Category Archives: A to Z Abroad

Beep. Beep.

By Mal Keenan

Zambia is slowly building a small middle class. Very slowly.
And with a middle class comes more Zambian drivers.
Imagine a whole lot of 16 year old drivers on the road…that’s kind of
how it looks and feels. Some driving fast. Some driving slow.
Accidents.
Bumper to bumper.
Traffic jams.
Horns honking.
And the cars are changing, too.
Back home in Crystal Lake, my sons and I play the game “Slug Bug” when we
see a Volkswagen bug driving by, and I think I need to get that game going
here in Lusaka as there have been so many “Slug Bugs” passing by.
Slug Bug Green.
Slug Bug Blue.

Seed by Seed, Row by Row…How does your garden grow?

by Betty Trummel
Our visit to the bush, rural Zambia, gave us a glimpse of a completely
different way of life.  The School of Hope, located in Nyirenda, is
adjacent to the Village of Hope.  Both are run by All Kids Can Learn
International (AKCLI) and are shining examples of sustainability in
action.  Let me elaborate with one key element.

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My lessons for the past three days have focused on the incredible garden
near the school.  Elijah, the master gardener, has developed these
fields.  With the vegetables grown here, he helps feed the families in
the village, students and teachers at the school, and his own family.  In
addition, crops are sold to generate income for Elijah and his family.
Although it’s winter here, the location just south of the equator means
that temperatures are mild (70’s during the day right now, 50’s at
night), but if you asked any Zambian, they’d say it’s cold.  It is very
dry here – no chance of rain, which means Elijah and his helpers spend a
lot of time watering.  A good water supply is not as much of an issue as
it could be in other areas, since deep wells have been drilled on these
sites.  Still, water conservation practices are routine.

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What a JOY it’s been to work with students and teachers in grades 1-4 as
I read them books in their classrooms, then took mini field trips to the
garden.  Our goal:  to learn more about what parts we eat of various
plants.  That could mean the leaves (and sometimes stems) of cabbage,
rape (a type of cabbage widely grown in Zambia), basil, or spinach.  Root
vegetables include beets, carrots, radish, and onions.  Fruit bearing
veggies include eggplant, impwa (a smaller, orange version of an eggplant
with the same waxy coating and fleshy interior), tomatoes, and more!  In
some cases seeds are consumed like with maize (corn) and peas.

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Following our hike back to school, children drew and wrote about what
they had learned.  As a gardener myself, these lessons have an important
connection to my life, and to the life of the Village and School of Hope.
Thanks for opening the School of Hope, the village, and your hearts to
the A to Z Literacy Movement team.  Thanks to Elijah for welcoming me
into his garden with over 150 children in tow on six field trips.  I will
not soon forget this wonderful opportunity to teach, and to grow my own
knowledge.

A View From The Backseat

by Betty Trummel

On our way back to Lusaka last Thursday, I decided to take notes on the
colors, sights, and sounds of the journey.  Here’s what I observed
transitioning from rural to urban Zambian life.

•       A pink-orange glow greeting us as we left the Village of Hope at 6:00 am
•       The smell of charcoal burning (deforestation for the production of
charcoal is an issue here) as the momma’s started the cookers to prepare
the morning meal
•       Clouds of red dust as a Zambian woman used a hand-held whisk broom to
sweep trash away from the tarmac (road)
•       Bags of charcoal piled high (and precariously perched) on a large truck
being driven in front of us
•       Morning traffic on the “death road” (named that because of the many
accidents that occur on this major north-south road out of Lusaka) which
includes not only the traffic on the tarmac, but major foot and bicycle
traffic alongside the roadway; everyone is on the move to start their day
•       Children in colorful school uniforms and women in brightly colored chetenge
•       Police checkpoints along the way
•       A man on a bike with a rolled up mattress and bedding on his back
•       Mini-buses and vans packed with people…all overcrowded
•       “abnormal load” equals wide load
•       A man with a large wheelbarrow carrying 2 bales of hay; another man
using a wheelbarrow with a front extension, carrying bags of charcoal
•       As we approached the city of Lusaka there was increased traffic both on
the roadway and adjacent to it, more strip malls and roadside stands, and
much more trash everywhere.

I was already longing for the beautiful agricultural region we had left
less than two hours ago.  I’ll miss the stars in the clear night sky,
especially the Southern Cross.  I’ll miss the sounds of the farm, except
the ducks quacking outside my window at 6:00 am.

First Time Visitor – Long Time Teacher

By Becky Roehl

Traveling to Africa has been an experience. The group is through with the first school of our trip. Village of Hope was a pleasant surprise. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is how similar this country school in Zambia is to schools in the United States. Teachers are trying to manage kids with different learning abilities and different economic backgrounds. Staff are looking for ideas on how to work with different students, and they want to develop the craft of their teaching.

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With everyday of teaching and being with students relationships are formed. Emails are exchanged between teachers. Yes, email! Many differences but more similarities
are found among the dust, bright sun, and beautiful music made by children.

Food for Thought

By Pat Kelly

Mal Keenan has an answer for every question. While at the School of Hope this week, she’s led professional development (PD) sessions with the staff of 18. The A to Z team has had three days of teaching, brainstorming, meeting and consulting. They’ve gone into classrooms and the director’s office repeatedly in a quest to impart as much knowledge and as many ideas as they can in their short time here.

