Tomorrow is Zambian Independence Day (and the rains are supposed to official begin now but they haven’t yet). This year, Lechwe decided to celebrate with a Cultural Day instead of only focusing on Zambia. A week or so ago, a notice was sent home saying that all students should wear their national dress to the assembly. I asked Brendan if he had any ideas of what to wear and this was his response: “I can sag (his pants), have a half-eaten chocolate in my pocket, and a skull on my shirt.” Right there, that is the image of America, in case you didn’t know. Where did he get the half-eaten chocolate idea???
Jason’s British teacher taught her class to do a Maypole dance and earlier in the week, she confided in me that there were a lot of tangles during practice and perhaps it would have worked better with older students instead of a bunch of six and seven year olds trying to weave in and out with long ribbons. I didn’t get to see the end product personally, since I was on my way to Lusaka, but Peter went and managed to videotape it so I could see it. They did a wonderful job and the design of ribbons on the pole was lovely.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
My original plan was to attend the boys’ assembly on Friday then take a bus to Lusaka in the afternoon. This would not have been pleasant because buses take longer to fill in the afternoon plus it was blazing hot. So when Georgi told me that she was going to Lusaka early Friday morning and that I could ride along, it seemed I would need to abandon the boys in favor of my own comfort. Peter was scheduled to be teaching Friday morning but he made alternate arrangements and went to the assembly in my stead. And that is how I got to enjoy a nice drive with Georgi in an air conditioned vehicle with pleasant conversation to make the time pass faster.
When we got to Lusaka, Georgi dropped me off at Arcades, a shopping mall (one that doesn’t have any traumatic memories) and I was able to run a few errands. I found a little café that served healthy food and ordered a dish that had mushroom and onion sautéed and served on whole wheat toast with melted cheese on top. It was delicious!
Our MCC co-worker, Jonathan, was out doing errands and so was able to pick me up and take me to his house where he and Cynthia hosted me for the weekend. I was planning on staying at the MCC guesthouse but since Eric and Kathy were in Johannesburg, there would have been logistical issues. It was a good chance to spend extra time with Jonathan and Cynthia and their three boys since I usually only get to see them as part of the larger team. Jonathan gave me a tutorial on my phone and now I am using it more efficiently (I had been using in the same way a person uses a computer like a typewriter).
I met with Issa Sadi, my friend and an MCC partner, who is coordinating this trauma workshop, in the afternoon. I became acquainted with Issa a few months after we first arrived when he attended my first trauma workshop. You have heard his name pop up in these blogs at different times since then. Issa began a program that puts “Peace Clubs” in schools around Lusaka. He now has around 15 schools that run Peace Clubs in both primary and secondary schools. Each club has two teachers who act as “matrons and patrons” for the club. The clubs meet once a week and the matron/patron spends the first fifteen minutes teaching in an area related to peace. There is also a time of sharing as well as reporting on the kinds of conflict that are present in their schools. Issa wrote a grant proposal for money to get further training for the Peace Clubs so that they will have more material to share with their students. The US Embassy decided to fund this project and so Issa asked me to come and teach on trauma over the course of a few Saturdays. Not wanting to take the bus to Lusaka every other weekend, I suggested that I do two Saturdays and Issa teach the middle Saturday. So this weekend was the first of three Saturday workshops.
Saturday morning, I picked up Issa and YoungMi and we drove to the school where the workshop was to be held. YoungMi is from Korea and working with MCC this year as part of the YAMEN program. She is developing curriculum for the peace clubs and working alongside Issa. She has spent time in Afghanistan as well, working for peace in that war-torn country. She is really delightful. The school was located in Kanyama, one of the poorest compounds in Lusaka. Issa insisted that I park the MCC car in an enclosed courtyard but the place where he had made arrangements had lost the key to open the lock. So we drove a bit further away and parked in the courtyard of one of his fellow pastors (whom I had met a year ago when my dad and I had consulted with their church). I wondered aloud if the car would be OK parked right outside our classroom but he replied, “I am still traumatized by your car being stolen!” We trekked back to the school and got set up in the small classroom. By our start time, twenty out of the twenty-six participants were there and ready to learn. I sat back and let Issa open the workshop and tried not to stare at the cockroach crawling up the wall beside me. The teachers were eager to learn and very engaging. During our first morning session, men were struggling in the courtyard to put up a large tarp and women began gathering and sitting in chairs in the shade. We soon discovered that a kitchen party was about to begin and that there would be drumming and singing and it would be very difficult for us to continue there with our seminar. So one of the teachers in the workshop invited us to come to his school to complete the seminar and so we loaded everything up and walked a few streets down to the other school during our morning break.
