accepted notions, but to what the folks "on the ground" have to say. They are the ones in the midst of it all. They are the ones who see what works and what doesn't.

So now let's fast forward to an afternoon of painting—surrounded by the best and brightest students (of David Kaunda Technical High School) as designated by the Zambian Ministry of Education and the often forgotten about children at Fountain of Hope. As the painting came to an end, our conversations began. I wanted to know—that is part of why I am here. I also want to be helpful—that is why I listen to those I teach.

My innocent question to the David Kaunda students: "do you learn about the HIV/AIDS situation in other places or just about the African situation?" The response was "only African." My next question was "what do you learn or think about HIV/AIDS?" The answer was "that white people created the virus to destroy Africans." My mind started to race—then why am I here? What is my purpose? Am I the "wolf in sheep’s clothing" that these students speak of?

Upon continuing our conversation, I learned that there in no room for condom use here in Zambia and that abstinence is the only way. Though abstinence may be the best prevention, it cannot be realistic as there are many people here in Africa and at home in the United States that are never tested for HIV.

I remember a friend teaching abstinence in her health classes to middle school children—some of whom had children! Abstinence may be the best prevention but it is just not realistic. It just isn't!

"Information is not action." And action is what we need!

Written by Julie

Running with Baboons

Giraffe

It is now Monday, July 2, and we are back in Lusaka after a long drive from Livingstone to Lusaka. On Saturday morning, we left Monze for Livingstone, visited a local village and had a delicious dinner at the Livingstone Safari Lodge. At the crack of dawn on Sunday, we were treated to a safari ride where we encountered zebras, giraffes, impalas, buffalos, elephants, and hippos. It was an amazing experience for us all.

Giraffe

We then spent the afternoon exploring Victoria Falls. I am pretty certain that my group covered every trail at the falls. The most challenging trail was to the "Boiling Pot" (which is at the bottom of the falls) and this involved all-out rock climbing! I have to admit that I was a little frightened at times as I descended to the bottom of Victoria Falls but it was well worth it. The views were stunning. That evening we had another wonderful meal accompanied by cultural dancing. And then, best of all, we headed back to Victoria Falls to see the Lunar Rainbow. (many thanks to Nick—the only person in our group able to capture a photo!)

Finally, this morning before leaving Livingstone, I had a "once in a lifetime" experience on my morning run with Julie and Amanda. We ran into some baboons on the run. As many of my friends know, I have run with chickens before; but now I can say that I have run with baboons.

Written by Kerry

Teaching at Malambu School

Tabitha at Malambo School

We have been at the Moorings campsite, near Monze, for a few days. Some of us are camping out in tents, others are sleeping on mattresses under the brilliant night sky. Some of us are sleeping in the house of the campsite owners, Thea and Tom Savory, a Dutch couple who have lived here, in the case of Tom, for a very long time (all his life!). Thea has been here since ’91 and is a doctor who works at the clinic here on their farm, serving the Zambians who live and work on the property. Tom runs the farm, including maize crops, pigs, and cows.

We have had a few tours of the farm, observing their anti-parasite dips and vaccinations for the cows and even taking part in milking them. We have also visited the Women’s Cooperative where sewing products are sold both here and in the capital of Lusaka to help the women who are participants. However, the main reason for our trip to this part of Zambia is to work at the local rural school here called the Malambu School.

Malambu is a primary school and our purpose here is twofold. The first is to help the teachers with new ideas and methods for instruction. The second is to use those techniques in class and to help our students take part in the instruction. We observed the classes the first day, staying in the classrooms of our paired counterpart.

In my case, Rinaldo and his student Adam, from Hyde School; Erika, an administrator at SEED School; Tabitha, my student from WIS; and I are working with a 4th grade teacher named Ruth. She asked if we could help her with English games and with art projects. Phu, from Cardozo School, led a workshop at the campground for the Malambu teachers in the afternoon to introduce them to the concept of BINGO. Our group decided to incorporate that game to respond to what we thought were some of the immediate needs of the class.

While Ruth has good rapport with her students, has decorated the class well with both educational resources and student work, she teaches in a mix of Tonga and English, since her students are not native English speakers. Understandably, they are a bit worse in English than American students, although they are much better at Tonga! This helps explain why none of them passed the national exam last year to attend secondary school.

We decided to review the alphabet with the kids and then play letter BINGO with them, and we invited Ruth to run the second and third game of BINGO. It went rather well, and we left the school excited with the day, tired, and somewhat awed by the amount of work that could be done, if someone had the time and the resources.

