out and about in Choma

The team back in the States

Over the course of the last 2 weeks, I have been bombarded by so many emotions and experiences that is no wonder I sit here today feeling quite tired and in need of some R&R.  This past week we have been in classes for the majority of the week.  I have spent many hours reading books, articles and participating in discussions this week that have shook me to my core.  We have been talking about foreign aid—what good is it doing, what needs to be improved upon, and what our role as Christians is in the aid that is given.  

On Thursday, we went out to the community…this was such a treat because we had been on lock down in the World Hope compound because of the elections that went on this week (just for everyone’s information, everything has been peaceful in the area that we are in right now and our contact people here in Zambia feel we are safe to go outside of the compound now).  We first went to a school in a rural community called Sianyinda where we participated in assisting the school children who are sponsored by families in the United States write letters to their sponsors.  It is an unbelievable process in that there is 1 man who is responsible to meet with just under 1,000 children every 2 months to write letters to their sponsors…the thing is that most of these children do not know how to read or write English well even when they are 13 years old and older.  The school that we went to has over 500 students with only 10 teachers which leaves the teacher to student ratio at about 1:70.  As you can imagine this doesn't exact create the best learning environment.  Nonetheless, we were able to assist about 30 students to write letters to their sponsors.  After enjoying some time playing soccer and other games with the kids after we finished our projects we loaded up in the Land Cruisers and went to the Sianyinda Community Trust.  A community trust is a program that was begun by World Hope to help develop this community.  It involves HBC (home-based care) which consists of caregivers who visit and help those who are unable to take care of themselves--mostly HIV/AIDS patients, but also those who have diseases that causes them to be stuck in their homes unable to receive other forms of health care.  Another aspect of this program is the OVC program -- orphans & vulnerable children program -- the community uses its strengths, providing for one another and working towards a common goal, to be take in children who are left orphans due to HIV/AIDS, as well as those who are vulnerable to become orphans because of HIV/AIDS to live in homes together within the community.  We also were able to see one of the local wells which was put in by World Hope and is to be maintained by the community.  World Hope's goal in these program initiatives is to have the community depend upon itself instead of constantly having to depend on outside donors. 

Mercy and me working on her sponsor letter

Chielo's letter

One of my team members and a young woman as we head out to see the local well.

Sianyinda community well

On Friday we were able to go to the Children's Nest Orphanage homes which conveniently, one of the homes is just over a block away from our compound so I plan to spend a lot of time. 

children from "The Blue House" -- 1 of the houses in the Children's Nest Orphanage homes

So, there's kind of a recap of the week we've had here in Choma.  Other than these fun events, we have been spending close to 5 hours a day in the classroom!  This week we should be getting outside of the compound a little more than last week.