Photos

Meeting Children

Harmony School - Lifesong Canada

Yes, he was that close

Hippos - Very dangerous

A Tower of Giraffes

Elephants walking by

Victoria Falls - Water is low this year

Croc on the shore

The Remains of the Team

Elephant Crossing

Stripped Donkey

White Rhino

Farewell Africa

Wednesday & Thursday - Return to Canada

Bill and Nancy are still in Africa for a couple of days. They were to leave Bushbuck lodge on Thursday.

Tamara and Melissa traveled back via Nairobi, Paris, and Toronto. Tamara's Facebook says she is home.

Doug went through Johannesburg, and Paris. Johannesburg airport is quite nice and modern. It even has a Haagen Das ice cream shop. No troubles on the flight, and I got an aisle seat, so I had shoulder room and could get up to stretch whenever needed. It was about 10 hours to Paris, and we arrived around 6 a.m. I had about 8 hours to wait and had made plans to go downtown and see Notre Dame cathedral. Walking through the airport to get to the exit & customs seemed to go on for a long time. Walking, walking, walking, just following the signs for exit with no end in sight. Finally a shuttle train to take people to the next terminal. Since the exit sign said to get on the train, I did. Finally out and through customs, which was also just a rubber stamp. More walking to find the 'trains to Paris' signs. Quickly purchased a return ticket and was off, arriving downtown about an hour later, just before 8:00 a.m. The St Michael/Notre Dame station is pretty big, and I came out at the wrong exit. Quickly found a tourist map (vous etes ici) and headed the couple of blocks to the cathedral. Not too many people around at 8:00. I expected more, but perhaps there aren't many businesses there, just tourists. The cathedral is impressive, though I'm not sure it is more or less so than others I have seen in the UK, France and Germany. The arched colonnades are high and impressive. The stained glass windows large (10 metres across for the rose windows) and impressive. Lots of stone carvings, side chapels, plaques, burial tombs for bishops, and lots of tourists.  I walked around the outside of the building, and it is in some ways more impressive. The line up for going up the tower was long, stretching down the street at 10 a.m. I had tea and croissant at a nearby cafe, and browsed the tourist shops. The train back was no problem, and the return journey to the departure lounges didn't seem quite as long. A visit to the duty free shop and then settled in at the gate to wait for boarding. Melissa and Tamara arrived about an hour before boarding, and they had made there way to see the Eifel Tower, though didn't go up, and had some coffee in a shop as well. We all were feeling a bit worn down and not looking forward to the 8 hour flight ahead. There was some issue and our departure was delayed by 2 hours. We did get aisle seats adjacent to each other, but I resisted the temptation to kick Tamara's seat in front of me the whole way back.  Eventually we made it to Toronto and said our goodbyes, the girls heading home and me to visit friends, heading home on Sunday.

This brings the 2015 team adventure to an end. I will add some photos when I get back to Thunder Bay and can access my own computer. Thanks for watching, good night. :)

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday - Zambia & Departures

This is being written on Friday after long flights. Details may be off.

The team enjoyed the hospitality and activities in and around Bushbuck lodge and Livingston. Power shedding continues, but the staff at Bushbuck lodge did an awesome job looking after us, with excellent food and warm hospitality. We were also able to see a group of elephants on the other side of the river, about 10 of them. Heard hippos during the night, and some said they heard lions as well. Cape buffalo were also seen on the property (thee are the most dangerous as they give no warning before charging!).

Nancy, Bill, Tamara and Melissa went walking with the lion cubs Monday morning. Rumour is that this program will be shut down, (they raise cubs then put them into a protected area. Their offspring have no human contact). In the afternoon Melissa and Tamara rode an elephant. They were very happy with the ride.

