To Mapolo and Lusaka

Well, I just got back from Lusaka, Zambia (the capital), and it has been a very interesting three days. On Thursday, I spent the morning reviewing some more education policies, but in the afternoon Lawrence and I went to Mapolo, one of the main compounds/slums in which the Jubilee Centre works. Mapolo is just outside of Ndola. In this compound they run a network of 13 churches. They provide training and support for the churches as they help them think through their vision. Lawrence and I went to the compound for two reasons. First, we went because Lawrence was informing them of a training program the Jubilee Centre is offering in a couple of weeks. Secondly, we went to introduce the education program we hope to implement in the community schools run by the churches. Three of the churches run community schools in the compound, and our vision is to run a pilot program to train the teachers in these schools while advocating the government for them. The advocacy work is the reason that I have been reading so many policy manuals the past week. We presented the idea to the pastors, and they were very excited. It was such an encouragement to hear their excitement. Therefore, Lawrence and I are going back this week to meet again with the pastors and the principles of the schools to discuss the situation more in depth and to set a plan for what we want this year to look like. It is so exciting to see this thing getting off the ground.

It was so weird for me to go back to Mapolo because it was the first time I had been back there in 10 years. In 1999 I went with my family to Mapolo, which was then Chipakuluska, on a medical mission trip. At that time, the community did not have electricity, running water, etc. Because of many different factors and the vision of the churches in that community after that trip, the community now has those basic necessities. I can’t fully express my emotions coming back because never in my wildest imagination would I have been coming back ten years later to help the schools in the community think about the way that they do education.

The past two days, Friday and Saturday, have been spent in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Lusaka is very different from Ndola. It has more of a Western influence and is crammed full of people, cars, etc. One of the reasons we went was to pick up my work permit which the government said had to be picked up in Lusaka. We got to the place and wait for an hour and a half in the line. Then we are told that they don’t have my permit, and they don’t know where it is. They hand my paper back to me and say nothing. It was awkward/ very confusing because it appeared that he gave up looking. My American self would not take that answer though, and Lawrence and I pressured him to keep looking. We eventually got his supervisor involved, but he had no idea where it was either. He told them it had to be there. Lawrence and I eventually had to start searching through the files ourselves. At which time, we found a document stating that they had sent my work permit to Ndola. As stressful as I made that experience sound in writing, it was not stressful at all. Two years ago I would have been stressed in that situation but being a kindergarten teacher with TFA changes everything for you. Whenever I am in a stressful situation, I think back to my first days teaching and trying to control 23 screaming 5 year olds by myself. Everything else in comparison seems simple. I seriously thought about that standing in the government office, and the stress went away. Lawrence and I also had frustrating experiences at the Ministry of Health because they want doctors coming into the country for volunteer work to submit the most ridiculous documentation ever. If you ever want to hear something, get Lawrence talking about how much the Zambian government is screwing over its people.

All in all, even though we did not get everything we wanted, the time in Lusaka was good. It was a good time for me to learn about the different aspects of the Jubilee Centre’s ministry and the culture in which they operate. It was also a good time for me to ask questions of Lawrence and to hear his perspective on Zambia. Well, I have to go wash clothes and cook dinner. I apologize for the lack to pictures, but they will come next week (if I remember to take them!) Peace!