Special Guest

Carolyn Lamb's medical school friend, Jim McAuley from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) came to dinner with his son last week. Jim spoke about health problems facing Zambia and the many programs the CDC has initiated.  With certain simple changes they have cut infant and maternal mortality substantially. The largest goal is create an AIDS free generation. We were also able to tour the Pediatric Centre of Excellence. Many thanks for a wonderful experience!

Pleasant Surprise!

I was beyond excited today to see Selina waiting for our van to arrive in Garden to say our final goodbyes. She has been a special child that I have connected with for many years. She has grown so much and told another traveler, that I was "her best friend." While I believe that's a stretch, I know that Selina also finds our friendship special. She has a bright future and has the skills to succeed despite her circumstances. I gave her a book and a pen to keep. She quickly asked me to read the story and then she quietly wrote "I love this book" with perfect handwriting, spacing, and letter formation. Very gratifying for me to see as a first grade teacher! It's children like Selina that make these trips so memorable for me.

Today the group said their final farewells to everyone here in Zambia. There are three of us staying an extra couple days to conduct the business aspects of CWB, but the group separated late this afternoon. As I mentioned before, some of us went to the community where we have been teaching. Others went to the Fountain of Hope to deliver soap, supplies, and give some medicine to individuals that tested positive for bilharzia. We also had a wonderful celebration this afternoon. We had an African barbeque at the guest house and we also processed the entire trip. We were able to celebrate each other and discuss some of our favorite memories. It has been a great experience for all! I've been very fortunate to be part of a group that is so passionate about supporting children.

Play

“For a child, it is in the simplicity of play that the complexity of life is sorted like puzzle pieces joined together to make sense of the world” –L.R. Knost

Communities Without Borders has been so lucky to have such great support back in the United States for the donation of supplies. Each year, a number of partnered communities collect supplies for us to bring over to the children we support. Other times, schools and other individuals step up and donate supplies that are so appreciated. I want to recognize the amazing efforts of many Parker Families. I received backpacks, t-shirts, clothes, books and so many more supplies! One individual even started a collection at the Youth Center, School Age Program, Child Development Center, Lincoln Preschool, which are all located at the Hanscom Airforce Base. Supplies were also collected by Rosary Manor. I was so touched by the amount of support our organization has received and was so excited to share the supplies with the children of Zambia. Please know that beautiful, smiling children received your supplies with excitement and appreciation. I loved watching them play with the toys and look through quality literature. The opportunity does not often present itself to allow these children the idea to dream. While dreams are not often associated with materialistic things, the children we support know that they are cared about and not forgotten. In a world that often seems desolate, they have a safe haven where they can explore, manipulate, learn, and thrive. I am so proud to have been able to share your donations with them and am truly honored by the support.

Health Screenings

Beautiful little girl watching the medical team distribute medicine.

Catriona Kinane and Katie Dodd hard at work
during the health screening. They were working with the pharmacy team
putting together medicine prescribed by the doctor.



Students at Fountain of Hope waiting to
see the doctor.

*Photos provided by Catriona Kinane

Luse Lwamfumu

We had a wonderful visit in Linda Compound. Danny Flanagan and Lucy Boyle spent a night/day there and learned about the great things that are happening in the community. They stayed in one of the head ladies home and when the rest of the group arrived the next day, we could see Danny hard at work learning to cook nshima, Zambian's staple food. He was washing dishes and was completely immersed in the community. The women's group sang for us at the beginning of the certificate ceremony and we were able to celebrate the hard work completed by those who passed their exams. We are so proud of the student's accomplishments!
 

The Group

A group shot of us after the game drive. We ended our adventure by listening for hippos along the Zambezi River. We all feel so proud to be part of such an amazing organization and have the opportunity to travel with so many special individuals.

Saint Eleanor

Eleanor Matongo is the nurse midwife at Simukanka. She works at the health clinic built by Communities Without Borders. Lise Johnson says that Eleanor “is an amazing, talented and dedicated clinician.” Dick Bail, CWB’s founder, refers to her as “Saint Eleanor because she’s been so much, to so many people.” Her work has been a blessing to the community, where she has lost no mothers or infants during pregnancy and has elevated the level of care that is available to the surrounding communities. Her accomplishments in the past year include attending 152 births. Eleanor has also initiated and implemented a program to provide medication to 84 HIV+ patients on a regular basis. The community is so lucky to have her!

Mystical rainbow at Victoria Falls

One of our majestic views at Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It's amazing to think that these falls were formed millions of years ago and have produced the most breathtaking views. The fall's nickname is Mosi-o-Tunya or "the smoke that thunders". The spray from the falls can be seen for miles!

Zambezi River at sunset

Our amazing view at sunset on the boat, Lady Livingstone. This was a perfect way to end our mini-vacation to the falls/Livingstone and provided us a few hours of relaxation, spectacular views, and amazing memories.