Tuesday Nancy, Bill, Tamara and Melissa went to Livingston Island. They stood on the edge of the fall and looked down, 100 metres, and the girls got into a pool at the edge of the falls where a rainbow obliged by coming out for the photos. Doug went into Livingston and visited the museum, which has a good section on Dr Livingston and also another on Zambian independence (50 years last year, big celebration). We all met up at the Cafe Zambezi and did a little shopping. The temps are cold here particularly in the morning, and Bill & Nancy wanted long sleeve shirts as they will be continuing on after the others head home. Lunch at the Cafe Zambezi where they have croc on the menu was very nice. A little confusion as we got ken the taxi driver who had been taking us around to pick us up, but he didn't know where we were going in the afternoon (we assumed he did). He took us back and the pickup for the Rhino walk was there waiting for us. So the afternoon was spent at Mosi-a-Tunya (this is the local name for Victoria Falls) national park walking with a guide and park ranger (who carried a gun) to find Rhinos.  We were successful, standing about 60' away (you can't do that with black rhinos apparently). We saw the alpha male who was off on his own, and 5 of the 7 cows and calves. There are only 8 white rhinos here, but 5 were born in the park. The current alpha male is not related to any of the females, so it is hoped the girls will like him and make more rhinos. There hasn't been a poaching incident since 2007 at this park. They would like to bring more in from South Africa where poaching is a big problem, but it costs too much. Dinner that evening was great, and just the five of us as the other guests all had other plans. A great way to end our time in Africa together.

Wednesday morning the girls went to visit a nearby school which is supported by Bushbuck lodge. Bill stayed back and Doug headed off to the airport for 10:30 to start his homeward journey. Tamara and Melissa will leave later in the afternoon. Just before I left, elephants showed up in the back, and I was able to see them from very close by. They were beside the road as we pulled out, a great way to end the time there.

Sunday - Botswana to Zambia

Up early for another morning game drive at 6:00. There was a mix up with the booking, so even though we had a voucher for the drive, we were not on any list. We got in with our driver eventually, I suspect he was the stand by just in case of situations like this. It was very cold, and blankets were provided. Because we were later getting to the park, all the permits for the river road were taken, so we got an inland (Upper Route) permit. We could see our guide was not happy.

The countryside was quite different, rolling hills, but few animals. We saw a couple of elephants, some lying down. Apparently they like to lie on a slope so it is easier to get up again. A sable antelope, and a few birds. At a water hole there were kudu (a very large antelope with white vertical stripes on their sides) and baboons playing. Later we saw a giraffe up close, a couple of jackals in the distance and some water buffalo. These last are very dangerous as they give no warning before charging. Although the animals were fewer, it was nice to see a different route. It was cold though, and very cold in the valleys. I expected to be able to see my breath. Yes, Canadians in Africa were cold. It wasn't until we got back to the lodge I realized how chilled I was, as I started to shiver while eating my hot breakfast.

On the road at 10:00 to get to the ferry. We passed through Botswana customs with no issue. Transports were again lined up down the road waiting for their turn on the ferry. We got on a small passenger boat and were quickly taken across. On the Zambian side we were immediately surrounded by 5 or 6 men selling wood carvings of hippos, elephants etc. Very persistent, and trying all the tricks like looking pitifully at us making eating motions, claiming they knew us from before, and banging on the windows of our taxi van. One fellow had a nice crisp Canadian 5 dollar bill that he kept asking for us to exchange for him. A casual glance at it through the window, I saw it had the clear plastic security strip on it, but it just looked too new, too perfect.

About an hour ride to Bushbuck lodge where we will be staying for the next few days. The 2011 and 2013 Nu Vision teams stayed here as well, and the welcome was warm. Back to power outages though, as we are in Zambia! A nice lunch then off to Victoria Falls. Interesting price for admission - Zambians 7 kwacha ($1 US) others 140 kwacha ($20 US). The water is quite low, but the falls are still quite something to see, and there was a rainbow in the 100 metre gorge.

Melissa did some shopping in the market at the falls and bargained like a boss. She demanded the 'real' price, and snorted disdainfully when given a high price. She told them she could get it for less than half in Kitwe. It was interesting, as many shopkeepers claimed the items were made by their grandfather or some such, but the stuff for sale was 80% identical in each shop.

On the way back we were stopped by elephants crossing the road. It was a herd of about 25, and they seemed to just keep coming. The driver opened the sun roof on the van so we could stand up and take photos. It was just dusk and amazing to see them walking by. A short distance later we were stopped again by 2 others crossing the road. I think that seeing a moose and calf beside the highway at home won't be quite as exciting anymore...

A lovely dinner at Bushbuck with the other guests here. One couple from Spain, another from South Africa, and a family form the U.K. Good food and good conversation. A bonfire was lit a bit later, but most had gone off to bed.

Saturday - Botswana

Up early today for our first game drive. When I checked on the times at the desk last night, the receptionist So strange that I forgot we are in a 5 star hotel and things like a wake up call are available.