Near to the second school, there was an open area with exposed boulders and the dirt had been dug down all around them. It was a strange and compelling sight. One of the teachers told me that the people had dug out all the dirt to make bricks for their houses and these rocks were what was left. But these boulders lie under the entire compound which makes it difficult for water to be absorbed. During the rainy season, the area is constantly flooded. Water also collects around the boulders that have been dug around. Last year, a little boy fell in and drowned. It becomes very dangerous, though at the moment, it makes for an interesting landscape. These same rocks jutted out all along the road too which made driving seem like an obstacle course. Issa was impressed with my driving skills and we only scraped hard a few times.
We continued with our trauma workshop for the rest of the morning and it seemed to go well. We took a break for lunch and Issa insisted that we drive toward town to go to a restaurant there since there wasn’t anything suitable (for me I assume) in the compound. So we made the hot, dusty trek back to my car and drove another fifteen minutes to a small restaurant. I was hoping to have something light, like a meat pie or a samoosa, but since the power was out, the only thing they were serving was chicken or sausage with nshima or greasy chips (French fries). I kept thinking back to the delightful and healthy sautéed mushroom sandwich I had yesterday but tried to be appreciative as I ate the chicken and sipped on a lukewarm Sprite. Not surprisingly, we arrived back at the workshop late (ironic after Issa lectured them sternly about keeping time and not being late) but they were gracious. We continued for another two hours, and most stayed awake despite it being hot and right after lunch. I had to improvise a bit in the afternoon because the handouts that I had hoped could be copied over the lunch hour didn’t get copied because there was no power in the whole area. But it all worked out fine. The feedback that I received afterwards was very positive. One woman told me that she had never heard the word “trauma” before but once it was explained she understood exactly what I was talking about. Many said that they have a lot to think about as they try to understand what they learned in relation to their own experiences. You could almost see them trying to process and reflect during the workshop but also trying to just take in the information. Others said they were eager to go over the material more and figure out how to teach it to their peace club students. It will be a pleasure to return in a few weeks and continue with this same group and teach them more on this subject.
Cynthia had a lovely meal waiting for YoungMi and myself and it was so good to relax in their company. On the way home from these workshops, the fatigue always sets in. But a good meal does wonders plus the delicious chocolate cake and ice cream gave me a nice sugar boost. Our friends, Erin and Brent, who live here at MEF happen to be neighbors of Jonathan and Cynthia for a few weeks while they are teaching in Lusaka, so they and another friend of the Moellers joined us for dessert. We talked animatedly about many subjects and the conversation kept going despite different attempts for people to excuse themselves and leave.
Bless his heart, Jonathan got up very early to take me to the bus station. We arrived at 6:30 and there were only seven seats left on the bus. By 7:00 the bus had filled and we were on our way. I was sandwiched between two women and it was bearable. I was thankful I had turned down the invitation to sit between the two ladies behind me who had enthusiastically invited me to join their row. I wouldn’t have been able to put on my headphones and listen to my audiobook like I did, because they talked the entire time. Our driver made good time, thankfully I could not see his passing methods so I didn’t know when my life was actually in danger. But by 12:30 I was back in Kitwe and glad to see Peter and the boys. I was hot and stiff with swollen ankles but it was over and I had survived.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
We invited the Peace program participants over to our house one last time before they graduate and return to their homes. Sardick from Tanzania, arrived first and he came to apologize that he couldn’t stay. He had spent the last seven hours trying to pick up his cap and gown that wasn’t ready when he got there and he was sent on a wild goose chase to get it finished and in his hands. In the course of his relating this story to us, he switched between English and Swahili and kept saying “It is hell!” Brendan, who was part of this conversation, was mentally adding up the number of times he heard that particular word and we had a good laugh about it later (and reiterated that it was not a word that we should hear coming out of his mouth, even once!). Sardick, the same one that is Peter’s personal cheerleader, reiterated how thankful he was for Peter and all that Peter taught him and how patient Peter has been, especially in teaching him how to use the computer. If we ever make it to Dar es Salaam, he insisted that his “phone will not be switched off to us.”
