Ms. Consilia Mwanza is the school.

There are many people who make this place happen and I have mentioned only a few of them. A while back I reported on Phillip Mvula, the manager and one small part of his large job. He had tried to tell in a simple a way as possible, how one obtains a piece of property here. My explanation was a poor summary of all that he told me regarding his negotiations with three different chiefs regarding the possibility of adding some property to our facilities.

Another key person is Ms. Consilia Mwanza, head teacher of the school. She is in charge of its operation and the education of the children. The school serves our resident children plus as many of the kids from the surrounding area as we can take, the total is about 120 children. She oversees the work of 8 teachers.

She has had a long career in teaching, including experience at the International School, acknowledged as the best in Zambia. She has done some work in government schools but mostly worked in private ones.

It has been my privilege and honor to work for her. You quickly learn that this is a sharp, diffident, private woman, almost singularly focused on the well fare and education of the children. I worked with her for some time before finding out she is caring for her mother (who recently died) and several relatives children. Very down to earth. On my initial visit, I learned to appreciate her in her absence, she became sick and I had to step into her position or try to step into her position. I remember that several new students were admitted while she was away. In talking with these students just a few minutes on her return, she told me exactly what each of them needed in order to catch up with the others at their grade level. I had been working with these kids for several weeks and couldn't have given such a concise answer as to what each needed and been so specific. She is a no nonsense teacher with a good sense of humor.

She is a private person, as evidence I had to try multiple times to get her to agree to an interview; also I have several pictures of her with a paper held in front of her face. But, I am persistent. One day recently when she and Phillip were in discussions outside the school, I took several good pictures of her and was quite pleased with myself. Did I mention that she is a deeply religious lady? Well, God was protecting her that day. This was the only roll of film I have ever had come out blank, as if it had been fully exposed to light before developing. So I still have no pictures of her and am feeling a bit reluctant to try again.


She first started with Chishawasha in 2002, a year she says she will always remember for it coincided with the loss of her only son. The first 'school' was located in a suburb of Lusaka in the Servant's Quarters in a large home being used as the orphanage. They then grew and the school moved out to the garage.



From there the whole operation moved to its present site, but lacking a school building and funds for such, classes were held in a grass hut, a very Zambian structure. But quite cold. They once had to cancel classes on account of low temperatures. The grass hut was still there when I came in '06 and we occasionally used the play area in front of it. I am sorry I never took a picture of that bit of history, we used sections of it to provide cover around the latrine of the 'next' school which was two cleared out corners of block-built warehouse. It was dirty, it was rough, had no amenities, a favorite haunt for bees, the door was a frame work of welded rebars and a flap of canvas. Could not talk during a rain storm, rain on the tin roof would drowned out any instruction. It was also cold and drafty unless it was hot. We had blackboard and chalk, pencils and paper and sufficient books for less than half the class members. That did not deter Ms. Mwanza from producing stellar graduates.

She works on the principle of whatever you do, you must do it very well. Her greatest joy is to take on a student with zero knowledge of English and send her/him out into the world, reading, writing and speaking correct English.


The New House

Well the new house shell is complete with roof, now the finishing work which I remember a contractor telling me is the second half of the job. It has grown up quickly and seems better built than the others. I am sure if I walk by today and ask when I can more in, the workmen will answer as they have the last 2 times I asked them, "Tomorrow."


Volunteers Go Home

Ellinor Angel and Mamie Spillane are leaving, they are leaving a different place than they came to. Both concentrated on the school. Ellinor on the school library and Mamie on class room instruction. Ellinor took a mostly empty room and made it into a functional library with organized shelves and a system that will let the teachers checkout books to their students. Plus she managed to get all the students interested in books and they library.

Mamie efforts through perhaps less visible, has none the less moved the school ahead and challenged our teachers with new ideas, techniques and some new materials that were badly needed. She left all we need to make more and similar materials to keep us up to day.

What these two have done leaves us in much better shape to face the future with a school of distinction. They will be missed, but not the work that they leave behind. [Slight correction, addendum] Ellinor has decided to leave twice, and will stop by again shortly before making her final exit for Obamaland.

This is Sam Weeks blog pressing out of Africa