The drive started at 6:00 with a short trip to the Chobe National Park gate about 10 minutes away. It is cool in the morning and we were glad of the blankets offered as driving in an open vehicle gets cold quick. We saw lions, elephants, hippos, birds, impala and giraffes. The highlight was when a male lion crossed the road not 15 feet from us. King of the jungle indeed. There were many vehicles racing around, and it seemed at time there was a herd of tourists roaming the parks. The guides talk to each other to say where they saw what. A tea & biscuit stop was a nice chance to get out and stretch our legs. Back at the lodge for 9:00

Breakfast after the drive was plentiful and delicious. Again nice to have piping hot food with great variety. We have confirmed our afternoon game drive at 3:00, then went our separate ways. There was talk of massages, pool side sitting, and walking to see the shops in the nearby town. Some even wanted to get on the Internet to type up blogs...

The evening game drive was just as good, with giraffes running by and elephants up close and personal. We even saw a couple of zebra which was unexpected as the main herds have migrated to another part of the park.

Supper was delicious, and there was a dance group dressed in traditional outfits for a short entertainment. So much good food, and some Famous Grouse scotch as well. :) We settled our bar bill before heading off for bed as the lineups in the morning are long. The cost was very low, and made us realize how much tax we pay on alcohol at home.

Friday - Travel Day

Up early for a 5:30 departure to Ndola airport. We were able to use the Lifesong bus and driver to take the seven of us and our bags on the 1+hour journey. The roads are pretty empty that early in the morning, so we made good time. Ted and Jean are heading home, while the rest are going to be tourists.

A short flight to the capital Lusaka, then another to Livingstone where we were picked up by Frank, who drove us to the ferry crossing on the Botswana/Zambia border. The road was quite good and the drive straight forward. The transport trucks are lined up on both sides to wait for the ferry, and can wait for two or more days. Charcoal is for sale along the road so the drivers can cook their food while they wait. Lots of 'ladies' seem to be around as well. Perhaps they help with the cooking... A bridge has been started for this road, but will take an estimated 5 years to complete.

The customs on the Zambian side was literally a rubber stamp. Then a crossing in a private boat to the Botswana side. We saw elephants on the side of the river. We were picked up by a van from the lodge and taken through customs, again a rubber stamp. The Chobe Safari Lodge is big and beautiful, 5 stars. We arrived about 2:15 and were booked on a 3:00 river cruise so we rushed to confirm our place on the boat, and dropped our things at our rooms, which are large and luxurious. On the cruise we saw many birds, crocodiles, hippos, impala,  giraffes (in the distance) and elephants. A highlight was watching a herd of 20 or so cross the river, then roll in the mud to coat their skin for protection from insects. The sunset was spectacular and we were taking photos constantly it seemed.

Supper was at 7:30 and since we missed lunch, were all hungry. Wildebeest stew was good and there was great variety of food. Monkeys are around in the nearby trees, and jump down to take food left on plates. There is a guard with a sling shot to discourage them.

It seems so strange to have the comforts of home again. Reliable electricity, plenty of hot water, lots of food variety. We are thinking of the malnourished children we saw in the compound next to Harmony school, and the heaps of food here that they will never see. It is the contrast that is so striking, and we are not the first to notice it, nor the last.

Thursday - Last Day

Again, being written on Saturday, so some things have escaped me.

Moring was attempts at work at St Francis school. Again, difficulties with not being able to pin down teachers and students. Some more photos were taken and Brother Tony was given a stick with the best ones selected by Bill. Doug double checked the 11 old computers at the St Francis lab, and set one up with a printer.

We met Pascal and Steve (?) from a Franciscan volunteer group. They are young Austrians volunteering in Zambia for a year rather than do compulsory military service. They are computer guys, and are trying to help Brother Tony and St Francis setup more newer computers, and a library checkout computer. I showed them what was in place, and we discussed with Br. Tony and headmaster Barry what might be done in the short and long term. They hope to bring a computer for checking in/out library books. They have had some experience with Zambian school libraries, and the differences in the point of view on how libraries are to be used, so hopefully they will meet the school's needs.

Evening brought our last supper, and it was a big gang around the tables. We got the two priest students from Ghana to eat with us, as well as the visiting Father Werner and the Austrians. After supper we had discussions and good byes which was nice but bitter-sweet.

Wednesday - Day 8

I am writing this on Saturday, so details may be a bit foggy...

Jean and Melissa spent the day at St Francis, speaking with teachers and students where possible. Exams were still going on so it was difficult to pin people down for things, and frustrating. Jean also spent some time in the library sorting books.