Other people were working with other teachers, in the morning session and the afternoon, and they had varying reactions to the experience, although I think we’d all agree that the difference between David Kaunda School and this one is quite immediate. We also were able to visit a private boarding school in Monze, the nearby larger town, and we were all impressed with the physical aspects of the school. I didn’t see a class being taught, so I don’t know if the instruction followed the normal public school pedagogy of rote memorization and a great deal of copying.

Tomorrow, we leave here to head to Livingstone, where the Victoria Falls of the Zambezi River are. We will also visit a game park and do a safari, which could be terrific, if the animals cooperate.

Written by Nick

Teaching at the Malumbu School

children walking to school in Monze-1.JPG

As I was walking up the path with Tawonga, we ran into a girl from the 4th grade class we were visiting. We stopped and with my biggest smile I said, "Hello, how are you?" She smiled back but said nothing. I said again smiling, "Hello, how are you?" but only her smile was returned, she looked straight into my eyes but said nothing. Tawonga encouraged her by saying, "Ah c'mon greet your teacher" so she walked toward me, offered a curtsy and a hand shake. As she walked on I told her that I would see her later although I didn't expect her to respond. Ironically, she stopped walking and turned and said something in Tonga. I just looked at her with my shoulders hunched and my big smile. She repeated herself and I said in English, of course, "I don't understand what you're saying sweetie." We stared at each other a second more until Tawonga saved us both and responded to her question in Tonga. She seemed satisfied with his reply and walked on.

We have been teaching mini-lessons at the Malumbu School for the past two days and we have each commented on the challenge of communicating. Students speak Tonga at home and should speak English in school. We were all warned that some students might struggle with English but we were hardly prepared for "some" to mean "most." After our first day, there were many conversations about which student didn't understand English, how much English the class understood, what kind of lesson could be taught, and the overall question-how much of a barrier would Tonga be to our communication? And as one would expect there was a lot of frustration when we taught our lessons and indeed children did not understand us. On our walks back to the campsite and over meals we discussed the importance of Malumbu students speaking English. But on the way up the road with Tawonga I felt like it was my loss that I could only speak English.

After passing the student Tawonga and I climbed into a jeep and continued our tour of the farm. It was about an hour after that exchange with the student that I overcame my embarrassment and stuttered to ask Tawonga, "So what did you say to the student?" He said, "She wanted to know if you were coming back to school later and I just told her you would be there." I was really glad that Tawonga was with me and that we would all have one more day to try to understand each other.

Written by Erika

Malambu School Experience

Sam milking a cow in Monze.JPG

After stepping out of the bus in the Morrings Campsite, in Monze, I stretched my legs, and took a deep breath. I realized that I didn’t smell burning trash. I look out into the bush unable to see a building, only trees and three foot high grass. We put our stuff away in the tents, or for me the grass. I decided to sleep outside and after the moon set, the southern stars were a breathtaking spectacle.

On the first day that we went to the Malambu School, we observed Mr. Cliff Machq's class and Audrey’s class, and took copious notes to help us make a lesson for the next two days. We decided on doing a singular, plural, lesson, and verbs ending in –ing, and, -ed. To teach the lesson we used a game called Categories, (not to be confused with Scategories). With a 5 X 5 squared box you make words according the corresponding 5 letter word’s letter at the top (G-A-M-E) and the corresponding category, like verbs ending in —ing. It was a little hard for the children to pick up on at first, and it was frustrating to be the teacher of a sixth grade class, who honestly is at a third, or fourth grade level. The class was separated into English fluent, and non-English fluent halves. I personally found it frustrating to teach thirty kids, in a bleak, cold room when only 15 of them could fully understand what I was saying.

After teaching our first class in the morning we had a chance to take a farm tour. This is a huge farm, totaling over 2230 square clicks, but we had a chance to see the free range cattle, pigs and chicken. We also had a chance to milk the designated milk cows, which was a first. Our guide showed us the corn fields, and how they make Maize, and corn feed.

After the farm tour we went back to the campsite and made our lesson plans for the next days. We decided we would teach present and past tense using plural and singular nouns, while playing the game Steal the Prize. Steal the Prize has a set of multiple choice questions that when answered correctly, you win a prize. The catch is there are only a limited number of prizes, so you can choose to steal a prize already chosen by a pupil. I thought the game was successful, and that the students gained something out of it. After the lesson we taught them dodge ball and sharks and minnows. I hope that in every class our lessons will be sustainable, and the teacher workshops will strengthen the pre-school through seventh grade teachers at Malambu.

There were so many things that we did here in Monze, like HIV-Aids discussions with a local doctor, and I feel that I personally, along with the group, have made a large difference.

So far I am having a blast, have made a difference and I feel like I have adjusted very well. Two thumbs up.

Written by Sam