*Photo provided by Katie Dodd

Elephant Shakedown

A fan favorite from our trip to Livingstone at the Game Drive. We saw lots of beautiful animals and had a wonderful time learning new facts. This elephant was showing us how strong he was by shaking the tree and he ate the berries that fell. Fun fact: Elephants have the ability to tell which berries are ripe and will only eat those.

*Photo provided by Katie Dodd

Fountain of Hope

Jennifer Shaw and Catriona Kinane playing a game with
some children from Fountain of Hope

 

Everyone had a wonderful time at the Fountain of Hope, a safe haven for street children. It also serves as a community school for the children in the surrounding compound. We spent part of the day on Wednesday helping with a health screening, which included things like taking temperatures, handing out toothbrushes, shadowing the doctor, and helping with vision tests. We also had an informative tour of the grounds and learned a lot of information about the Fountain of Hope. One of the things that struck many of our travelers is when it was explained to us that when children come off the streets, the first thing is that they want to get clean. Unfortunately, Fountain of Hope often lacks the funds to provide everyone with products to clean their clothes and themselves. On a brighter note, we all enjoyed playing with the children at the center and we also got to play football (soccer).

Craft Lady

Maria and Justine

For many years, Maria Haynes of Lexington, Massachusetts has bought crafts in Zambia to sell back in the states. The profits are always donated to Communities Without Borders and she has made over $1000 each year to donate. Here she is buying and negotiating the price of different items with one of the women in Garden Compound. Maria Haynes enjoys using the crafts as a source for fundraising and she loves being able to share the beautiful crafts with others from the United States.

A Kiss for your Thoughts?!

I’m sure many of you watched the US-Belgium soccer game two nights ago. I did not get a chance to post some of our activities since I was so focused on the game (unfortunate we lost!). Last night, we were on Zambian time, since the power went out for the night. So I am playing catch-up! One of the things that we traditionally do with all our travelers is have a few moments at the end of the day to reflect our thoughts and feelings. Being on a trip like this can take a long time to process and reflect so this is one way that we are able to discuss the many different experiences each traveler has. Monday’s theme was “a penny for your thoughts” which I have used to relay some of the information for this blog. While I didn’t have pennies, I did have Hershey kisses and everyone enjoyed getting a “kiss for their thoughts.” Monday was a busy day for us-we taught for the first time in Garden and then we met with Ky Lam, the Chief of HIV/AIDS Multi-Sectorial Team at the US Embassy.

Here are some of the thoughts from some individuals about the teaching experience:

Lucy Boyle with a student from Garden

Danny Flanagan found the teaching experience “really cool, because even though most of the kids are not fluent, they knew some words. We were able to communicate with them despite the language barrier. I saw how important education is and the contrast compared to America is so profound.”

Lucy Boyle was amazed and taken back by the circumstances, and how kids could hardly move but were eager to participate under such rudimentary circumstances. She thought the first day flew by! She found the experience to be quite rewarding but was shocked about how tight the space is for the children.  

Susan Dodd said that “as a teacher, I felt it was a natural thing to go to the school today. Children are children wherever they are around the world. It was a wonderful experience! I loved it!” 

Maria Haynes found that “it is such a universal theme for kids to want to learn.  It was nice to have everyone in there (the travelers)! It was nice to have enough people to share the experience and the duties with. Maria Haynes has been part of Communities Without Borders for 8 years and has had such a positive impact on teaching children in Garden.

Audrey Reuman found that she expected to have an experience that was very different from being home. However, she found that her time teaching felt like babysitting back home. Audrey also felt comfortable singing the songs and remembered her own childhood when she sang similar songs. She reflected on the education she had growing up and how lucky she was to have a great education. She connected with the children we taught and how they need the opportunity to read books and play with legos.

Jennifer Shaw had a great experience at Garden. This was her second trip with CWB and she was quite impressed with the positive experiences that happened at Garden. She also found the visual aids created by the teachers to be a great additional to the learning environment. She wondered that if it had not been for CWB if the teachers would have been aware to use those types of visual aids to support student learning.

We had a great experience teaching for the first time and can’t believe how cute the children are-we are looking forward to being in the community to teach some more!

The Difference of a Year

2013

2014

Wow-the difference of a year in Zambia is so amazing! As I return to the community I have been connected to for so many years, I am thrilled with the positive changes that have been made. There are so many children that I have remembered and have the opportunity to reconnect with. One particular girl is Mutafele. She has been at the school for three years, and she is now writing her name, coloring in the lines, learning her alphabet, and using/understanding lots of English words. Here is a picture of her last year and then this year!

 



Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Students from Garden Community School praying
before their snack

Today was the first day visiting and teaching the children in the Garden Compound and I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a very exciting experience. Working with these children really is so different from what we are used to back home. They are so eager to learn and so excited to have us come to teach them, just as we are excited to teach them.

