Passing on the baton

I consider my role in Zambia (leading the Arise Orphan Project whilst being headteacher of Kapumpe Primary School) to be best 'job' I've ever had. There have been many challenges but the children are a delight and it has been wonderful to see the school grow, staff develop their skills and new Arise projects get off the ground. So many people have asked me why, if I am enjoying the work so much, I am planning to move back to the UK at the end of this term.

Rewarding good behaviour - a lovely bit of the job!

During my time here in Zambia, I have felt that God led me to be here for a time of transition. I didn't however quite anticipate the extent of the transition that both projects would go through during my time here. I didn't imagine Tim and Gemma (my friends who started the school) moving back to the UK at the beginning of my second year here, or growing from one Zambian teacher sharing class responsibility at Kapumpe to five Zambian teachers having sole responsibility for their own classes, and having a Zambian headteacher. I had no idea that Arise would grow to include child sponsorship, college scholarships, a farming project, microloan business training and a youth club. But it has been very exciting to see 
and be a part of the developments.

Arise farming project - the pioneer group

It has been a privilege to lead Kapumpe and Arise and work with a brilliant team during my time here. In a professional context, it has given me an opportunity to use my previous teaching and leadership experience as well as develop new skills, making many mistakes and learning a huge amount along the way. It has also helped to further shape my view of leadership.

I strongly believe that part of leading well is about developing the people that you are working with. The best leaders I have worked for are those who invested in their staff. We need to see potential in people and give them opportunities to develop their skills in such a way that equips them to do more than what their current role entails, and empowers them to excel in the future.

Leading with others

Leading well also involves knowing when it's time to pass on the baton and move on. It can be tempting to stay doing something because it is going well or because you enjoy it, but this could also risk limiting further growth. Handing over the baton gives your successor space to work towards the vision in new ways and enables them to take the work even further, with a new perspective. For example, our new Zambian headteacher at Kapumpe has different skills and experience to me which has already enabled him to spot new opportunities for growth and development. 

New headteacher at Kapumpe

When you look at the big picture, you realise that what's most important is not how much you enjoy your personal role, but rather how the vision and purpose of the projects can be fulfilled to achieve what was set out for the people they are there to support. It is certainly a collective effort. Here in Kaniki we have seen miraculous provision of money and people that I believe has been given by God. The growth of Kapumpe and Arise and any successes are due to them being part of God’s plan for people in Kaniki.

One of our Arise guardians with her granddaughter, a pupil at Kapumpe

As I have said many times, it is a privilege to have had an opportunity to play a small part in the plan here. I want my legacy to be one that empowers others to do more than I could. And although I will be moving back to the UK for the foreseeable future before the end of April, I most definitely hope to return to Kaniki again in the future. I look forward to seeing further development here, and to seeing the wonderful children who I taught in Grade 2 when they complete primary and secondary school and go on to college!

It takes a village

“It takes a village to raise a child" is a well-known proverb that exists in many African languages. It reflects a world view that is common in African cultures today. Zambian culture places a strong emphasis on family and community. Children are seen as a blessing upon the entire community from God and many people are involved in their upbringing. This is a wonderful aspect of Zambian culture which I admire, and one that has shone through recently in a very tough situation that I have come across.

Children are a blessing from God

Andrew* is 15 years old and the youngest child in his family. Sadly his mother died of cerebral malaria when he was just 7 years old. Andrew's father had already died and then his older brother died of malaria at aged 18. In Zambian culture, grandparents, aunts and uncles or sometimes an older sibling are most often the people who will raise the children of deceased relatives. In Andrew's situation this is exactly what happened. He has been cared for by his elderly grandmother, living with her, and his aunts and cousins who all stay together. His sister lives with different relatives in another town.

During 2016, Andrew suffered a lot of ill health and spent time in two different hospitals. Every hospitalised patient in Zambia has to have a carer who stays with them, so his grandmother and one of his uncles took turns in doing that. Tragically since then, Andrew has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and admitted to a third hospital. I was recently visiting Zambia's capital city Lusaka where the hospital is located and so I was able to visit him.

