I’m sorry about the long delay in posting… in true African style, our internet server was down for a week! Here’s some of what’s been going on around Namwianga:
Saturday we were visited by the Honorable Chief of Kalomo. These days, the title of “chief” is purely traditional. The man who fills this position is chosen through a democratic election and holds the title until death, or as long as he so chooses. His opinion is heard in the local government, although he does not have any defined political authority. The chief interacts with the people and works to promote the common good.
Sunday we traveled out to the bush to worship at Sichikwalula Church of Christ. This was the third such trip we have made. As an outreach, we visit congregations in remote areas and direct church services for them to encourage the people and their communities. Because most of their church members do not speak English, interpreters accompany us to translate our words into Tonga, Zambia’s native language. The church buildings are small mud huts without much ventilation. Inside are two rows of benches made from logs; ladies sit on one side and men on the other. Services typically begin with singing. One of our interpreters leads songs in Tonga and we sing along as best we can! Members of our group are responsible for leading the opening prayer and offering and for serving the Lord’s Supper. After Communion, children are dismissed for Sunday school, which is held outside under shade trees (if there are any available). Once the sermon is over, everyone parades back into the main building for more singing. The congregation sings some together, and then specific groups of people are asked to perform. “The group from Harding University” is, without fail, always asked to sing! After church, the village women serve food that they had spent all morning preparing. This usually consists of nshima (a corn porridge similar to grits; it is Zambia’s staple food), mpongo (goat), and kokoo (chicken).
Monday I spent the afternoon at Haven 1. They recently received two new babies: Grant, who is about a year old, and 1-week-old Amanda. (All babies are given new names upon entering a haven, symbolic of a new beginning). Both seem to be doing well, after treatment for various ailments.
Tuesday our group went to Choma (the next town east of Kalomo; it’s about an hour drive on paved road). We visited St. Malumba’s school for the blind, deaf, and mentally handicapped. Established in the 1980s by an Irish nun, the school currently has 210 students who board there year-round. It is an exceptional opportunity for these kids; the government schools in Zambia do not have special programs for the handicapped. The kids here are very intelligent and talented; they participate and often medal in competitions of all kinds: athletic, academic, musical, etc. We also visited the Choma Museum, which tells the story of Zambia’s southern province (where we’re at) and a local market.
Wednesday several members of our group went to Zimba Missionary Hospital, a service of the Wesleyan church. Zimba is the next town west of Kalomo (about 40 minutes on paved road). Because this hospital is run by missionaries rather than the Zambian government, it is far nicer than Kalomo hospital. It is still filthy, understaffed, and inadequate by American standards, but after seeing Kalomo hospital it seemed like a state-of-the-art facility! Patients were being cared for by nurses, and all services were performed in a fairly timely and accurate manner. In the morning I worked in the pharmacy; I labeled containers, counted pills, and organized medicines. In the afternoon I worked in the lab, where we drew blood from patients and performed various tests on blood and urine samples.
Thursday I worked at the Namwianga clinic. I sat in with Mr. Sikaleti, the clinical officer (similar to a Physician Assistant; currently he is the highest authority in the clinic, as no medical doctor is currently employed by Namwianga clinic). We saw several pregnant women, so I got to listen to babies’ heartbeats and feel their positions. I saw my first ear infection, heard a malfunctioning lung, and removed a splinter from a lady’s eye!
Friday, sickness caught up with me! Until then, I had managed to avoid every virus that affected our group! Luckily the only thing I dealt with was a fever, and it was gone in 48 hours!
Our daily life is also full of new and exciting activities. I joined the choir at George Benson, and we have practice three times a week. Many of the songs are in Tonga, which is challenging! Also, each member of the HIZ group has been assigned a “Tonga tutor” (a student from the college for us to befriend and through which learn more Tonga), so I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the girls’ dorms! My friend’s name is Felica, and she is a “first year” student studying to become a secondary school (high school) history teacher.
On October 7 our group leaves for an 8 day tour of Northern Zambia. We will be visiting various missions and churches, and will see a refugee camp and a chimpanzee orphanage! Please pray for our safety and health while we travel.
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