For the past two days my lessons for level 2 students at Shine have focused on using the photographs we’ve been taking around the Mutendere East compound, and describing life in Zambia. When students saw the photos THEY had taken, some had shy expressions while others showed huge smiles filled with emotion. This is their life and they were ready to write about it.

What’s important in our lives? What daily tasks are key, and which resources are critical? How is family an integral part of life…no matter which culture you are a part of?

Here are some snippets from student writing today:

“We buy food from the market. Food is good for us, it gives us energy.”

“I love this picture because the mother is holding the baby. This picture is showing love.”

“This picture is showing a boy going to school. The school is important to learn.”

“This picture shows us the stones. We use stones for building houses. Houses are good for us, it gives us shelter. We can live in the houses when the rains come and we can sleep in the house.”

“In my country people fetching water is very important for washing plates and cooking. It’s important for people drinking some water and to plant vegetables, and to clean your body.”

“You can buy charcoal it’s important. You can use it for cooking, (to heat) water for bathing, and for warming themselves.”

This has been a fabulous and eye-opening experience for me as an educator and learner. Walking with Teacher David and the children in areas I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to see, meeting families and seeing homes, markets, food, water supplies, and even a funeral with singing and a long procession…all part of daily life in Zambia.

Asking children in any culture to write about their lives provides a wealth of insight into what they are thinking and learning.

I’m asking our older Shine graduates and the teachers here at Shine to do this same activity. Tonight the teachers have an assignment….use the cameras to take their own pictures, and complete the writing piece to go with their photos. Having a good example of their own writing to share with students is an important tool for teaching. I want to share with teachers here just how important writing is…whether connecting to books or our lives.

Final comment: yesterday Jimmy Chilez, Shine graduate, talked with me about the support he’s gotten from me and my family and from A to Z Literacy. He said that when he has us “alongside him,” it makes things better. Our support means a lot to him.

We all need important mentors and connections in our life…family, friends, and teachers.

When asked what kinds of professional learning was needed prior to our arrival in Zambia, School of Hope director, Kathleen Schwartz, responded with her top priorities of guided reading, writing, rubrics, and grading.  Just the kind of school stuff we love to talk about! Eagerly, we launched A to Z’s After School Session on Monday with primary teachers learning more about guided reading lesson planning and the secondary teachers beginning to better understand how rubrics work to assist in grading and meet the needs of their students.

 While we absolutely enjoy this work, it’s always hard that first day – nerves, anxiety, and doubt creep into our minds as we stand in front of the group and begin to talk. Those uneasy feelings magnify when teachers, like our students back home, don’t always respond or offer ideas when asked. Yes, “crickets” happen here in Zambian classrooms as well.

 Tomorrow we will continue staff development when students head for home. As with years past, most teachers eventually warm up (and speak up) as we earn their trust during the school day by being in their classes and teaching side by side with them. What an amazing opportunity to grow for ALL of us.

“1, 2, 3…Click” (from Betty)

Photographs…we snap, click, share, post, and print. Everyday many of us take for granted the ease with which we document our lives.

I remember the first time I came to Zambia with A to Z Literacy Movement, back in 2010. It was my first experience in Africa. Children giggled with delight as I showed them the photographs I had taken of them. For many, it was a first glimpse at themselves. They may not have a mirror at home or glass in their windows to see their reflection. It was an eye-opening experience for me, a person who documents every part of my life with photographs (just ask my own children).

I know what I choose to photograph, to document when I come to Zambia, but what’s important to the children and teachers we work with? What’s meaningful in their lives? What would they chose to document? This year I chose photography as a way to find the answers to these questions and encourage writing skills along the way.

In a conversation with Moses yesterday, he mentioned, “This could be important for me because when I grow up and have my own family, I could tell a story about my own life. My kids, I can tell them work hard, and they can know how I felt.”

I want to listen to our Zambian friends tell their stories…in photographs and words…both oral and written.

With four donated digital cameras and two of my own, I’m going to teach some basic photography skills and tie these photos into lessons about writing skills. It’s easier to write about what you know.

I’ve got a portable (donated) photo printer, and lots of time each evening. I’m going to print out photos that the children and teachers of Shine Zambia Reading Academy take…as we walk through their compounds, work at their lessons, and play at school this week.

Before I traveled here this week, I created a photo book full of my photos from my two previous experiences teaching in Zambia. Today I used this photo book to teach about how I look at cultural experiences through my lens. I talked with the students (and teachers during our lunchtime learning) about how to use the cameras and compose good photos, as well as listened to their ideas about what to photograph.

My first photography walk with students was chaotic because they couldn’t wait to take pictures, but they did a fabulous job. They politely asked people in the compound surrounding the school if they could photograph them. They chose wonderful subjects. Notice the three girls heading down that road? They were trying to get photos of some Guinea hens.

I’m sharing the photos I took with my phone…to give you a flavor of our walk. More fun tomorrow with two other level 2 classes.

I hope to compile the pictures and words from this week into a new book; one to share the gift of self expression from the wonderful students and teachers at Shine.

It was a great first day at Shine!

“Reconnecting with Zambia” (from Betty)

It’s a funny thing about traveling to a place you’ve been before. You not only reconnect with friends you’ve made, but you reconnect with the place…the sights, the sounds, the smells, the cultural differences, and the people as a whole. Last night and today has been all about reconnecting with Zambia.

