Week 12- Personal

Here it is…our very last week in Zambia. I really can’t believe that we have been here for 12 weeks. In one way it seems to have really flown but at the same time it feels like a lifetime ago that we boarded the plane at Dublin airport. I can honestly say I have enjoyed every single minute of my time here in Zambia and even through somewhat stressful and worrying times such as our experience at the immigration office, we managed to find a funny side to that and when we think back, it seems like it was only a minor hiccup along the way.

On Sunday afternoon, Ashleigh and I decided to be very spontaneous and take a trip to an acrobatics class with our friend Steve who is also staying a Jollyboys for a long period of time like us. We really didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for but we reached our destination in one of the districts outside town where we went down a dirt track to a small school. The class was taken by an Australian man who has been teaching some of the local boys many technical moves such as black flips, handstands and headstands. Ashleigh and I were in for a shock when we were asked to participate, although I observed quite a few of the tricks since I thought I would probably end up breaking something. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and it was great mixing with the locals who made us feel very welcome.

Walking a cheetah

Tuesday morning was a very early start for us but it was well worth it as we had the opportunity to walk alongside lions and cheetahs in the bush. It was an amazing experience and the fact that I was walking these animals by the tail still makes me laugh, it was such a strange yet most enjoyable encounter. To add to our ‘list of things to do in Livingstone’, Ashleigh and I did a micro-light flight over the Zambezi river and Victoria Falls. It was absolutely incredible and allowed us to see what the falls actually look like since the previous times we have been to visit we’ve barely been able to see a thing because of the shocking amount of spray. At one point though I thought I was going to end up at the bottom of the Victoria Falls when we flew through the spray and the microlight encountered a bit of turbulence. Thankfully we made it through and I was able to continue to take in the magnificent views that this part of the world has to offer.

Microlight over Victoria Falls

All in all, I really have had the time of my life here in Zambia and I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to come here to complete my semester as it has been an absolutely incredible experience from which I have gained so much. The four of us have gotten on so well, especially since not all of us knew each other very well before coming…now we are inseparable! There are so many things I thought I’d never do, I’ve overcome many a fear and all in all I feel like a much stronger, confident and independent person as a result. The friends we’ve made, the sights we’ve seen and every experience we’ve encountered will never be forgotten. There’s a quote by Ernest Hemingway painted on one of the walls at Jollboys which I walk past every day; ‘I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy’ (Jollyboys, 2013) and after my experience in Zambia I can well and truly agree with this!

With our Zambian friends Leonard and Golden

Week 11- Professional

This week saw the beginning of the goodbyes as not only have we said goodbye to some of the workers at Jollyboys but we also went back into our school as well as DALICE Teaching College to show our thanks and bid them farewell.

Ashleigh and I in our African attire

All schools closed on the 12^th April for a one month holiday so we decided we would go back to Holy Cross one last time to see our class, teacher and head teacher before they finished for the month. Whenever we finished our six weeks of teaching practice, the head teacher of the school presented Ashleigh and me with some Chitenga material which we then got made into African outfits and then wore them on our very last day. The head teacher was completely amazed by this and was showing our outfits to everyone.

The last day of school was very different to how a last day would occur back home where usually the children come in non-uniform, get to have a fun-filled day and then leave early. Here, the children had to be at school for 7:10 and there was a whole school assembly where the results from their tests were discussed and the top five pupils in every class got their marks called out, received a round of applause and came up to the front to shake hands with all the teachers. In a way it was good to see that the teachers and school have acknowledged the pupil’s hard work but I was very thankful that they didn’t call out the ranking for every pupil in each class as this could have been disheartening for those pupils who didn’t do so well.