Ted and Bill spoke with Brother Tony to see if there was work they could do for him. He wants to have some photos on the web site, and a presentation for Father Andrew who is currently in the U.S. speaking with people/groups and raising funds. Photos of the school and grounds were taken, but student shots were harder to get due to the exams.

Doug, Nancy & Tamara went to visit Harmony school in Kitwe. This school is run by Dennis, a proud Canadian who has moved his family to Kitwe to make a go of this school. He has just signed a 5 year lease for his home, so I guess he's serious! Harmony school is paired with Lifesong school, and is run by Lifesong for Orhpans (Canada) of which Dennis is the head. It is a community school, with the Compound (slum where most of the students live) right up against the school ground wall. The property has been walled to stop the selling off of the land by corrupt officials, and Dennis was working on the paperwork with the land registry office. I don't understand the details, but basically the local mayor and councillors have sold much of the school's land for houses, and none of the money has gone to the school. Having the wall makes sub-dividing further more difficult.

The school has over 400 students, in grades up to 7. Some of the classrooms have been split, so there are two grade one, two and three classes, each with about 35 students. The higher grades have one class of about 70 students. Plans are in the works to build more classrooms to relieve the congestion, and also to build a high school so the grade 7 students aren't abandoned next year (school starts in January here). The school has a large football (soccer) field which the community uses on the weekend for games. There is a cafeteria with a feeding program for the students. Like the Lifesong school, many students eat at school and don't get much at home. There is a nurses station, and a pastor on staff for community caring. Micro loans are also being run. There is water and electricity to the property, but most of the buildings are not connected to the electrical, and the water pressure is low, so there are plans for a water tower/tank and to run wiring to other buildings. Dennis' right hand man is Kenneth, a Zambian who has been with the school for many years. Kenneth does the accounts and is in charge of all the projects. He seems indispensable. The head teacher (his name escapes me) was recommended by Luc, the assistant head master at Lifesong, and seems to be commited to the work as well.

To say the three of us were excited is an understatement. The possibilities for future Thunder Bay work teams seems great, and the fact that there is a Canadian charity running things will make the paperwork easier. It is all just ideas at this point, and will have to be run past the Nu Vision board, but it was a fantastic day. It was a chance meeting outside the Lifesong school gates that got things rolling for the Harmony school tour, but a pastor once told me that Christians don't believe in co-incidence!

We loaded Dennis up with a bible, laptop, team t-shirt, mini Canadian flags and pins and sent him on his way. The laptop was an old but reliable one I had brought with the intention of giving it to someone here. When I mentioned it to Dennis he said that the previous night they had been talking that they needed one. Another co-incidence that we don't believe in. Dennis plans to be in Canada in Dec & Jan, so we invited him to Thunder Bay. Hopefully they can come and speak about what they are doing and raise some funds.

Tuesday - Day 7

Tamara and Melissa went to St Francis in the morning, expecting to work with specific students. Exams were on again, however, and their students were not there. Furthermore, the teachers had gone into the city to get sworn in (why exactly isn't clear), so there were not enough adults to oversee the exams. So they pitched in and became exam monitors, and later marked the exams. Jean spent time in the library again, and later spoke with some teachers.

Later in the morning Tamara, Melissa and Nancy went back to MyaPopa, the ministry for street boys. They prepared food, mended clothes, and some of the soccer jerseys & shorts we brought are used here. The boys change out of their clothes into the spares, and have theirs washed. The ladies all are very excited about this ministry, and speak very highly of it.

Power was off early in the morning, so Douglas was computerless. It came on around 10:00 so I walked to St Francis. Unfortunately, the teachers were gone to the swearing in, and they had the only keys to the computer lab. I looked at a printer they had, but only had downloaded the Windows XP driver, and couldn't get the Windows 7 driver (St Francis has no Internet). Returning to the Friary, I spoke on the phone with a fellow Brother Tony has been talking to about additional computers. He is expected to arrive Wednesday evening. This fellow is also responsible for getting the books in the library, and to organize them. We'll see what happens.

Ted and Bill went to Lifesong, and the ceiling mounted projector screen was there, so they set it up. Kasumba, the computer tech, plugged in his laptop and started playing a cartoon to test the projector & screen. The kids were enthralled and booed when he turned it off. They then went back to girls boarding to finish the mosquito screen project. Doug joined them later in the afternoon and helped. The job is completed as far as we can take it. Shane the school manager is happy with the work.

