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Reading the Books we gave
A second grade boy reads to his friends from one of the books we donated to Bauleni todayThe last two days have been very challenging for Zambia Trip 2012. We have been at Bauleni Street Kids Project. It is a school and residential home for children with special needs and normally developing kids that are getting an education. The school is not funded fully. The government helps some, but not nearly enough, so the school is working toward self-sufficiency. They grow their own food for feeding the students and for selling at the market. They have a bakery that makes bread for the students and to sell. The door to the bakery faces the main road that runs right in front of the school so people can come in and buy the bread. They also make bricks to build their buildings and to sell. All of these ventures help the school pay for staff to run the school (46 staff) that the government does not pay for.
On day one we got to meet the teachers and visit the classrooms. They were very excited to see us and most classes greeted us by standing up and reciting together, "Hello, How are you? We are fine." They are learning English and it is their second or third language.
Andy & Evan in Action
Teaching second grade at Bauleni today The students like speaking English with us, because if we can understand, they are doing pretty well.
Some of the classrooms are only for children with special needs, but some classrooms have several severe needs students and only one teacher. Some classrooms have a mix of regularly developing children and special needs students. The point is that the teachers have a serious challenge trying to deliver effective education in this setting. We were very impressed by them and some have little training, but are still great with the kids.
The group even experienced tea breaks with biscuits (left over from when the British ruled Zambia) the biscuits were made in the bakery right there at Bauleni.
The second day we got into the classrooms and we taught the classes. Some taught 2nd grade, others 5th grade, Mary was in the severe needs classroom. Some of us were taught games by the students. JP made a lot of new friends teaching 9th grade at the school today. Everyone really enjoyed this experience of interacting with the kids. This is what we came to Africa for.
Several of us got to do three home visits today to families
Itsy Bitsy Spider
The kids were dancing and singing for us, so the pressure was on to teach them something - Itsy Bitsy Spider won. that live by the school and have specfial needs childred in the home. Culturally children with special needs cna still be shunned or locked away because the family needs to go out and earn money and the childrfenn wqitht special needs cannot raise money for the family.. So the staff does home visits. They were all children with cerebral palsy and the teacher did some physical therapy with them. The homes were one room homes and only one of the three has the father in the house.
The day ended with a 1 and 1/2 hour assembly of singing and dancing anpresentations between us and the children at Bauleni. It was beautiful, funny, touching and we were in no hurry to leave.
There is so much more to tell. We visited an open air market that most of us in the US would think was too filthy to buy food or gifts from, but this is where the poor of Zambia live and work.
But let us tell you one last story. One of the young men at Bualeni, Kennedy, has severe physical disbilities and speaking looks and sound like hard work when he talks with you.
Sean with Kennedy
Kennedy received the soccer ball on behalf of all of his classmates. Kennedy was chosen at the end of the assembly to receive a gift on gehalf of the school. He was then asked to thank us. So he made a public thank with great effort and great enthusiasm. Then he was asked to say the final prayer. This young man can pray! He thank God for us, and though we could not understand all he was saying you could tell he was putting such effort and such power into his pray that all of us were moved, some to tears. This moment will stay with us throughout the trip and long after we are back in the US. Would that all of us could pray with the power of this young "disabled" boy.
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Sally
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Beautiful!
Thanks for the stories - I was also moved to tears - and yes all of you, and all your new friends are in my prayers!