Singing the National Anthem in assembly

After this had occurred, a group of teachers sang a goodbye song for all the pupils as well as some teachers who are transferring to other schools. The pupils absolutely loved this and joined in with the singing and clapping. This whole occurrence would be a very rare sighting in Northern Ireland and if anyone would be singing in assembly it would more so be the pupils rather than teachers, so seeing this role reversed was great and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed it. One thing I love about Africa is how everyone loves to sing and dance and how they are so enthusiastic about doing it. Back home pupils are usually shy in such situations and try to avoid them whereas the children here take any opportunity that’s coming to sing and dance and really give it their all when doing so.

Saying goodbye on our very last day

The pupils then sang the National Anthem and that was school over for the day, all in less than an hour. I found it rather strange that the pupils were made to come in for such a short school day as this seemed an inconvenience for those pupils who have to travel a long distance to school each day but I then discovered that the pupils and their parents had to meet with the class teacher afterwards to receive their report card so perhaps this was the reason.

Saying goodbye to the principal at DALICE

This week we also took a trip to the teaching college to send our thanks to the principal and Patrick for making us feel so welcome in Zambia and for providing us with the opportunity to teach in the local primary schools from which we have gained so much experience. It’s unbelievable that we have been in Zambia for this length of time and that we will soon be reaching our departure date...this is the start of many of our goodbyes. 

Week 10- Cultural

No matter where we go in Livingstone we are greeted by many a friendly face and more so than often we bump into someone we know along the way. Staying at Jollyboys allows us to meet many people travelling from afar and usually the communal kitchen is the spot where we get chatting to these people and find out a bit more about them. The problem is though that the travellers at Jollyboys are only passing through and aren’t staying for very long so it makes it difficult getting to know people. We are therefore very thankful that we have been able to make friends with many of the locals as seeing them on a regular basis builds up our friendships as well as enabling us to learn more about Zambia, its people, attractions and culture.

Playing football at the orphanage

This Sunday was Easter Sunday and we thought we would join in with the celebrations in the local Presbyterian Church. It was a rather lively service with a lot of singing and dancing which put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Later on that afternoon we took a trip to the orphanage with Jollyboys to play some football with the children. We have been coming to the orphanage on a weekly basis and have been reading books, playing games and doing arts and crafts with the children. This has allowed us to build up a relationship with them and get to know them better although it is evident that they seem rather distant from many of the people who come to visit (even us at times). They see so many people come and go that they don’t make much of an effort as they feel that they won’t ever see these people again so there isn’t much point in building up relationships. However, the more time we spend with the children in the orphanage, then hopefully they will continue to warm to us.

Maramba market

Furthermore, we have been putting our haggling skills to good use at the markets where there are many African art and craftworks on sale which make ideal gifts for people back home. We’ve had a lot of fun bartering with the sales men and women trying to get the lowest price possible for a particular good although at times it can be rather frustrating when they try to pressure you to enter their stall and buy their work. This market in particular is called Mukuni Craft market which is mainly targeted at tourists which is therefore why high prices are charged. However, we have also experienced another market just outside town which is where the locals go to purchase foodstuff, clothing, household items as well as Chitenga material. What I found at this market was that the prices were extremely cheap and no one hassled you to enter their stall or to buy their items. This was a much more enjoyable shopping experience which resulted in me buying many pieces of African material which I am then going to get made into clothing at the dressmakers. At this rate I am going to end up bringing home a full African wardrobe!

In the material shop

Week 9- Personal

This week saw the arrival of Jade’s boyfriend Sam who is visiting for a couple of weeks and not only was it very exciting to hear another Northern Irish accent, but it meant that lots of tourist activities we also in store for us.

Canoeing on the Zambezi

Saturday was a very action packed day for Amy, Ashleigh and I where we did a canoe trip, game drive and a sunset cruise from early in the morning until the sun went down. After the experience we had last time on the Zambezi when we went rafting, I was feeling a little nervous about boarding the river once again. All was going so well with Amy and I rowing in sync in our canoe until we got caught in a current and started drifting towards a bunch of trees…something which our river guide told us to avoid completely! We eventually made it to the end of our canoe trip and could breathe a sigh of relief clambering back onto the land as we didn’t get eaten by crocodiles or capsize. We then had our lunch in the middle of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park where we proceeded to do our game drive where we saw many animals as well as having the opportunity to walk with white rhinos.