Monday - Day 6

Today was our first day to work at St Francis Secondary School, which is run by the Friary. It was also our first day to have a collision between Canadian and Zambian ideas.

When we arrived, we found that grade 12 students were writing national exams, so the rest of the students were not at school. So, Melissa and Tamara  and Jean were not able to see the students they thought they would. So, being adaptable, they went off with Nancy to sort the donation of books that had arrived to equip a library. Doug started looking at the computers they had, most of which were not working, aided by Ted and Bill.

The idea was to move these old computers into an adjacent smaller room, and prepare the main room for the shipment of computers was on the way. However, the small room had no power outlets. So the guys got to work swapping parts and monitors around until 11 computers were working. The old/broken parts were put aside in the small room, though there is no recycling nor even a land fill to get rid of them. Bill & Ted also looked at an A/C unit that was there, but an electrician is needed for that job. Doug also removed viruses from the head master and assistant head master's computers. Bill and Ted went back to Lifesong to arrange for more lumber for the mosquito screening, and to order a projector screen to be mounted in the cafeteria. They also got back to work with the mosquito screening project, using the bits of wood that they did have. Power went out at around 11:15 so no more computer work that day.

In the library, the ladies got to work sorting books which had been donated and shipped from the U.S. Many were college/university level, and these were put aside. Fiction was put on one shelf and other books sorted by subject. The Canadians wanted to see where the university level books could be donated, and to get rid of those books which were clearly out of date (Doug filled a box of computer books that were very much out of date). The Zambians wanted to keep all the books, no matter what. Meanwhile, a government official from the Ministry of Education was touring the school, and made the comment 'none of our other schools have a library like this'. The Zambians are also reluctant to let students take books out of the library, we believe because they fear the books won't be returned. The Canadians found this idea very frustrating. After a few conversations with different people, we had to step back and remember it is not our library, not our books, and we won't be here next week to manage things, the Zambians will, so we need to honour their wishes, even if we don't understand them.

A frustrating day for us, but we remember that we are guests here, and are trying to help, not trying to impose ourselves and our ideas onto the people here who will continue to work long after we are gone home.

Weekend - Saturday & Sunday

Plans for Saturday morning fell through, so we spent the day quietly at the Friary. At 3 p.m. (or 15 hours as they say here) we were driven to the Kitwe Market by Mary. The market is a maze of shops close together. The narrow paths between the shops are uneven dirt with concrete and bricks in just enough places to turn your ankle. There are unknown liquids running down the middle of the paths, some of which are covered over with hastily made board walks. The shops seem to sell everything; food, new & used clothes, furniture, phones & electronics, cosmetics and jewelry. Mary took us to a shop that sells cloth for making chitenge (chit-en-GAY) which is a type of skirt the local ladies use for just about everything, including wrapping a baby on their back. Mary made sure we got the Zambian price, not the rich-white-tourist price. Next we went to a shop that sells carvings and paintings. Many things in each shop are the same, but they are apparently made in Zambia using ebony, malacite and hematite. Again, negotiations were mainly handled by Mary. On the way back to the Friary, the air was very hazy with smoke, thick enough to be a fog. Once we got away from the city it was better.

Sunday was an early start to go to the Roman Catholic church in Kitwe for 7:30 service. However, today was the Feast of the Sacred Heart, so the service was moved to the school field nearby which is run by this church. So the 8:00 service started at about 8:50 and was a mix of English and Bembe, the local language. The singing in Bembe is very beautiful, and the drummers add a great beat. The homily from the priest compared married relationships to bone marrow, (to lots of laughter) so calling your spouse 'my bone marrow' is a good thing. We were invited to Barry the St. Francis School head master's house for breakfast. His wife had the meal ready for 9:00 but because of the service change, we didn't get there until nearly noon. It was interesting to drive through the middle/upper class suburb and see the houses and gardens. Our welcome was very warm and the meal delicious. The rest of the afternoon was spent quietly at the Friary.

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Part of the maze that is the Kitwe Market

Shopping for chitenge (skirts)

Drums, Singing & Dancing at Church

 Brother Tony Speaking at Church

Friday - Day 5

Friday - Day 5

Last day at Lifesong. The morning we ran the school assembly, and tried to have photos on the screen using the new projector. Power was off, however, and the generator was giving trouble, so the photos were only on for a short time. It all went well, and the power came at the end so we could show some photos of Canada.