Hospital in Lusaka

The children’s cancer ward where he is staying has quite a pleasant environment and looks much nicer than other hospitals I have visited here. However, this is not necessarily an accurate reflection of the level of treatment and care that is available. Andrew needed CT scans and unfortunately, as is often the case in Zambia, the machine at the hospital was broken. Our options were to wait - with no idea of how long, possibly weeks or months - or to take him to a military hospital and pay for the cost of the scans which is what I decided to do.

The entrance at the military hospital was as far as I was allowed to go

Going to the military hospital meant a 4-5 hour wait outside for me, as not being Zambian meant I wasn’t allowed to enter the building in case I was a spy. Whilst I was there, the soldiers working there chatted to us and took an interest in Andrew's situation. This time a different uncle of Andrew's had travelled with him and had taken on the role of carer. When I bought them some food to eat for lunch, the soldiers were quick to clear one of the tables in their office for Andrew and his uncle to sit at, and even fetched water so they could wash their hands. I could tell they were sympathetic to the situation and were doing what they could to help.

Andrew and his uncle eating lunch in the soldiers' office

After the scans, we were waiting outside for the taxi when it started to rain. Rain in Zambia isn’t just drizzle, but very heavy rain. I was about to usher Andrew back towards the shelter, knowing he would have to move slowly because he is weak, when a kind lady opened her car door and offered for us to sit inside. Even when the person she was waiting for returned to the car, they waited there and chatted to us so we could stay dry. A simple act of kindness, but help that we we appreciated.

Andrew waiting for the taxi

Back on the ward the next morning, one of the young patients there had very sadly died. Nurses were wrapping the body, and the mother was pacing up and down the ward wailing. Grief here in Zambia is expressed loudly. But although she was extremely sad, she wasn’t alone. As she walked up and down, there were people by her side, who I presume were her friends and family.

We were very upset to hear that Andrew's cancer has spread to his abdomen, which means that he will need to start chemotherapy once his assessments are complete. I was grateful that the staff allowed me to go and talk to him and pray for him before I left even though visitors aren’t even usually allowed on the ward.

Entrance to the children's ward with a 'No visitors' sign

Andrew's uncle has such a good heart. I expect that he will be at the hospital for quite some time, sleeping by his bed side and probably only going outside the building to wash their clothes or if he has enough money to buy food. All of the other children on the ward had female carers; mothers, aunts or grandmothers. The lady at the bed next to Andrew assured us that she has been encouraging Andrew to try and eat, and will continue to do so. Another lady showed us drinks and food that she had bought to build up her son’s strength, which she thought we might find helpful to buy for Andrew. Even my taxi driver turned out to be a hero. Not only did he help me with translation into the local language and took me to a market, shops and a pharmacy where I could buy cheap supplies, but he has said that he will return to visit Andrew and his uncle when he takes customers to that area of town. 

Although I was sad to leave, it is something of a comfort to know that the adults around Andrew will continue to care for him. He may not be their son, but he’s a child and they see him as a gift from God so they will do their best for him. Many of the guardians who we support in Arise do not have the space or funds to take in another child but will do it anyway. There are many Zambians who are selfless in this way, which is quite an inspiration.

One of our Arise guardians and the grandchildren she is raising

*name changed to protect his identity

Out of your comfort zone

Apparently you should do one thing every day that scares you.

When you live and work in another culture, you come across plenty of opportunities for stepping out of your comfort zone. One example is attempting to speak the local language. It's likely that words will be mispronounced or used in the wrong context. I’ve certainly tried words in Bemba and ended up looking or sounding rather silly! But on the other hand, there are also occasions when it's easy to stay within your comfort zone and avoid taking a risk. It’s natural to find comfort in familiarity.

Scary faces

 Everyone has a different comfort zone. One of my friends who came to visit me here in Zambia actually has a fear of flying. I was amazed that despite her fear, she flew from London to Ndola via Johannesburg and even took an internal flight on a very small aircraft. At first, some of the children at school were fearful about getting into the pool to learn to swim. It took them a while and they held on tightly to an adult, but they did it. For me personally, I love travelling and swimming but there are other things that do scare me just a little bit.

