Ceiling construction.
The students dressed up in their Sunday best and each class performed in an assembly for us on our last day at Lifesong. Monica (the grade 2 teacher) is shown below with happy students in new toques and t-shirts.
A weekend outing to a park reminded us not to take a dip in the lake.
Nancy and students in conversation.
Some vegetables and fruits are grown on the school grounds.
Everyone pitches in to paint the window frames.
Doug hard at work unpacking computers. The crowds crawling around painting really hurried up the task, right Doug?
A soccer game on Sunday afternoon.
Dressing for dinner at the friary meant putting on headlamps for the regular power outages.
Chatting with local children on our daily walk to and from Lifesong School.
Morning devotions and breakfast before school starts are a lively event. Lots of singing and dancing make for exciting worship.
Happy recipients of toques.
Rev. Nancy at St. James' Anglican Church with the Archbishop.
Moira and Daphne with Agnes, Agatha and Nomsa with new dresses and toques.
Prepping and painting the outside and windows of the new classroom block.
Computer room - instantly in use!
New classroom block with first coat of primer.
Tim and Jeanette painting the blue classroom. They still had blue paint on them until the rafting trip on the Zambezi River - it scoured them clean!!!
Jeanette and Moira in the yellow classroom.
The new grade 5 classroom - moving in day.
Ceiling done in the yellow classroom, almost done in the blue.
The old grade 5 room in the house.
Doug hard at work unpacking computers. The crowds crawling around painting really hurried up the task, right Doug?
A soccer game on Sunday afternoon.
Dressing for dinner at the friary meant putting on headlamps for the regular power outages.
Chatting with local children on our daily walk to and from Lifesong School.
Note the race cars made from milk cartons and bottle caps.
Walking with students and teachers for a home visit to "The Compound" where many of the students live.
Everyone holds hands - if not with one of us then with someone who is holding one of us.
Everyone holds hands - if not with one of us then with someone who is holding one of us.Morning devotions and breakfast before school starts are a lively event. Lots of singing and dancing make for exciting worship.
Happy recipients of toques.
Ted and friends. Children get breakfast and lunch at the school. Hot nshima for breakfast on a chilly morning - mmmmm!
Akabana (teacher), Beverley and Cristobel - the nurses, and Albertina (teacher) at the traditional dinner prepared for us by teachers and staff on our last night at Lifesong.
Akabana (teacher), Beverley and Cristobel - the nurses, and Albertina (teacher) at the traditional dinner prepared for us by teachers and staff on our last night at Lifesong.
Rev. Nancy at St. James' Anglican Church with the Archbishop.
Moira and Daphne with Agnes, Agatha and Nomsa with new dresses and toques.
Prepping and painting the outside and windows of the new classroom block.
Computer room - instantly in use!
New classroom block with first coat of primer.
Tim and Jeanette painting the blue classroom. They still had blue paint on them until the rafting trip on the Zambezi River - it scoured them clean!!!
Jeanette and Moira in the yellow classroom.
The new grade 5 classroom - moving in day.
Ceiling done in the yellow classroom, almost done in the blue.
The old grade 5 room in the house.
Wayne, from Lifesong, "King David", Ted and some of the construction team.
July 29, 2011
Our Zambia 2011 Workteam left Zambia on Tues. July 26 on a flight out of Lusaka. After a long layover in Nairobi, Kenya we flew to the UK where our team began to disperse. Jeanette and Doug caught a flight from London to Toronto while the rest of us waited for our next flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. In Iceland, Daphne and Moira left us for some cool weather adventures. Next stop - Toronto - where Beverley headed out while the rest of us (Nancy, Dave, Tim, Ted and Jean) waited for our last flight to Thunder Bay where we finally arrived (46 hours after leaving our hotel in Lusaka) at about 12:30 Wed. morning- weary and bleary-eyed.
Our mission to Zambia was a great success. Below you will find a list of the tasks accomplished; we saw many sights, new birds, animals and plants, but the less tangible accomplishments are the most significant. We learned that although our daily circumstances and surroundings vary greatly, people are more alike than different. Zambians and Canadians share the same love of family, friends and humanity and we share the one, unifying Spirit of God - shared freely and genuinely by our many new friends in Zambia. This love was poured out on us by the staff and students at Lifesong School, by the brothers and staff at the Franciscan Friary Retreat Centre where we boarded while working at the school, by the people we met along the road, by the people at the churches where we worshipped, the Ecumenical Centre, Rotary Club, schools and medical clinics we visited, and also by our hosts and other guests at Bushbuck River Lodge, Flatdogs Camp and Kawaza Village, where we spent our time as tourists.
The poverty and need for better food, water, housing and health care was always before us; the inequity within the country and the world was obvious; the opportunities for sharing, encouraging and improving were graciously offered to us and we are very grateful that we were able to accept these opportunities and to share our love with so many people as we enjoyed this enriching experience. We received much more love and encouragement than we were able to give.
Here is a list of some of the "jobs" we did at Lifesong School in Garneton, Zambia.
