Colin and Debbie leave, Kathe arrives

Colin Glassco and Debbie Norman no sooner left than Kathe Padilla arrives--by cab! There was some confusion regarding her arrival date and no one met her at the airport. Despite the method of arrival, she still came with a truckload of ideas. (See next)

Chishawasha Enterprises
Kathe has plans for a string of businesses in Zambia to help support our work here and to provide work opportunities for our kids. With this in mind, she asked one of our former students, Florence, who seems just a bit adrift right now, if she would like a job in a store. With answer to the affirmative, this teacher is working with her on her math, change making and customer service skills.
Prep for Official Opening
We're cleaning everything. Everyone was out doing something by way of cleaning or removing rocks; I and 4 very enthusiastic kids went at the perimeter of the school yard. We collected 2 wheelbarrows of junk and some building materials. Some was from the workmen who'd lived on premises and cooked their meals on the edge of our yard. Much was from the kids. We worked hard with only one brief detour. As we moved methodically around the yard we came to some heavy brush. Three of my four assistants saw 'something' deep in the bush and eagerly scampered off, almost out of sight. There was no garbage; it was the chinga-chinga berries that are ripe just now and a powerful lure away from any work (anything). I called them back without success. Finally I was forced to use my deterrent of last resort on the fugitives. I blew on my sports whistle (loud enough to hurt my ears). It stopped them in their tracks and they returned sheepishly. I have no idea what gave this whistle that authority it has but then I don't question things too closely as long as they work.
School starts again, new student, old tricks and a box solution:
New classes, new students to work with, 5th and 6th grades. They seem a sharp bunch with all the characters that you could imagine in a group of 18 children and an especially wide range of heights, the tallest being more than twice as tall as the shortest. Then we got a brand new student, Mercy Banda (she is not related to our other Banda's nor to Samuel Banda of the Zambian Soccer team, its a common name.) To welcome Mercy into the class, coming with nothing, I gave her a new pencil and a rub (eraser) and a ruler, much to the envy of the rest of the class. A loud collective sigh as if rehearsed could be heard. Each of them had been working on me for a ruler, a rub or a pencil only because Ms Mwanza saw to it that I got a regular table for my 'desk' and promptly removed the old small table (with a drawer). Now without a drawer, all the supplies were laid out for everyone to see and handle and covet. If the teacher has pencils, you must have one, even if you have to hide those you have or generously loan them to others. "Teacher, teacher, I don't have a pencil." This is heard when you start a project and if you are dumb enough to fall for that, then half of the class is magically pencil-less. Half the period can be spent getting everyone a pencil and trying to figure out what they were using in the period just before. And then, "Teacher, teacher, I don't have a sharpener." By the time everyone is ready, you have just time to introduce the topic and the class is over. No one can sharpen a pencil as slowly and thoughtfully as a Zambian school child. Each is a connoisseur of a fine point.

I came home from school and found a rare cardboard box of which I took control, it will be my supply cabinet into which only my eyes and hands will be allowed and from which this tight old teacher will carefully mete out what is truly needed.

This Weeks' Interview:
Monica Phiri is 14 years old and has been here for 5 years. She is in the 6th grade. I remember her from my first visit 3 years ago, when she was an inquisitive, lanky tom-boy who could out-jump any of the boys on sports day and god knows they tried (for a while) then no one challenged her.

Today she is much more lady-like but still a teenage, not into competing with boys.

I have now had the pleasure of being her teacher. If anyone knows the answer to a question, she does. She is alert, but will soon pull a book out into her lap and start reading if this teacher isn't holding her interest sufficiently, thinking that he won't notice.

Her hobbies are singing, reading, African dancing, cooking, sewing and plaiting (hair).

Her dream is to become a doctor and work with orphans.

Her happiest memory here is when her younger sister came to join us a couple years ago.
She couldn't easily come up with a saddest memory while at Chishawasha.

What changes have you seen at Chishawasha? Well they have done everything for me. Oh, and there are all those new houses and more visitors. I enjoy the visitors.

What do you like best? The education.
What do you like least? [long pause] "The dishes?" I suggest. Yes, doing dishes.

Do you have relatives besides Tiness, your sister? Yes, my grandmother and grandfather.

Do you have friends outside Chishawasha? No.

What do you know or remember of your life before you came here? I know when my mother died, I was one year old and my grandmother took care of me. My earliest memories are of her. When I was 6, she had a stroke and I had to take care of her. I had to do everything to support her. There was not much money. It was through the Catholic Church that I got to Chishawasha.

What would you wish to find in the next container? Some DVD's, some movies.

If you had the money, what would you but or do with it? I'd buy a house and clothes for my grandmother and grandfather and others that I know.

New House Start:
The block press is going again and in use more hours than the sun shines, over 900 block made in one day. All this as a prelude to house SEVEN again thanks to Colin Glassco.

This is Sam blog pressing out of Africa