At Victoria Falls

Now that we feel very much like one of the locals, we were able to take Sam to see Victoria Falls and be his tour guide for the day. The first time we went to see the falls was on our second day of being in Zambia and we were told by many that we would notice a huge difference between then and now and they were most definitely correct. We got a little wet the first time but that was nothing compared to what we experienced at this time of the year where the water is much higher in volume. We were completely soaked right through, just as if we had dived into a swimming pool, although it didn’t take us too long to dry out.

Visiting Mukuni village

We also thought it would be a good idea for Sam to see Mukuni village- the one which we had previously visited with our rafting friends since it would allow him to see a more ‘real African’ setting compared to that of the developed town of Livingstone. Again, we got to meet many of the local people, see their homes and how they go about their daily routines as well as trying

more of the traditional Zambian cuisine.

It was a rather exciting moment getting another stamp in the passport when we made our way across the river into Botswana for our two day safari in Chobe National Park. We took a trip on the wild side as our adventure saw us swerving along the dirt tracks trying to chase a leopard, being a metre away from lions, spotting many of the six thousand elephants as well as sleeping in the middle of the bush where we could hear the lions roaring in the middle of the night. The safari has definitely been one of the highlights of my trip and seeing so many magnificent animals roaming about in the wild reminded me of many a scene from the Lion King…all we needed was the ‘Circle of Life’ playing in the background as we sailed about in our safari jeep! 

Week 8- Personal

Heading across the river to Bovu

In order to reward ourselves after our six weeks of teaching practice, we decided to take a trip to Bovu Island and relax there for the weekend. It was a rather exciting experience sitting in the back of a pick-up truck as we drove for about an hour to our destination, avoiding trees and branches along the way through the bush. We then climbed aboard dug-out canoes which took us over to the remote island in the middle of the Zambezi river. When we arrived I was completely blown away…it was like paradise. White sand, hammocks and amazing views of the Zambezi- what more could we ask for?! This was the perfect way to end our teaching practice. What was even better was that we were the only people there (minus the workers) so we could really make ourselves at home and were able to freely explore the island.

 

Fishermen huts

Just as we had been getting used to our straw huts back at Jollyboys, the accommodation on the island was really something else. We had two fishermen huts which were about three metres away from the Zambezi river and were completely open with no doors. After checking the bed for any form of insect, I tucked my mosquito net around me and just hoped that I wouldn’t waken up with a crocodile staring at me with its jaws open!

Books in the primary school

The next morning we had the chance to yet again board the dug-out canoes to take us to one of the local villages. We had a guided tour and even got to see the primary school which has been recently built and has an incredible amount of books for the pupils to read…something which was not seen of back in our primary school in Livingstone. We then had the opportunity of cooking some traditional lunch with one of the local women consisting of nshima with some vegetables. It was rather tasty (even if we did manage to burn one of the dishes slightly) and allowed us to experience even more of the Zambian cuisine.

Cooking some local food...

...and eating it!

On Sunday morning we headed back over to the village to attend the church which took the form of a mud hut. We were slightly late at arriving and the church was completely packed out so we had a very tight squeeze. We heard some lovely singing from the choir and the service was translated into English but it was so hot inside that we ended up leaving early.

We had such a relaxing and stress-free time on the island and it was nice to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the town…especially since there was no electricity and we had to find our way around at night with candles. However, the fun and relaxation ends here since this week sees the beginning of our report writing based on our experience in school. I have a feeling it’s going to be rather difficult to write given the fact that we have no books, the internet is very temperamental and the weather is so good! Hopefully though I’ll be able to work hard and get a lot of it done so that I can really make the most of our last few weeks in Zambia.