A friend that travelled to Zambia despite her fear of flying

I've tried to make sure that I step out of my comfort zone at certain times and on other occasions I have simply had to. Ridiculous as it may seem, I dislike insects and have on several occasions been scared of little critters that are far smaller than me; particularly scorpion spiders that are astonishingly quick and can climb walls! My usual approach is to just deal with it by killing them as quickly as possible. I wasn’t quite as cool, calm and collected when I found a mouse running around my house here – my approach to this was standing on the sofa and screaming!

Clearly not so scared of snakes!

After just one term of living in Zambia, I went on a trip to Kazembe and certainly felt out of my comfort zone. Once we arrived there my friend who had organised the trip announced that I would be leading the team in groups around the town and to the clinic, to talk about faith and pray for people. It would have been far easier for me not to do it, but we ended up being able to encourage lots of people and see an instant improvement in some of them. Doing a bungee jump over the Zambezi River in Livingstone also scared me a bit. Not in a petrified way, more exhilarating. There's something about adventurous activities like skydiving and white water rafting that appeals to me. It makes you feel alive.

Preparing to bungee

If I’m honest, I wasn’t even sure about writing a blog when I first came to Zambia. How do you know if you’ll have anything to say? How do you know if anyone will want to read it? But I’m certainly glad I took that risk. It has been a great way of sharing lots of things that are going on here and keeping friends and family at home updated. I’ve realised I seem to spend a lot of my time communicating with people in different ways, so I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t have enough to say about my time here.

As school teachers we regularly try to push children out of their comfort zone and tell them that it’s okay to make mistakes, because we see the potential they can achieve. But we have to model it to them too. Many a time in the classroom, children have helped me with this by pointing out that I've made a mistake!

Eager faces ready to learn something new

Making our own choice to step out of our comfort zone, gives us the opportunity to learn, grow and develop. Yes, there’s a chance you’ll fail or won’t enjoy it but there is also a chance you will. Living and working here has taught me that when we step out of our comfort zone, we usually find that we can achieve so much more than we think. 

Snake!!!

Another little piece of my heart

To help the Arise team be both purposeful and efficient, we have created some policies and procedures for us all to follow. This means that any team member is able to help a child or guardian who comes to the office, which includes being able to respond objectively rather than emotionally. This is an important part of working in this environment, as it helps us to treat people fairly and use our resources in the best way.

Arise volunteers who work in the office

Nonetheless, there are times when particular people or situations melt your heart. In that moment you have to decide whether to follow the usual guidelines or do something different. I often pray in these situations because it can be very difficult to determine the best way forward. Will giving extra help create dependency or lead to empowerment? Do I want to help because it will make me feel better, or is this a real injustice for which we can advocate? 

One of the children who came to the office to collect school shoes

One young man in Arise has broken my heart a bit this week. He is a double orphan (which means both his parents have died), who has been raised by his grandmother. He is 14 years old but during this short time has suffered a lot. Last year he was admitted to hospital and treated for HIV, until they realised he was HIV negative and then instead treated for TB. Of course, there would be outrage in the UK if a misdiagnosis occurred and people would certainly be held to account. That doesn’t happen here in Zambia; things just continue as they are. When this young man recently came to the Arise office, I didn’t recognise him because he is now so thin. He has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. 

Although I don’t know him particularly well, this young man always seems cheery despite his circumstances. He has received a referral for an assessment and treatment at another hospital, so came to the Arise office with his uncle to ask for help with transport money. Arise doesn’t usually help with healthcare costs, because our support is primarily focused on education and discipleship, but occasionally we will help with more serious medical appointments. We set priorities for the majority but sometimes feel compelled to look at individual cases with extra compassion. There are likely to be many grey areas ahead for this young man’s situation. Will he receive an accurate diagnosis? How much will potential treatment cost and for how long will it be needed? How should his family contribute? Will support be sustainable?

Resting in the Arise office

This week an elderly gentleman who I have met many times now also visited the Arise office. He is almost blind and lives alone. He has a grand-daughter living nearby but he isn’t the primary caregiver. This means he is not eligible to be accepted into Arise, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to help him. We welcome him our weekly guardians’ meetings and he is one of the most regular attendees. Occasionally he will ask if we can spare him some food. When I talked to him about how he manages for food, he said that people give it to him out of pity. My heart breaks for this elderly gentleman too. He shows such positive character despite not being able to see, and consequently, work. Although it doesn’t strictly follow our protocol, we have arranged to visit him in his home to see if there is any appropriate way to help further.

