Mrs. Chiiya

 

Mrs Chiiya

Today I received the sad news that Mrs. Chiiya died early this morning.

In my last post I mentioned the guest house “Nampeyo” where our team lived during my first visit to Monze.

Nampeyo was owned by Mrs. Chiiya's husband and so it was in 2003 that I first met the Chiiya family. Mrs. Chiiya was headteacher at Tagore Basic School – a government school not far from the centre of Monze – and about half way between Monze Mission Hospital and Nampeyo Guest House.

Over the years Mrs. Chiiya embarked on a number of projects – initially a vocational skills centre, which morphed into a school and eventually became a school of nursing. This nurse training centre is still in operation.

I kept in touch with Mrs. Chiiya over the years and was always warmly welcomed with cup of tea and biscuits! We chatted over family and friends, Hands Around the World and her latest projects among other things. She was always very hospitable and it was good to catch up.

In 2011 when my granddaughter Amy came to Zambia she spent some time with Saki – one of Mrs. Chiiya's children.

Most years I would make a point of contacting Mrs. Chiiya – if I didn't bump into her on the street. She would always invite me to her house. She was a woman with a large presence – not only physically, but also had a large personality. She certainly made an impression!

I will miss her and will always remember what became her catchphrase “It isn't easy”. I trust that she is now at peace, her struggles are over and life should at last be easy. May she rest in peace.

Chris