Half an hour later, Sardick excused himself to go eat and sleep, and a few others arrived. Ben (Kenya), Sarah (Uganda), and Irene (Zambia) made themselves at home and we had a good time talking with each other. It was hard to hear how sour they were on MEF administration and the suffering they have endured while they were here. But they also spoke of how they were not the same people that arrived as a result of the peace program and the courses they had here. Ben related how it remains unsettled in Kenya, with different tribes in the same church no longer willing to be in the same cell groups or fellowshipping together. People are still living in displacement camps even though they have received money to rebuild their homes, because they receive threats from the other tribe that their houses will be destroyed once again if they try to build. There is a great need for peacebuilding there and I am thankful that Ben has a few tools now that can help him in his work there.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The boys are off from school this week. Sometimes these breaks are difficult because the boys complain of being bored but that hasn’t been the case this time around. Both have gotten busy with projects that have kept them occupied for hours. Jason has made folders of all his “posters” which are pages he has cut out of magazines, comic books, and drawings that he has made himself. He borrowed Peter’s office hole puncher and now has two big folders full of papers that he is eager to show anyone who is around. Brendan has been making amazing creations with Perler beads, tracing superheros in a special book he has, and even doing a bit of latchhook. They are playing more football outside with the neighbor kids but also spend a lot of time inside. We are reading stories about King Arthur as well as reading great history stories from books that the Moellers lent us. The time has passed pleasantly and for that I am thankful.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
It is Halloween and I am happy to say that there is absolutely NO trace of that dreadful holiday here this year. Sorry if I have offended anyone but that is my least favorite holiday EVER and I am thankful that it is not celebrated here.
Our MCC Reps, Eric and Kathy, came up for the Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation Golden Jubilee celebrations and MEF Pan-African graduation. Thursday was the annual Peace Symposium and Peter was one of three speakers for that event. His talk was entitled, “The Role of the Ecumenical Movement in Peace Brokering.” I was able to attend that session and found Peter reflective, articulate and profound, as usual. Thursday evening was a “Graduation Ball” which means a dinner that starts two and half hours late and includes entertainment by traditional dancers shaking their booties and a bit of the Titanic theme song played in between. I left early to put the boys to bed and Peter followed soon thereafter as he was exhausted from presenting and staying up late to finish writing his paper. It’s hard to write a thirty minute talk when you are only given a week’s notice and have a myriad of other tasks that also have to be accomplished during that time. Eric and Kathy stayed on and we like to think they represented us all.
Friday morning was MEF graduation and that only started an hour late. The graduates processed in to St. Francis Square (on campus), led by a Catholic choir that was wonderfully intergenerational. I took some video of that choir but it was 80mb and Peter nearly doubled over laughing when I asked if there was any way I could post it on the blog. Maybe another day (like two years from now when we are somewhere with high speed internet). The Pan-African graduates followed behind and then the lecturers and administration. It took awhile for them all to dance in to their seats but it gave it a lovely celebratory feel.
MEF is celebrating fifty years of existence and much of the ceremony was about looking back at the “glory days” and all that MEF used to be. It’s hard to focus on the present when you are limping along just trying to survive. The guest of honor was the Minister of Education, and it seemed the entire graduation was addressed to her and for her benefit. Peter and Jenny began to tally how many times the Public Relations Officer and other dignitaries inserted “guest of honor” into their sentences and the grand total was 172 times. Speeches were made to the Minister of Education, asking her to help MEF in various ways. When the Minister gave her speech, which was a letter written by President Banda who was the one originally invited but who sent this woman in his place, chastised MEF for being so donor dependent. Seems to me the poor graduates almost got left out of the whole event. But they received their diplomas and they are ecstatic to be returning home to their families. Ben, the Kenyan peace participant, has a son who was two weeks old when Ben came here to study. Many have sacrificed a lot to be here and it was good to celebrate the end.
Alfredo (Zambian), Sarah (Ugandan), Ben (Kenyan)
After pushing hard the last few days, it was enjoyable to spend the afternoon relaxing. We played games with Eric and Kathy and later, they played a game of football with the boys outside. Just as I was getting ready to make tortillas for dinner, the power went out. We hoped it would just be a short outage but eventually we turned on the little propane stove and made the tortillas that way. We enjoyed a Mexican Fiesta by romantic candlelight. The power came on again around 7:30 making it easier to play games in the evening. But around 10:30, I heard the transformer boom and the power was out again. That meant no fans to cool us off at night but my fridge was defrosted by morning. Peter took Eric and Kathy to the bus station early Saturday morning and still the power was out. Mid-morning, the power came on very briefly but then I heard another loud boom and it was off again. Finally, around 3:30 p.m., Zesco managed to fix the problem and once again, we had power. The rains still haven’t come and it is getting more muggy and hot as we anticipate these rains. At least we have fans again to move around the hot air.
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