We were able to look at and purchase some of the crafts made by the girls in the boarding house. They had many different things; bags, ornaments, necklaces, book marks and rag-rugs. The money raised is used by the girls to purchase items needed for the house. Last time they bought extra blankets for each bed. While this was going on, Jean had another look at the cut finger from yesterday. It needs stitches, but no one was able to do it as the nurse Crista-Belle is home sick herself. A medical team is arriving at the Friary this weekend to work at Lifesong next week so hopefully they can do something with it.

Work continued in the classrooms today. Nancy had a chance to pray with the school pastor over some of the students. Bill, Ted and Doug worked on screening in the car port against mosquitoes at the girls dorm, and got one wall completed. There was time for good byes to the students in the afternoon. The students understand that they have a good thing here, and are very grateful.

The evening was for a dinner in The Compound, the nearby community where most of the students live. It is a very poor area, with deeply rutted dirt roads that must be a sea of mud during the rainy season. There are children everywhere, playing with sticks, rocks and the odd old tire. No X-box or iPhones here. We were split into two groups and taken to the houses of two of the ladies who work at the farm. They had spent 3 hours preparing a feast for their guests with food paid for by us. There was chicken, mushrooms in a sauce, soup, a type of cake made from ground nuts (peanuts), cabbage, and cooked greens. Also on the menu was caterpillars. I had eaten them in 2011, and they are fine, sort of like well cooked bacon with an oiliness

to them. They are a good source of protein and something the family wouldn't afford normally. And of course there was nshima (en-SHEE-ma), a corn meal boiled to the consistency of mashed potatoes and used to scoop up the food on the plate (no cutlery involved). We all ate our fill and left more than half the food on the table. They will eat well for a couple of days because of it. We walked back to the farm where Shane & Mitzi live in their house (they are the school administrators for Lifesong) and ate brownies, ice cream and strawberries (of course) for dessert. The contrast between their house and the the one we had just left was naturally striking. The similarity, however, was that it was full of children and the love of family.

A good day.

Morning Assembly in the Cafeteria 

Good-bye new friends

It seems everyone knows Ted

Zambian Feast - nshima on top, caterpillars hidden underneath

Thursday - Day 4

Thursday - Day 4

Bill and Ted carried on working on screening in the car port at the girls dorm for a sitting area. It took a long time to gather up the tools needed for the job as they are scattered to the various sites. Screws were brought from home (Robertson, naturally) so those were found. By lunch time they had a system worked out.

The ladies spent the morning in the various classrooms.Melissa was working with Reception (Kindergarten) and gave some feed back to the teacher. Tamara worked with the grade one class, while Jean was in Foundations (Special Ed) and had to do some first aid on a serious cut to one boy's finger after he fell on a shard of glass. Later in the afternoon, everyone was helping with 'Prep Time' which is like homework being done at school. Math and English are the main subjects, though some were doing physics. One boy I was helping said to me 'I want to learn to use the bigger words' and his effort to understand what I was explaining was obvious.

Doug spent some time in the computer lab, and took another crack at getting the chrome books to print to the new printer. It came clear that this was not going to work, so I gave it up (darn computers). I did a few troubleshooting jobs as they came up so it felt a little like being at my own desk, only without the phone ringing. Almost heaven...

The early afternoon the team went to see the Lifesong farms. The first farm has the strawberry jam plant, which is kept spotless and is inspected by the health ministry. They are growing blackberries, and high bush blue berries. Across the street are rows of different oranges and raspberries and peach trees, which are not doing well. They are testing different plants to see what yield each crop will give, and the staff are knowledgable about nitrogen binding in the soil and pH values. A bit farther away is the strawberry farm, where they have two varieties growing. They had some trouble with them growing this year, and the yield is down, so they may try a different type when they plant again in October/November. The farm staff understand that their purpose is to generate income to support the school, and some of their children are at the school, so they are extra motivated.

The evening was time off, and the cribbage board made its first appearance. Friday we are running the assembly so we practiced a song, decided who was doing prayers and reading the bible verse, and prepared the laptop with photos from previous visits to the school and some shots of Canada, all assembled by Ted.