Week 7- Professional

It’s hard to believe that our six weeks of teaching in Holy Cross Basic have come to an end. It has been such an amazing experience and going from having so many resources in classrooms at home to nothing but a blackboard and chalk has been rather challenging at times but on the whole has made me feel that I can tackle any obstacle which may arise in the classroom and I feel that my skills of being creative, confident and resourceful have developed greatly.

Heading to school on our last day.

The pupils admiring the birthday calendar

In order to make the classroom a much more attractive and welcoming environment for the pupils, Ashleigh and I have been creating many resources and displays over the past number of weeks and this week saw the introduction of the birthday calendar. The pupils were completely amazed at seeing photos of every child in the class displayed upon the walls and were excited to see this each time they entered the classroom.

Another display which was created was that of Spanish words and phrases. The pupils were very eager to learn some Spanish in class and so were introduced to some basic words such as ‘hello’, ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’ throughout the course of the day. They were able to pick up the language so fast and it seemed beneficial to create a display of the Spanish phrases alongside their meaning in English so that the pupils could refer to this after I had completed my time in school.

Playing games with the children

Thursday was another election day and we heard mixed reports on whether or not school would be open. Our teacher told us that she wasn’t coming in and that we didn’t have to either but when we went to clarify with the head teacher, she told us that it would just be another normal school day. We therefore thought it would be best to come into school anyway, especially since the pupils were told that school would still be on. When we turned up that morning, our classroom was locked, there were barely any teachers about and we couldn’t see any of our children. We explained the situation to the head teacher and she said if not enough of our pupils turned up then we could send them home. It ended up that not even half the class were present so we played some games and sang some songs and then sent the pupils home early. It was clear that communication between staff was very poor as very few teachers showed up and their pupils were either sitting outside their locked classrooms or watering plants around the school. This is a huge difference compared to how schools and staff are managed back home. I’m just glad we made the effort to show up for our pupils, unlike the majority of teachers in the school who didn’t.

Saying goodbye

Our teaching has come to an end and I had such an incredible experience getting to know the children and teachers, teaching the Zambian curriculum and introducing strategies which are used in the classrooms back home. I have learnt so much, gained so many new experiences and I will truly miss the school and the memories created there.

Week 6- Cultural

Marching on Women's Day

Holy Cross and Zambezi Basic outfits

We had a rather exciting end to this week as we celebrated International Women’s Day with many Zambian women in Livingstone. Our school had been planning this day for a number of weeks and sorted us out with matching outfits of purple and grey. This day of the year sees women from many types of organisations- schools, churches, shops and many other businesses and professions come together and march through the town in an array of patterned dresses and designs. We were told to meet at 8 in the morning but thinking we would be running on African time we only woke up at 8 and as we were clearing away our breakfast dishes in Jollyboys we could hear the beat of the drum approaching. We ran down to the main road only to find a mass of women marching, singing and dancing as they went along. When we eventually caught up with our school, we got to participate in the marching to a huge field where we experienced even more singing, dancing, drumming and acrobats as well as a guest speaker. It was such an amazing experience and great to see all women no matter where they are from unite and celebrate together.  

Ashleigh and I with our class teacher

Teachers from Holy Cross

We have come to discover that there are over 72 languages spoken here in Zambia which are derived from the many tribes found all over the country. Many a Zambian has been teaching us some of the language whether it’s the pupils or teachers in school or shop assistants in the supermarket. We have been trying our hardest to pick up some words and phrases but get very confused changing from one Zambian language to another. Having said this, with the help of the pupils in our class, Ashleigh and I have learnt a full song in Bemba which we are rather proud of but that’s about the height of our language abilities. Although hopefully over the next few weeks we’ll be able to pick up more words and phrases since it’s always nice to greet people in their native language. As said by Nelson Mandela (2013), ‘if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart’.