-Priming and Painting!!! - window panels and frames, walls, ceiling panels and trim, outside walls of several buildings, outside beams, and a mural of handprints on a baobob tree (seen in Doug's photos of the computer room)
-computer room - installed and programmed computers, ceiling-mounted projector, assembled chairs (see Doug's entry)
-building - ceilings in the last two classrooms -with lumber so hard it bent nails and broke drill bits! It was almost done when we left. As Doug's post mentioned, things take longer in Zambia. It was a lesson in patience! Our team trained many of the men on staff and older boys from the school in use of power tools and constructions design so it should be finished by now. Sadly, no girls or women (except for our team) were involved in construction.
Our Zambia 2011 Workteam left Zambia on Tues. July 26 on a flight out of Lusaka. After a long layover in Nairobi, Kenya we flew to the UK where our team began to disperse. Jeanette and Doug caught a flight from London to Toronto while the rest of us waited for our next flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. In Iceland, Daphne and Moira left us for some cool weather adventures. Next stop - Toronto - where Beverley headed out while the rest of us (Nancy, Dave, Tim, Ted and Jean) waited for our last flight to Thunder Bay where we finally arrived (46 hours after leaving our hotel in Lusaka) at about 12:30 Wed. morning- weary and bleary-eyed.
Our mission to Zambia was a great success. Below you will find a list of the tasks accomplished; we saw many sights, new birds, animals and plants, but the less tangible accomplishments are the most significant. We learned that although our daily circumstances and surroundings vary greatly, people are more alike than different. Zambians and Canadians share the same love of family, friends and humanity and we share the one, unifying Spirit of God - shared freely and genuinely by our many new friends in Zambia. This love was poured out on us by the staff and students at Lifesong School, by the brothers and staff at the Franciscan Friary Retreat Centre where we boarded while working at the school, by the people we met along the road, by the people at the churches where we worshipped, the Ecumenical Centre, Rotary Club, schools and medical clinics we visited, and also by our hosts and other guests at Bushbuck River Lodge, Flatdogs Camp and Kawaza Village, where we spent our time as tourists.
The poverty and need for better food, water, housing and health care was always before us; the inequity within the country and the world was obvious; the opportunities for sharing, encouraging and improving were graciously offered to us and we are very grateful that we were able to accept these opportunities and to share our love with so many people as we enjoyed this enriching experience. We received much more love and encouragement than we were able to give.
Here is a list of some of the "jobs" we did at Lifesong School in Garneton, Zambia.
-Priming and Painting!!! - window panels and frames, walls, ceiling panels and trim, outside walls of several buildings, outside beams, and a mural of handprints on a baobob tree (seen in Doug's photos of the computer room)
-computer room - installed and programmed computers, ceiling-mounted projector, assembled chairs (see Doug's entry)
-building - ceilings in the last two classrooms -with lumber so hard it bent nails and broke drill bits! It was almost done when we left. As Doug's post mentioned, things take longer in Zambia. It was a lesson in patience! Our team trained many of the men on staff and older boys from the school in use of power tools and constructions design so it should be finished by now. Sadly, no girls or women (except for our team) were involved in construction.
-medical care - with the school nurse treated an endless stream of sick students, shared practices, visited local clinics, a hospital and families. Thanks to the generous donations our team received for the school we were able to purchase an autoclave (for sterilizing instruments) and medical supplies to stock the school clinic.
-workshops for students, teachers and other staff - sports, leadership, teaching strategies, first aid
-shared lots of hugs, handshakes, conversations, photographs, singing, dancing and laughs
-ate traditional food at a feast prepared for us by the teachers and staff including Mopani caterpillars, bukafish, nshima (a staple at every meal made of ground maize), casava, ground nuts(peanuts) in various dishes, mushrooms, chicken, vegetables, soup and other dishes.
-distributed toques to every Lifesong student, and donated hats, t-shirts, dresses, blankets and school supplies at Lifesong and at St. Francis Secondary School (established and supported by the Franciscan Friars) where many Lifesong students will go to finish their schooling.
Thank you to everyone who supported this project financially, knit toques, provided donations of clothing, vitamins, medical and school supplies. Your prayer support was vital. We felt its power as our energy and confidence grew, and as our trip progressed safely and smoothly. It was a blessing and honour to be able to be the feet that carried the Good News (in action) as we participated with each of you on this mission to share God's love in Zambia.
Thank you and God bless you all!
-workshops for students, teachers and other staff - sports, leadership, teaching strategies, first aid
-shared lots of hugs, handshakes, conversations, photographs, singing, dancing and laughs
-ate traditional food at a feast prepared for us by the teachers and staff including Mopani caterpillars, bukafish, nshima (a staple at every meal made of ground maize), casava, ground nuts(peanuts) in various dishes, mushrooms, chicken, vegetables, soup and other dishes.
-distributed toques to every Lifesong student, and donated hats, t-shirts, dresses, blankets and school supplies at Lifesong and at St. Francis Secondary School (established and supported by the Franciscan Friars) where many Lifesong students will go to finish their schooling.
Thank you to everyone who supported this project financially, knit toques, provided donations of clothing, vitamins, medical and school supplies. Your prayer support was vital. We felt its power as our energy and confidence grew, and as our trip progressed safely and smoothly. It was a blessing and honour to be able to be the feet that carried the Good News (in action) as we participated with each of you on this mission to share God's love in Zambia.
Thank you and God bless you all!
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