Lifesong Farms - Supporting the School

Strawberry Jam Production

The final product

Wednesday - Day 3

Wednesday - Day 3

Work continued today in the classrooms and with homework after school. The projector is fully functional, and work started on screening in the former garage at the girl's dorm. Jean spent some time in the Foundations class, which is a special ed class and did some teacher training. Work was done organizing the library, and Tamara found a book titled 'Snow' which is something not seen here. Nancy was able to go into the city and purchase food for the children's meal program with money donated for that purpose. Doug had a chance encounter with Dennis who runs Harmony School in Kitwe, a sister school to Lifesong. We hope to have some time next week for some of us to go and have a visit.

Evening was a bible study at the school for the boarding students, boys and girls both. Songs were sung, and verses read. There was teaching on how God uses people who aren't perfect. It was a good time to spend with the students. Mitzi drove us back to the Friary and we had time together to reflect on the day.

The lack of power for great chunks of the day is getting old fast...

Kasumba with the new Canon printer in the High School Lab - Over 3000 copies printed for Grade 7 exams on the first day !

Projector brought from Thunder Bay, mounted and ready to use, if the power would only stay on.

Tuesday - Day 2

Tuesday - Day 2

Today the team divided up to take on different tasks.

Nancy, Tamara and Melissa went to a street mission called MoyaPapa. This group picks up boys and young men from the streets of Kitwe and drives them to the country for the day. The boys clothes get washed and while they are waiting to dry they can get a filling meal and play some soccer. The boys also get a bath and have their clothes mended. Much like at home, most have mental health and addiction issues but there is an opportunity for the boys to be placed in a school and get taken care of if they wish it, but most do not. They all used their child welfare skills to listen and be a friend to these people, if only for a day. All three came back excited about their experience. In the evening all the women went to the Lifesong girls dorm for a meal and time to visit. The boys are generally more forward in speaking with team members, so it was good to be able to focus on some of the girls for an evening.

Ted was still under the weather today, but by afternoon had some noticeable improvement. He stayed back and rested so as not to have a setback, and hopes to join the group tomorrow.

Doug, Bill and Jean went to Lifesong School in the morning. Jean worked with teachers and students, putting her skills to good use. She has been asked to do some of the work with the math manipulatives that were brought here in 2013 and show the staff and students how they work. Unfortunately the sets of items are not complete, so some time will be taken up tracking them down, if they are still even at the school. Bill worked on getting the projector we brought from Thunder Bay setup in the cafeteria/assembly building. The electrician installed an electrical plug in the rafters where it is to be mounted. There was some misunderstanding as he assumed we wanted 110v power when the standard here is 220v. I assured him that the projector we brought will do both. Some U.S. teams have had items burn out when the plug them into the higher voltage sockets, so there are a number of plugs setup separately to be put on a transformer to make the power 110v. By the end of the day the projector was mounted and ready to go. Doug continued work in the high school computer lab trying to make Chromebooks print wirelessly to the new printer. This was not successful. The internet connection is slow and seems to cut out regularly, and the power went off at 12:30 in the afternoon, bringing computer work to a halt. After lunch Doug walked over to St Francis Secondary school, where we plan to spend some time next week, to look at their computers. They have a lab of old Pentium 4 computers, most of which don't work. The ministry of education has mandated a computer component to the curriculum, so right now all the students can do is read about computers in general, and books on Word & Excel, but not actually try them. A shipment of less-old used computers was supposed to have arrived at the school and it was hoped that those could be setup next week, but that is not going to happen.

In the evening, Doug & Bill went to a meeting of the Kitwe Rotary club. The Kitwe club has worked with Lifesong school on funding a number of projects, and it is hoped that the Lakehead Club, which has been raising money, can partner with the Kitwe Club to make something happen. The meeting was typical, with business mixed with good humour, and fines being handed out to everyone for many silly infractions. The Sargent-at-arms was fined for making a reference to 'our American guests' when we are, in fact, Canadian. Afterwards Caleb from Lifesong (who was our driver and escort for the evening) with other Caleb from Lifesong, took us to a local Indian restaurant where we ate our fill for not too much money.

Bill Assembling The Projector

Lunch In The Cafeteria

Rotary Club Meeting

Monday - Day 1

We started the day early, arriving at Lifesong School at 7:30 for the morning assembly. The children sang, had a bible teaching, announcments, the national anthem, and the team from Canada was introduced.

Mitzi, the director of Residential Services (a.k.a. boss lady), took us on a tour first thing. We saw the classrooms for the school, and the recently built secondary school which is very nice. Next we walked about 100 m down the road to the girls dormotories. This a newly aquired property houses 25 girls grade 8 to 10. Girls in particular are at risk to drop out (or be taken out) of school due to pregnancy and/or early marriage. They have house chores to do and a 'house mom' to keep an eye on things. There are expansion plans as the school grows to grade 11 and 12 in the next two years.