Over the past couple of weeks we have been having a bit of trouble with our visas and what we thought to be a simple task of going to the immigration office to renew them turned out to be a completely different story. After many hours spent sitting in the office over numerous days feeling like we had committed a crime, we eventually got our visas sorted with the help of Patrick from the David Livingstone College. It turned out that we had been given the wrong visas at the airport and we ended up getting a study permit after a lot of consultation between Patrick and the boss at the immigration office. This was yet another occasion where we’ve experienced a lot of waiting around for matters to be done and it seemed as though we wouldn’t have had much success if we didn’t have Patrick there to help us.

Our Zambian study permits

Now we know that we won’t be deported anytime soon, we can continue to enjoy the culture, the people, the food and the wonderful sights found here in Zambia. 

Week 5- Cultural

No matter how some may think themselves accomplished, when they set out to experience a new culture they have entered a new realm as if they were a child newly born into the world. (Willard, F. 2013)

Our tailored African dresses

Wearing our Chitengas

Since we have been attempting to fit in with the African culture as the weeks progress, we decided to buy ourselves some Chitengas which is basically a piece of African material which the women wrap around them as skirts. These are worn by many African women and so we thought not only would they be ideal to pull on and wear to school but we would also be embracing the Zambian culture even more so. What’s even better is that we also got dresses made and the locals have been telling us how we look very Zambian. It’s amazing how fast the tailors can piece together four dresses of great quality and were perfectly happy to alter them free of charge whenever we tried on the finished product- something which would probably have a cost          

                                       attached back home in Northern Ireland.

We have made friends with some of the locals who invited us to their house to try some ‘nshima’ which seems to be the staple diet of nearly every Zambian. From what I can tell this food is made from powdered maize and with the addition of boiling water makes a substance which looks exactly like mashed potatoes. It didn’t take us long to master the technique of rolling it in your hands and using it like a fork to pick up some bean stew or chicken. The meal was very enjoyable and it’s safe to say that we’ll definitely be encountering more nshima throughout the rest of our time here.

Eating 'nshima' with our hands

During the week we got a bit of a fright when we came across tear gas being set off on one of the main streets in the town. When at first we saw a mass of people running with their hands covering their heads, we immediately thought there was a shooting taking place but thankfully someone explained to us that tear gas had been set off in the run up to the elections which were taking place a few days later. Due to these elections occurring it meant that there was a bit of trouble happening around the town but this was nothing worth getting worried about since Belfast has seen itself in many a similar situation.

 On a brighter note, our Zambian friends Leonard and Gordon allowed us to experience Mukuni village found on the outskirts of Livingstone which is where they grew up and gave us our own private tour. It was so interesting to see and note how it is a world away from life back in Livingstone. The village is one of the largest in the area and has a male and female chief. Unfortunately they were not around the day we were visiting but hopefully we’ll be able to return again and meet them. The housing in the village is very basic and most take the form of straw huts. There is also a primary and high school where all the children in the area attend as well as some small grocery shops and market stalls.  Even though everything in the village is very basic, the people seem to have everything they could ever need and are rather content with the way of life in their village. I’ve noticed how here in Zambia everything and everyone seems so laid back and relaxed which I am easily getting used to and the stress and hustle and bustle of being back at home seems a distant memory.

Meeting some children in the village

Week 4- Professional

It is hard to believe we are halfway through our teaching practice here in Zambia, the days are passing by quickly. I’m surprised at how much I am enjoying teaching in our class, even though some of the topics in the curriculum aren't very exciting for the pupils and it can sometimes be difficult to incorporate interesting activities into particular lessons.

Children completing group work activities

Ashleigh and I have decided to include a lot of group work activities into our lessons since the pupils have never really had the opportunity to experience this and they seem to thoroughly enjoy working with their peers and are very engaged in their learning. One activity in particular which demonstrates this was when the children made a sound story representing thunder and lightning in groups and presented it to the rest of the class. This was an activity which the pupils had never carried out before in the classroom and it was evident that they enjoyed themselves and were very eager to participate in the interactive lesson.