The theme for the day was "alphabet." We started the morning by making nametags for all the kids and singing songs. Although there may be a language barrier, we have found that singing really brings everyone together and is a great way to start their day. Next, we read "alphabet" books, "Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom," being their favorite. During snack, the kids loved having their pictures taken, as usual, and seeing their faces on the camera when we showed them. Sometimes it's hard to have to put the cameras away because they just keep wanting more!

Overall, teaching in Garden today was very fun, exciting, and an interesting experience for some of our new travelers. Tomorrow we will be going back and teaching colors!

Post by Jen Shaw

Women for Change & Angels of Mercy

Lise Johnson, Anna Mahango, Emily Sikazwe, Dick Bail

We felt fortunate to spend significant amounts of time with Emily Sikazwe and Anna Mahango this evening.  Women for Change is an impressive NGO with a 22 year track record and a variety of different interventions to help women.  They also have a network of 90 rural schools, which while they are in rural locations appear to be very well managed.  We hope to visit one soon.  Angels of Mercy have now been working with us for about 6 years in keeping students healthy so that they can attend school.

 

Written by Dick
 

Our conversation with Emily also found another similarity between our organizations! We have implemented a psychosocial, narrative therapy workshop to children of all ages called the Tree of Life, which was designed by a program called REPSI. We have incorporated this type of workshop to children and women of all ages for the past four years.The focus of the therapy is to support those who participate in the workshop and have them create a tree that walks them through their history, discusses where they are in life now, their strengths, their hopes and dreams, and gifts they give others. Each part of the tree represents one aspect of their life. Emily mentioned how she has developed a similar therapy which she has used with the women she works with. In the therapy, she also uses a river to allow the women she works with to discuss the events in their life that have played a factor in their life (good and bad). The "river" symbolism helps create an additional dimension to the workshop so that the women come to the realization that the factors that have impacted their lives are behind them and they can start their future with a positive light. It was very reassuring by hearing from Emily, a Zambian who has worked for women in need for so many years, that these types of therapy are essential to supporting people in need.  We have two Tree of Life Workshops planned for the trip, so I hope we will have some pictures to post of that activity in the next few days.

 

~Amy

 

 

 

Dubai/Arrival

Hi Everyone,

We have arrived safely to Zambia! What an eventful trip-we were unfortunate to have troubles during our departure due to a miscommunication about luggage. Luckily, we had our best bargainer, Lise Johnson weasel Emirates Airlines to only charge us for an additional seven suitcases. We will be looking to be reimbursed for the cost of the suitcases at a later date.

We stopped over in Dubai for a night, which was great fun! Eight of us ventured out in the middle of the night to see the beautiful sights. We saw many hotels that could be televised on the Life Style of the Rich and Famous, dipped our feet into 100 degree beach water, and saw the tallest building in the world (The Burj Khalifa). Oh, did I mention that we also found an ice cream shop open at 2 a.m.?! Thanks Maria for the delicious treat.

We all made it back to the hotel with plenty of time for a quick rest, hot shower, and then off again to the airport to make our final flight to Zambia. We arrived this afternoon to a warm welcome by our Field Operation Manager, Jessie Phiri, along with two of our drivers we have had on previous trips. We had a great evening eating dinner with the two teachers from Garden (Carol and Mumbi). We are off to bed for a good night’s rest and will be up early tomorrow to attend a church service. Can’t wait for the days ahead!  

Part of our group arriving in Zambia

All of us before our departure from Dubai

Our Schedule

Our schedule :) Can't believe we leave today!