A good distance down the road (a deliberate move) is the boys dorm. Two new houses have been built, and hold a total of 23 boys. Each has a couple to be a 'house mom & dad' and the boys also have chores in addition to their homework and bible study. Two new houses are being built to meet the demand as the school expands over the next two years.

Work got started, setting up a wireless printer, and checking how to mount the projector we brought with us from home. There were some problems, but nothing unusual for getting started on a new project. Our social workers and teachers had some time to begin working with the children and discuss options for the upcoming week. The ladies also had some time in the afternoon with the Lifesong farm workers (all women, who are much more reliable than men) to speak English and just get to know each other. They had a great time and learned much about the ladies lives (Sunday is their favourite day). Late afternoon the whole team spent time helping the students with their homework, which was challenging  to us (how many degrees inside a triangle? how do you add two matricies?) National grade 7 testing is coming up next week, so they are studying hard.

Evening had some time to get grocieries at the 'Pick-n-Pay', a modern grocery store. Interesting to see middle class Zambians shopping with their families. A security guard talked to me for a few minutes, wanting to know how things were in Canada. Also this evening, a chance to discuss the day as a team, and discuss the things coming up. Ted, unfortunately is quite sick, and has spent most of his time so far in bed.

Power has been out many evenings, starting at 6 p.m., so making supper, and updating folks at home is difficult.

Girls Dorm Room - Nice And Tidy

New Boys Dorm Homes - One Couple And 12 Boys Will Live In Each Home

Tamara's Birthday - One Candle

What a long strange trip it has been

The good news is, we have all arrived in Zambia, and all our bags did too, which is surely a miracle.

Arriving at the Thunder Bay International Airport, on Wednesday the 15th, we learned that our Westjet flight would be delayed, preventing us from making our connection (yes, Westjet, not Air Canada was messing up our connections). They got us on a later flight, gave us meal vouchers and put us up in a Toronto airport hotel.

There is a convoluted connection between WestJet, KLM/Air France, Delta and Kenya Airways. Apparently none of the computer systems talk to each other very well (darn computers). So the friendly Westjet agent couldn't be certain we were booked through the next day. So we spent the day in the GTA walking around the mall, watching a movie (Jurassic World - 3D effects A+, story C-), and then waiting in line at the KLM desk. Some got tickets right away, others it wasn't so clear we would be on the flight. This waiting at airline desks would be repeated in Amsterdam, and Nairobi. A bit of stress but it all worked out. We arrived Ndola Zambia on Saturday afternoon, got through customs no problem (the lady could tell I had been here in 2011 on a different passport, darn computers!) after having our body temperature read by a gun like device (don't know what they were checking for, Yellow Fever? Ebola?). We were picked up by Shane & Caleb from Lifesong school at the Ndola airport and driven to the Friary near Kitwe.

Today we went to the nearby Roman Catholic church with Brother Tony and were warmly welcomed. We have been solidifying plans for the week to come and tomorrow we will begin with a tour at the Lifesong School.

First impressions, things have grown in this area; new houses, new roads, new businesses. Makes me recall the Janet Stein talk we had in 2011 for that year's team, where she said Africa would have great growth. It certainly seems that way at first glance.

Nairobi Airport - Still much the same, the fire didn't do enough much damage.

The Whole Team At the Friary

Brother Tony Receiving Hand Tools Donated To St. Francis Secondary School

Delayed

We have made it, to Toronto...


Mechanical difficulties with the Westjet plane casused our flight to be late, and so we missed our connection to Amsterdam. We are ok with that, as on one likes to be on the plane when the pilot asks for volunteers to get out and push at 35,000 feet. We were not able to confirm new connections last night, so our itinerary is up in the air so to speak.

Team Leader Nancy Working Things Out With Westjet

"Keep your friends close, and your boarding pass closer" - Ancient Traveler's Proverb 

Travel day number one :)

A small 3.5 hour delay out of thunder means catching no connecting flights, but on the bright side we are having tons of laughs and good team building.

Packing

Monday night was spent packing extra suitcases to take with us. Soccer shoes, carpentry hand tools, dresses and soccer jerseys all going into our 2nd suitcase. A bit of work and fun at the same time.