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Capping each day have been Mal’s PD meetings. She’s invited the teachers at this impressive School of Hope to continue the important, challenging work they do with new concepts and research driven practices. Teachers have been moved by Mal’s experience and expertise and have asked thoughtful questions as she, Becky and Betty had them go through the information.

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This experience has been a really powerful reminder of how critical our own professional development is in education. As educators, we need to continue to develop ourselves, connect with our peers, and collaborate on what is best for children around the globe.

Country Mouse. City Mouse.

By Mal Keenan

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We spent the last four days near the village of Nyirenda, working with the organization All Kids Can Learn International. Benedict and Kathleen, along with our friends, Bob and Mary, are doing amazing work out in the bush. Six orphan homes, one school, one truck stop, one take away, along with a farm that produces forty tons of maize yearly keep this ministry moving forward.

After being up North, and now back near the city, I realize that I’m more of a country mouse than a city mouse. The sunrises and the sunsets were spectacular. The dairy cows walking by and the noisy guinea hens were entertaining. The rooster and ducks did well as my alarm clock. Everything around me made me smile. Our walks to school in the morning will not be forgotten with lovely with kids walking alongside us. It was truly peaceful.

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This first time visit out to Village of Hope will not be the last. It is a place A to Z teams will return to grow a stronger relationship in education and serve vulnerable children.

Walking Around Munali Secondary School

By Mal Keenan

walking Munali #2

What a great start to the day! This morning we picked “old” friend Jonathan Mwale up at Shine to go and see his new school, Munali Secondary School where he is currently in grade 10.

Walking Munali #3

As we walked around the campus, Jonathan shared with us information about his classes and life in high school. Jonathan is enjoying biology, math, and chemistry. It was such a joy to hang out with him and learn more about his life as a 16 year old. A to Z supports Jonathan’s schooling and will continue to help him reach his dreams. As he said so brilliantly, “I want to go the promised land, where people look to me for help and I accomplish my goals.”

walking around Munali

Terra Firma

By Mal Keenan

terra firma

We’re here. Got our feet on the red dirt soil of Lusaka and we are off and running. There is plenty of work and four of us as giddy as school girls ready to begin.

With 15 suitcases and four backpacks we are ready to bring the world to Zambia.

Round, Round, Get Around…I Get Around!

By Betty Trummel

Necessity is the mother of invention.  True here in Lusaka, Zambia, where individuals get around any way they can.  Most often it’s on foot with well-worn dirt pathways on the side of every roadway.  Women carrying baskets atop their heads, laden with fruit and peanuts, or balancing heavy containers of water on strong shoulders or their heads.  From the youngest Zambians, wrapped in brightly colored fabric slings draped on the shoulders of an older sibling or mama, to groups of young children in school uniforms…making their way back and forth to school each day…moving on foot is the predominant method of getting around.
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Bicycles are also an option, although that’s more limited.  It’s not uncommon to see two or even three people on a bike OR goods bought/sold piled high on the back of the bike and/or person riding it.

A noticeable change since my last visit four years ago is more vehicles on the roads.  Clearly there’s no emissions control, and every vehicle sputters and spews cloudy puffs of smoke into the air.  People crowd into buses and cars, onto the back of trucks, and are precariously perched on construction vehicles.  Whether sitting in plastic lawn chairs in the truck bed, dangling off the vehicle, it’s all very different than transportation back home.
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A funny experience today was getting fuel for the car.  Trying to convert Kwacha (Zambian currency) to dollars and liters to gallons at the same time proved to be challenging for us.  As we pulled away and Mal noted that the gas gauge had not moved much, we laughed as we realized that we probably bought three fourths of a gallon of fuel.  Oops!

Looking Back While Looking Forward

By Ann Yanchura

Confucius tells us to “study the past if you would define the future;” this is continual thread in the fabric of A to Z Literacy, and one of the many reasons why I’m honored to be a part of this organization. At this time two years ago, I was planning my lessons, collecting school supplies from my generous school colleagues at both Hannah Beardsley Middle and Indian Prairie Elementary Schools, and packing up for my first trip to Zambia.

Looking forward: View through our windshield on our way to Shine Reading Academy

Looking forward: View through our windshield on our way to Shine Reading Academy

By looking back while looking forward, I have learned a few lessons from all that planning: Continue to look to the future of our world by investing in the education of our young. Never underestimate the power of teachers. Always have a Plan B in both life and lesson plans. Time spent learning is never wasted. Be open to whatever and whomever comes your way because there is always something more for you to learn.

Looking back: Just one of the many beautiful memories of lessons learned

Looking back: Just one of the many beautiful memories of lessons learned

Note that in the first paragraph, I called the 2012 mission my “first” trip to Zambia; once you go, you will want to return over and over, and I’m looking forward to that. It’s no secret that I am both excited and jealous to follow the adventures of this year’s mission team of Mal, Pat, Betty, and Becky. I will always look back on the memories shared with our 2012 team made up of Mal, Stasia, Kalan, Mariann, and me as some of the best of my life. And to paraphrase both General Douglas MacArthur and the Terminator, I WILL RETURN to that magical and wonderful place in the future for more life lessons. No doubt about it.