Summer Trip 2014

June 26, 2014 to July 11, 2014
Thursday, June 26 *Please plan on arriving at the airport three hours before departure (8:15)	Leave Logan Airport Emirates Airlines Departure: 11:15 PM *Remember your passport! *Pack an overnight bag as your carry-on. Remember flight regulations for all liquids. Medicine for malaria should be with you in your carry-on as you are supposed to start the medicine one to two days prior to arriving in Zambia.
Friday, June 27	Arrive in Dubai: 7:25 PM Hotel overnight
Saturday, June 28               *Shop for snacks/cookies/water *Transportation needed	Depart Dubai: 9:25 AM Arrive in Lusaka at 2:25 PM   Travel to Kaliyangile Guest House http://kaliyangile.com/ Explore/drive/walk around communities Unload and sort supply suitcases Go to Arcades to exchange  money Dinner at the Guesthouse: invite Mumbi and Carol from Garden and Jessie Phiri, our field operation manager
Sunday, June 29   *Transportation needed	Church in local communities (Garden church service) Lunch/Craft Market  at Arcades Mall Prep for teaching in Garden
Monday, June 30             *You will need to bring your passport with you for identification for the US Embassy. We will also be going through security to get in. Leave all electronics at the Guest House.   *Transportation needed	Teach in Garden   *Plan on having lunch at the Guest House each day unless other arrangements have been made   1:15 Leave Guest House 2:00 Afternoon activity: Meeting with the US Ambassador Ms. Ky Lam:Chief of the HIV/AID Multi-Sectorial Team US Embassy Subdivision 694/Stand 100 Ibex Hill Road Lusaka, Zambia Email: KLam@usaid.gov Phone: 260-211-357-441
Tuesday, July 1               *Transportation needed	Teach in Garden   Fountain of Hope Health Screening: 4-5 volunteers   Afternoon activities: Tree of Life Workshop at Living Hope-2 groups with 4-5 CWB leaders   Visit to N’Gombe Health Clinic
Wednesday, July 2         *Transportation needed	Fountain of Hope Health Screening: Everyone   Afternoon activities: 2:00 Basic School/Secondary School visit: Olympia High School (Get Jessie to schedule/confirm) Tree of Life Workshop-2 groups with 4-5 CWB leaders
Thursday, July 3       *Shop for snacks, food, breakfast foods for trip *Transportation needed	Health Screening in Garden Compound (no teaching)   Evening: Pack a bag for Simukanka/Livingstone and pack up your suitcases to put in trip leader’s rooms (we cannot keep our rooms occupied without having to pay the daily rate)
Friday, July 4  *Special transportation for our trip to Simukanka/Livingstone: to fit 14 (with room for food, snacks, and luggage)	Depart for Simukanka: 8:00 am -We eat lunch on the way in our vehicle (s) -We stop to pick-up supplies for our dinner (rice, tomatoes, etc.) Arrive in Simukanka in the early afternoon
Saturday, July 5 *Special transportation for our trip to Simukanka/Livingstone: to fit 14 (with room for food, snacks, and luggage)	Spend the morning in Simukanka 10:00 Departure for Livingstone/Victoria Falls   Check-in to Natural Mystic Lodge for two night stay http://www.naturalmysticlodge.com/
Sunday, July 6   *Special transportation for our trip to Simukanka/Livingstone: to fit 14 (with room for food, snacks, and luggage)	Early breakfast at Natural Mystic Lodge   Morning: Safari/Game Park   Livingstone Craft Market (if time) Lady Livingstone Boat Sunset Tour
Monday, July 7 (Zambian holiday)   *Special transportation for our trip to Simukanka/Livingstone: to fit 14 (with room for food, snacks, and luggage)	Depart Livingstone at 8:00 am   Drive back to Kaliyangile Guest House   Stop for lunch on the way home   Dinner at the Guest House
Tuesday, July 8 (Zambian holiday)   Dick-10:00 visit to PaKachele School Zambezi Road, Foxdale   *Transportation Needed	Teaching in Garden   Linda Certificate Ceremony: 2:00 Kabwata Craft Market
Wednesday, July 9   *Transportation Needed	Teach/visit communities: Garden   Afternoon Activity: 2:00 Garden Certificate Ceremony
Thursday, July 10             *Transportation to airport for 12 travelers plus luggage	Goodbyes   Munda Wanga: Botanical Garden and Zoo Reflect on trip   -Early Dinner -Depart Guest House at 6:00 *Arrive at airport at 7:00 PM Depart Lusaka at 9:25 PM
Friday, July 11	Arrive in Dubai: 6:40 AM Depart Dubai: 9:15 AM Arrive in Boston: 2:45 PM

Anticipation

Bright smiles like this one await our arrival in Zambia. I am so excited to be traveling with 13 other individuals to Zambia. We had our potluck luncheon today and it was such a great opportunity to share stories from past travelers with first timers. I'm so grateful to have such a great group of travelers! All our suitcases are packed-28 bags are filled with school supplies, toys, clothes, medical supplies, and so much more. Each bag weighs 50 pounds, so in total, this year we are able to bring 1400 lbs. of materials to support children in Zambia. What an accomplishment! Many thanks go out to all the different organizations that helped supply donations. The supplies will go a long way and I'm sure you will see your supplies being used while we are in Zambia. Looking forward to having our travelers post on our blog daily starting on June 28 when we arrive in Zambia.

Greetings ...

I just wanted to get this blog setup and tested before the Communities Without Borders trip to Zambia this summer (2014).

Although I am not traveling with the group, I do plan to stay informed about their trip through this blog.  I know that Amy will recruit travelers to recount their daily experiences so that we too can applaud their successes on this trip.

If you are new to the CWB community, I urge you to take a look at their website:

http://www.communitieswithoutborders.org/

There are blogs from previous years located at:

http://cwbzambia2012.blogger.com
http://cwbzambia2013.blogger.com

Bon Voyage travelers, we will be excited to hear of your endeavors.

Tom Murphy
tjm