The Sun is Shining

Yes! I am back in Monze, the place which I have adopted as my second home.

I arrived just over a week ago, but it feels like I have never been away. I have been greeted by many friends , but this year there is one huge exception. Jennipher is no longer here to welcome me. In the past I could step of the bus and she would appear with a big hug to tell me that I was back home. This year I am greeted with – “I am so sorry” - referring to Jennipher's tragic death. She is greatly missed by so many.

My surprise visit this year was prompted by the need to provide support for Mrs. Sianga who has endured a very stressful and extremely difficult year. We are trying to see how we can ensure the future of PIZZ School. The second major purpose is to try to locate and meet with Jennipher's children. I hope that they too can have a secure future.

It didn't take long for word to get around that I was back in Monze. I was contacted by Henna in Lusaka as well as many in Monze. Brian came over to the petrol station, where I was passing through, to say hallo, Obert beeped at me from his taxi as I wandered down the main road, Ireen greeted me with her customary hug, Teddy caught me after church, Angelina spotted me at the market, Diven expected me and popped along to Truckers, where I am lodging and many others have greeted me as I wander around Monze.

It is so good to feel welcomed. In Cheltenham I can often walk through town without a single person saying hallo. That never happens in Monze. Many people say “hallo Chris how are you?” often followed by “when did you come? - Long time!” A lady this morning just said “Hallo white man how are you?”

Yesterday, when I was on my way to church, a man told me off for not greeting him. I apologised and we chatted a little. My mind has been preoccupied of late, but that is no excuse. On the way back he asked me if I had prayed for him. We agreed that respect for each other was so important.

My main mission in Monze is to develop friendships with the local people, built on the basis of mutual respect. I have learnt so much over the past 20 years. The more I learn, the more I realise that I don't understand. I am with people who live a world apart from me and not just in distance. I should not expect my friends here to see the world as I see it. In the UKwe come from a world of paperwork, of documents going back hundreds of years. Zambia was no doubt introduced to the written word by their 'colonial masters' - until then their tradition was oral. I don't pretend to understand how a Zambian thinks, but I try to respect the cultural differences and accept that many practices will surprise and perhaps shock me. On the other hand I feel at home with people who are warm, friendly and great fun to be around.

It is the rainy season, however so far I have been fortunate. It rained heavily on my first night, though I slept through it, having been travelling for more than 24 hrs. We had a heavy storm lasting an hour or more and a heavy shower, but I have been safely at home. The past few days have been dry and sunny. Yesterday was hot – exceeding 30ºC.

My faith is an important part of my life. I find comfort in the knowledge that my God is always near by and I often receive reminders in nature. In the UK I regard magpies as my angels – messengers from God to remind me of His presence. Here they don't have magpies, but they have black and white butterflies which I have christened magpie butterflies. On my first visit to PIZZ School I was welcomed by such a butterfly.

On my first visit to Our Lady of the Wayside church I was greeted by a flock of swifts. These are amazing birds. Our European swifts fly to Africa for for the winter (our winter) and return in the spring. Even more remarkable is that they might do 3 or more round trips after leaving the nest without alighting from their flight. Yesterday when I went to church I was met by a dozen or more brown dragonflies – I don't ever remember seeing them in such numbers. The dragonfly is another incredible one of God's creations. It spends 4 or 5 years crawling around in the mud at the bottom of ponds as a grey non de script creature and then one day climbs a reed and undergoes an amazing transformation into a flying beauty. The story of this transformation is sometimes used to explain to children the concepts of death and heaven. I watched this transformation many years ago over several hours and it is one of the most remarkable things that I have witnessed.

 

With love and prayers,

Chris

The Story of PIZZ School – A Fantastic Project

The beginning

When I first met Mrs. Sianga in 2003 she was a full time nurse providing Home Based Care. One memorable afternoon she took me out to meet some of her patients. I was invited into the homes of women who were dying because of AIDS. The houses were invariably single roomed properties built mainly of mud bricks and thatched with elephant grass. Mrs. Sianga had a few paracetemol tablets to dispense to these ladies, but nothing that would prevent their imminent death. I felt very privileged to be welcomed and very humbled.

These women died, together with many more of Mrs. Sianga's patients. Having come to know the families, Mrs. Sianga was keen to support the orphaned children. In particular she wanted to keep the children from going onto the streets – with all the associated dangers.

Some volunteers from Italy wanted to help. Mrs Sianga set up a small local charity “Maluba Orphans and Vulnerable Children” - Muluba being a Zambian word meaning “flowers” . With the volunteers help, Mrs. Sianga started providing some extra food for the orphaned children and with assistance from her family she started a small school which became known as PIZZ School.

 

Growing the school

Soon the children had outgrown the small school buildings. Thanks to a wealthy benefactor, introduced through Hands Around the World, the school buildings were improved to provide more security and shelter from the rain. Another benefactor agreed to buy land for the purpose of building extra classrooms etc. for a school for orphaned and vulnerable children. The local chief agreed to sell some land specifically to be used for a school for orphaned and vulnerable children. It is important to know that the aim has always been very clear. The school was to provide a safe space for the most vulnerable children and to give them an opportunity to gain an education that could remove them and their families from poverty and also provide benefits for the wider community.

