Tuesday, May 20, 2014

A return trip to Lushomo

Tuesday 20th May

I expected to have no problem with my mobile phone now I am back in Monze but there has been almost no network access since I returned. This has made arranging the appointments I need to make a bit difficult. I have an MTN Sim with the usb modem and can use Skype – which costs a lot more to call a mobile here than a landline in the UK – so I can work around the problem when it becomes necessary. I cannot remember having problems with Zamtel signals in Monze before.

Jennipher popped around yesterday afternoon. I went onto Goggle Maps to show her my house and 'walk' into town to show her some of the buildings and places of note. It is a good resource although I do worry about just how much information is held online.

There was plenty of admin to catch up on and a need to top up with cornflakes!!

The house was a hive of activity with a number of people including my landlady involved in cleaning the rooms. It seems possible that some children will be staying for a while and having some lessons. I understand these are granchildren of the owners. However, it is possible that I will have left by the time they arrive. However, it still seems likely that the volunteers will be able to stay here – we shall see how things progress.

Today I had an appointment to keep with Mrs. Sianga and a possible one to visit Lushomo school again – the problems with the phone network meant I hadn't received a response, nor was I sure that my text had been delivered.

Mrs. Sianga would like to take the children to Livingstone in the holidays – I think that this might be an opportunity for the holiday club! Maybe the volunteers could raise the funds to finance the trip!

I managed to contact Precious and arrange to meet and pay the return visit to Lushomo school – she had sent a confirmatory message which I hadn't received. As we approached the school we met a number of children heading there and when we arrived there was a large number of students on site. The children packed into their classrooms sitting on the hard floor – about 60 to a classroom. Another group of older children who had lessons in the morning had come to meet me!

I talked briefly to the teachers including one who was experiencing his first day at the school. The children are obviously very keen to learn despite the extremely limited facilities. Deana through her charity Friends of Monze is trying to provide a little support, but the challenge is great. However, they have been getting some good examination results suggesting that any investment is likely to produce significant returns.

Unusually tonight no one joined me for supper and as a result I feel rather over full!! Once more I had some kapenta – it always seems wrong to have so many small lives given up for a single meal!

Cheers,

Chris






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