Familiar scenes greeted us as we took the taxi from the airport in Lusaka. People on the move…on foot, by bicycle, in cars (much more traffic now), and pushing/ pulling carts and carrying baskets and buckets on their heads. Roadside markets sell everything from vegetables to charcoal, furniture to bricks.

It was nearing twilight as we checked into the Kapingila Catholic Guest House and moved our massive amount of luggage upstairs to our neat and simply appointed rooms. A short walk along the bustling Kabulonga Road led us to Melissa’s which is a well-stocked local grocery store. Again, everywhere we looked there were people in motion.

Today was a joyous day…reconnecting with former students, (they’ll always be our students really) first Jonathan and his family…meeting in their home in Mtendere (pronounced Mutendere) Compound here in Lusaka. Rough going on bumpy, dusty dirt roads at first…but we eventually found our way. Welcomed with open arms by the Mwale family… smiles all around the room. Greetings were exchanged, amidst hugs and laughter. Watching Jonathan open up his new (refurbished) laptop was a scene of pure joy! His smile lit up the room. Later, while I was sitting on the couch talking with Mrs. Mwale, I was observing Mal and Dave teaching the kids how to play Uno. Such simple fun…love that!

A neighbor dusted out his car so all of us could go to the shopping plaza to meet Moses, Diana, and Jack Zulu. I have missed those kids so much! Reconnecting with everyone today was done with ease. Spending lunch with them and wandering the market was really awesome. Watching them order their lunches from a menu was a delight. They are all lovely children, trying hard in school, and they have a strong sense of family, which fits with Mal, Dave, and I and our own strong commitments to family.

It’s been a great first 24 hours of reconnecting with Zambia.

On June 9th, Betty Trummel, Dave Keenan, and I will begin our journey back to Zambia, Africa to once again serve our two partner schools – School of Hope and Shine Zambia Reading Academy. We hold the teachers and students of both schools so close to our hearts and can’t wait to work together again. As with previous trips, our planning has been thoughtful and intentional based on what teachers and students need. We have asked questions of the directors and want to utilize our talents to best support the Shine and School of Hope staffs because at the center of it all are the students – full of potential and full of hope.

We are looking forward to sharing our 2016 experience with you via blogs and facebook.     – Mal Keenan

Attention A to Z Literacy supporters- we want your junk! Don’t forget the Savers store in Crystal Lake has designated us as one of their pilot non-profits for their “Choose Your Cause” promotion. What this means is that anytime you bring a donation to Savers thrift store and mention A to Z Literacy Movement, they weigh the poundage you donate and pay us per pound! Bring your garage sale leftovers, your outgrown winter gear, and your teen’s odds and ends.  This is an ongoing promotion- keep us in mind whenever you have goods to pass along. Sorry, furniture, tires and liquids cannot be counted toward our fundraising promo.

Thanks so much for your help and for spreading the word.

Balls flying through the air. Teams decked out in “thematic” matching gear. Kids helping kids – wanting to make a difference in the world. That’s what has been going on over the last two months with A to Z. Two Crystal Lake middle schools, Bernotas Middle and Hannah Beardsley Middle, hosted A to Z Literacy dodgeball tournaments to raise funds and awareness for our organization. Teams of six, both girls and guys, gathered together to battle it out while having a ball.  In all, over $2,100 was raised to help us meet our 2016 goals.

We are so very grateful to Belinda Strebel and all of the volunteers at Bernotas, as well as Dave Keenan and his volunteers at Beardsley who helped to make both events successful and sure to be repeated next year.

By Pat Kelly

It was one of those late winter days recently when spring weather has blown in over the prairie, so I decided to drop off some used clothing and holiday decorations at Savers donation center. I pulled into the drive-through at the Crystal Lake store and an attendant in his lime green tee-shirt walked up to my car. Only this day, he was wearing a pair of lime green children’s butterfly wings to accessorize his shirt.

“Hello Mr. Butterfly!” I exclaimed through my open window.

“These came in with a donation this morning and I decided to put them on to liven things up here at the donation center,” J.S. told me.

“Well, you sure brightened my day. These donations are for the A to Z Literacy Movement donation drive,” I replied.

After taking my boxes into the building, J.S. returned with my receipt and a Savers punch card.

“On behalf of A to Z and Savers, we thank you for your donation,” he declared.

What a pleasant guy, I thought to myself as I drove away. What an asset J.S. is to Savers and indirectly, to A to Z.

Remember anytime year round you can bring used clothing, books, household items and linens to the drop off center at Savers’ Crystal Lake location and mention our organization by name. A to Z will be paid by the pound for what you give. Sorry, we cannot be paid for furniture, tires or liquids.

Have plans for tomorrow night? If not, why not come out to the Park Place at 7:00 for a fantastic evening of trivia fun and laughs with a great group of people. You can head to the website for tickets or buy them at the door. Don’t have enough folks for a whole table? No worries – we have plenty of space for you. Any questions? Feel free to email mal@atozliteracy.org

The A to Z Literacy Movement team would like to invite YOU to join us. We meet once a month for about an hour and a half to talk about what’s happening within the organization and brainstorm ideas on ways to meet our goals and fulfill our mission. Our meetings take place on the first Monday evening of the month at 7:00. It’s always informal, popcorn is always served, and there’s always something to celebrate. All ideas are welcome and appreciated, so please consider joining us sometime soon! Feel free to email Mal to let her know you are coming – mal@atozliteracy.org

Here are the upcoming meeting dates:

Monday, March 7th at 7:00

Monday, April 4th at 7:00

Monday, May 2nd at 7:00

Monday, June 6th at 7:00