I have had the pleasure of working alongside Mrs Sianga to help develop the project. It was obvious to me that the buildings were
of little use unless there were teachers – and they needed to be paid. The school would need maintaining and stationery, books etc. needed to be bought. I persuaded the benefactor to pay the teacher's salaries and persuaded Hands Around the World to cover the other costs.

There are some projects which enable a community to generate income and therfore become more self - sufficient. A school for vulnerable children is not one of them. When I visited those ladies in 2003 I remember that a young girl (probably 8 or 9 years old) went out to see if a neighbour would give a little sugar to make her mother's nshima porridge a little more tasty. To expect families who have difficulty providing sufficent food for their children to raise funds to pay for education is unrealistic to say the least.

I have battled over many years to obtain sufficient funding for the school – always wanting to be able to do more, despite being told that money could not be raised. However, over the years the children at the school have flourished and there has always been money in the bank.

 

The need for a school specifically for orphaned and vulnerable Children

PIZZ was established as a Basic School.

At that time the Government schools were split into Basic Schools which taught grades 1 to 9 and were “free” and Secondary Schools which taught from grade 10 to 12 and charged school fees. Although “free”, government schools required school uniforms, shoes, notebooks etc.

Even these costs made government schools too expensive for the familes of the orphaned children, but the main reason that a school specifically for orphaned and vulnerable children was needed was the need for a system of pastoral care which PIZZ could provide. The children at the school have suffered the trauma of the loss of one or both parents – sometimes followed by other bereavements and disturbances to their lives. Problems regularly happen at home which result in the children not attending school. At PIZZ these issues are addressed, the family homes are visited and invariably a way is found to enable the children to continue with their education. There are few children who drop out.

 

A Success Story

Eventually the first children at the school reached grade 9. They took exams to qualify for secondary school. The results were good and some passed. I have always thought that if children have potential we should do whatever we can to help them reach that potential. Hands Around the World funded some children to attend secondary school.

The success of the project means there is a tremendous story to tell. The successes have continued. Many children have passed grade 9 exams and some have been funded at secondary school. Children have passed their grade 12 exams. 2 or three have been funded at university and more have been funded to train as nurses.

I met Mawini when I visited in October last year. She told me that she never expected to have a chance of any education, coming from such a poor family. She was delighted to be given a place at PIZZ School and even more delighted when she was given a new school uniform. She told me that she was about 8 years old when she first met me. Mawini is now a veterinary surgeon at the University of Zambia in Lusaka. After I returned to the UK, Mawini went to Kenya to attend a conference - her first flight and trip outside of Zambia. She is hoping to do a master's degree in Japan!

Not all the children have achieved academic success, but when I visit I see lively, happy, healthy and well behaved girls and boys. Many of whom I have watched grow up over a number of years. I see the change from the traumatised, timid, frightened children who enter the school.

PIZZ is a truly amazing project which has transformed the lives of many children and their families. It has given hope to the most vulnerable in an impoverished country. I believe that it will be very hard to find another project anywhere which provides a better return for relatively small donations.

I last visited the project in October 2022 and, despite the huge challenges presented by COVID, found the school and the children looking great. I will return very soon to support Mrs. Sianga through these difficult times.

Withdrawal of funding by Hands Around the World

In June last year two representatives from Hands Around the World visited the project and told Mrs. Sianga that, unless she changed the status of the school to a Community School – effectively handing the school to the Government – Hands Around the World would stop providing funds.

The PIZZ project has always been much more than just a school. The reasons for setting up a school specifically for orphaned and vulnerable children still apply. Mrs. Sianga believes that the suggested change of status would mean the end of the project. In addition the land was given only on the basis that it would be used for a school for orphans and vulnerable children. To hand the school to the government would be contrary to this agreement.

The current position

Mrs Sianga has refused to transfer the school to the Zambian Government and Hands Around the World has carried out its threat, stopped sending funds for the project at the end of December and says it will not send any more money.

The project has been highly successful in producing wonderful outcomes for the children. This success has resulted in plenty of support which has generated considerable income for Hands Around the World.

At the end of 2021 Hands Around the World reported that they has restricted funds specifically reserved for PIZZ School amounting to £39K, in addition there was a lot more money reserved for specific activities in connection with the project. There are currently more than 70 children at PIZZ School being sponsored by donors through Hands Around the World – paying £15 each month to support children at the school, I am sure that these sponsors would want to continue to support the schoolchildren. This money is not currently being passed on to the school.

HATW is currently refusing to release any of the money they have been given for the project, but the teachers need to be paid, the school needs to be maintained and the children need school meals to allow them to learn without constantly being hungry.

I will do all I can to keep the school from closing. If HATW released the money they are holding, there could be time to establish new funding streams.

I want the project to succeed because I don't want to see the children, to whom I have promised a better life, ending up on the streets. I believe this project can provide even better outcomes for the children than in the past. I will need a lot of help, but with your support we can make lots of dreams come true.

Chris Barrell