Arise guardians gathering for a meeting

It can be extremely hard to know what to do to help people who are struggling because their problems can seem insurmountable. We sadly have to learn not to say yes to every single request because we wouldn’t be effective, and it wouldn’t be financially viable. However, sometimes being affected by other people’s pain means we don’t lose sight of the purpose of what we are doing. I believe that when we pray, God can lead us in what to do. The Bible says we should loosen the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free and then the Lord will guide us (Isaiah chapter 58).

Little visitors to the office who make me smile

Life Experiences

One of the things I love being able to do here in Zambia is create opportunities that allow the children to do things they have never done before. There was much excitement when we took groups of children from Kapumpe to the swimming pool. They had been looking forward to it ever since it was first mentioned, and would ask every day when they could go next. Two years on from a school trip to a game park, they still talk about the animals they saw and ask if we can visit again. It is lovely to see the look of delight on their faces; I can’t help but thoroughly enjoy the experiences too because of their reactions. 

                            School trip to Nsobe Game Park



Last week was half term for schools in Hampshire, where I used to teach back home. Many children who attend those schools will very likely have been on outings – perhaps to a farm, theme park, the beach (maybe not quite so likely in February!), to visit friends in a different city or possibly even travel to another country on holiday. In contrast, the children supported by the Arise Project tend not to have many opportunities to venture far from where they live, apart from occasionally going to stay with a relative. It is actually rare for the majority of these children to even go to Ndola, the nearest town which is 15km away.

Tasting ice cream on a school trip into town

A group of boys from Arise had a very exciting, new experience last week – they played in a football tournament at the big football stadium in Ndola. The tournament was organised by a charity that we often link up with, Beyond Ourselves Zambia (BOZ), which is a UK-based charity working here in Zambia with community schools in Kitwe and Ndola. BOZ invited ten schools and youth projects to each bring a team of ten boys to the tournament for seven-a-side football matches.

First Arise game at the tournament

Games were played in front of the stadium

We provided our team from Arise with a fantastic Southampton Football Club kit which they were absolutely delighted with, especially when they found out they could keep it! (A few of them even changed into it again straight after school the next day.) A parent from one of the schools I used to work at in Hampshire had kindly donated the kit on behalf of the club. We just had to find trainers for a few of the boys who didn’t own any themselves, although some of the other teams played barefoot.

Arise football team in Southampton kit

Most of the players on the other teams were somewhat older and bigger than our team which gave us a bit of a disadvantage, but it didn’t stop the Arise team from giving their best in each match. It was a bright sunny day, so it was extremely hot and sweaty for them running about all over the place. They lost their first game but drew the next two games and managed to win one 2-0. There were some amusing celebrations when they scored, with a couple of the players doing multiple backflips and our Zambian adult helpers running around on the pitch. I felt like a proud mum (and very British!) standing on the side line cheering them on.

Backflip in action

  
The boys were then invited to have a tour of the stadium. I’ve been to the stadium several times to watch Zambia or the local team play, but for them the walk into and around the stadium was filled with numerous new experiences. In the posh changing rooms, they wanted to wash their hands with the liquid soap, in the VIP lounge they skidded around on the thick carpet and all of them were eager to have numerous photos taken. Even going in the lift was fun, and I found it entertaining that one of boys who tends to have a bit of attitude at school, was a bit scared of this new experience and held on very tightly to my arm!

In the stadium changing room

 

View of the pitch from the VIP Box

Levy Mwanawasa football stadium is named after the third President of Zambia who served from 2002 until his death in 2008. It was opened in 2012 and has a capacity of 49,800. Probably the biggest highlight of the day for the boys (apart from lunch which seems to be a highlight of any school trip for children both here and back home in the UK!) was playing on the pitch inside the stadium during the afternoon. 

Playing on the pitch inside the stadium

  
A huge thank you to BOZ for organising such a great day and to Southampton Football Club for supplying our kit. The children in  Arise are very much hoping this might turn into an annual event. All the work and organisation put in to the day was definitely worth it for the smiles on the boys’ faces.

Thank you from Arise!