Hi Everyone
The past two weeks have been spent researching alternative schools for my 'kids' . They are coming home for this weekend as its a holiday here on Monday and Tuesday. I have two options - try to improve the conditions where they are or transfer them. I am working on both..... I ventured a whole days travel to Kasempa by myself to look for schools but the schools there were little better than Mutanda where they are. I am having to take off my NZ picture of schools..... Two kids to a be, 3 kids to a desk, 50+ kids to a class.....Praise God I have found a school for Owen here in Ndola and we have an appointment with the head teacher on 11th July. Please pray that they will accept him - they worry that he is too old... but I said, "He deserves a chance. let me bring him to meet you." and so that's what we are doing.
I am utterly amazed but God has arranged for the Bishop of the Evangelical Church to come to our tiny village on 6th July. I will be lobbying him big time because his church sponsors Mutanda school........ please pray that I will not yell at him rather that I can convict him to take some action. I mean how can a Christian church condone such appalling conditions?
I arrived in Kasempa in the dark with no idea where I was but a very nice young man, Vincent offered to escort me to a lodge. I limped along the dusty road in the thick darkness not knowing where I was and very glad of my escort. Vincent is a Dr at the local hospital. I visited his clinic the next day and its the first one I have seen that is spotlessly clean. I was impressed. Vincent would like to do more study. He is aged 28, married and even tho he is in charge of the small hospital he earns Kz 1,5 million per month that's the equivalent of AUD 333...... and has to pay rent for his house. Unbelievable eh....
If anyone of you out there feel you would like to help Vincent financially please let me know. Or maybe you know a group somewhere who would like to sponsor his studies. Africa is very short of doctors. Although he is not in my village my heart went out to him. He proudly showed me his Diploma and his marks were high. He was the best student in his class. Please pray for him. He was an angel to me.
I am slowly getting back into the swing here. The people in this area need a leader and so while i was away things went quiet but slowly I am reasserting that we need to change slowly slowly is the operative word. It is freezing here and most people don't have coats or blankets... hard to imagine isn't it. I've given away my jacket and one of my blankets...... Almost every day 'patients' arrive for treatment - nasty cuts and wounds, colds, coughs, malaria.
The school is operating and there is great excitement as the parents bring their little ones to school each day. Always tho there are ethics to speak to.... I stand for doing the correct thing and against injustice. Sometimes it is a struggle to get the people to see the truth... anything goes for them. e.g. the little children have no idea how to use the latrines we put in... they pee on the concrete floor... With the money I got from Bosnia I bought the school a radio tape deck so they can play Zambian music and they are learning their national dances... they look so cute in their costumes I made and we are taking them to dance for the Chief at his palace on 25th July. Quite an achievement for our new school. Of course Rabbi got permission for us......bless him
The co-operative venture is going at snail pace .... the men need a good kick in the bottom. I've tried the gentle approach and they just don't get it... however trust me I have not given up. They want to raise chickens....... Do you remember me talking about the nasty headmaster I did my best to get rid of? Well it took 6 months of lobbying but this week the people came to tell me they are rejoicing that he has now finally gone and they love the new headmaster. They have learned I hope that its important to speak out against injustice and in fact good things happen - some of them thought they might die if they said anything against him - I'm not joking....
I have spent a couple of night totally alone in the village and cant quite believe this is me here in deepest Africa..... I light a big fire at night to keep away the tigers.. joking. I feel very safe but I do wish I was a millionaire so I could do more. Poverty stares at me every day. Its hard to look at the filthy children in their rags, its hard to see a baby coughing wrapped in the thinest cotton cloth, its hard to see deep wounds untreated, its hard to see children hungry..... Please pray that I stay strong.
That's about it for this time. I love getting your emails so that I feel connected to you. I love you and miss you and yet I cant not be here. Be blessed in all you do
Durelle
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