Some of the pupils work being displayed

As I have mentioned before, the classroom in which we teach is very bare so Ashleigh and I have brightened up the walls with various posters based on what we have been teaching, number lines, photos of the class, reward charts and by displaying the pupil’s work around the classroom for all to see. This has been very beneficial as not only can the pupils feel a sense of pride in the work they have produced but the classroom also seems much more engaging and attractive than before.

Number line in the classroom

There have been numerous occasions when our teacher has left the classroom and Ashleigh and I have had to improvise when finished teaching our own lessons. At times this has been rather challenging but we've been able to manage and have many time-filling activities close at hand. When our teacher had to go for a meeting during one of her lessons on Chitonga, the local language, she asked one of the pupils to teach it to the rest of the class. This was rather shocking yet interesting to see one of the children read in Chitonga while the rest of the class listened and Ashleigh and I sat back in awe.

Vanessa and Soviet teaching Chitonga

Prisoners at sports day

We have also had the opportunity to experience a Zambian style sports day with our school. This was definitely a world away from any sports day we would have back home as hundreds of pupils along with very few teachers lined the dusty roads in order to reach the sports ground (which was right beside a prison). The journey there saw many children walking in the middle of the road, crossing over railway lines and marching through tall grass. When we arrived at the grounds there were prisoners casually cutting the grass as children ran around them- a very strange and quite worrying sight. By the time the races actually kicked off (as we were running on African time) the sun was very strong and many pupils were collapsing on the field, especially after having run 2400 metres with no water to drink!

It’s very interesting to note how different school is here compared to back home. Even with such a lack of resources and poor classroom environments, it’s very rewarding to see the children being so eager to learn and appreciating what the teacher has to say.

Week 3- Personal 

I can't believe we've been here for over 3 weeks now...how time flies. We have settled in well to our new home and during the week we have the routine of getting up, going to school and coming back to Jollyboys to plan lessons.

Last Sunday Jade and I went to one of the local churches called David Livingstone Presbyterian. It was supposed to start at 9.30 so Jade and I rushed down thinking we'd be late but of course we're running on African time and some people were still arriving at 11. The service lasted 3 hours which was rather long for us but a good experience none the less and allowed us to encounter even more of the African culture.
Pancake Tuesday saw us attempting to make some pancakes in our shared kitchen. Surprisingly it was a great success considering the ingredients were measured out using a dessert spoon- how resourceful, and it was also a nice little reminder of home!

Jollyboys have a connection with a local orphanage just outside the town and we have been to visit the past two Sundays. On our second visit we asked if it would be possible for us to come during the week on a weekly basis to play games, read and have fun with the children. So on Wednesday we went back to visit and had a lot of fun teaching the children games and songs although they seemed to have more fun teaching us.

We've been complaining about the fact that we have been here for over 3 weeks and the only tourist attraction we've done was visiting Victoria Falls therefore we thought this weekend we definitely had to do something. Amy and Ashleigh were very keen to go white water rafting on the Zambezi, Jade and I not so much. But we got roped in anyway and Saturday morning saw us setting off ready to tackle some rapids. We had a steep climb down in order to reach the river and when we got there we were assigned to our rafts with our instructor. Since I am not a huge fan of the water I was absolutely dreading the whole experience but I wanted to say I had rafted the Zambezi. We set off and Boyd, our guide, gave us instructions of how to paddle and what to do when we approached a rapid. The first few rapids were fine until we came to the 'Terminator 2'...the name says it all! Our raft capsized and we were all out, it was such a blur and I was barely able to breathe. After some time we managed to all get back on board but it was safe to say I had never been so scared. When we made it to the finish line I was able to breathe a sigh of relief but looking back it was good fun and I'm glad I did it...even though at one point I thought I was going to die!! 

The same night we did a sunset cruise along the Zambezi which was definitely a much smoother sail! We had some food and were able to watch the sun going down which was so beautiful. We even saw some hippos and giraffes along the way which was rather exciting since we hadn't yet seen any of the ‘Big 5’. 
The weather is improving greatly so hopefully we will have some sunshine going into this new week to ease the lesson planning!