On Thursday, we spent 7 hours at the Kondwa Pre-school Centre for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Our taxi carried us past the high fences and manicured lawns of the wealthy and onto the dusty, washed out tracks of the Ng'ombe Compound (think of the worst "cottage" road you have ever been on). This compound was illegal until 1999 when the government realized that it was incapable of re-locating 90 thousand people! Concrete block huts with tin roofs pepper the land, connected by paths and dusty "roads". Children are everywhere, playing in the dirt, washing clothes in metal tubs, fetching water from the community taps or the few fortunate, in school uniforms, walking to school. Bigger girls carry babies and toddlers on their backs in fabric sling "chitenges". There are many child-headed households here and HIV/AIDS is very real and present.
At Kondwa, we were greeted by 90 happy children, most wearing their new school shoes, funded by Jessica’s campaign at Christmas. Smiles, hugs, giggles and much confusion followed until the teachers made them all sit down on bamboo mats. A little concert then ensued with songs, dances and poetry. Small boys beat on drums and Zambian dances were performed with amazing skill and grace. (We, on the other hand, were NOT very good at it!).
The children were then served heaping bowls of high protein porridge, which was vacuumed up in record time, with a quick line for second helpings. At 9.30 a.m., this was the first meal of the day for these little ones, many of whom had walked up to 4 km. to get to school.
We were given the grand tour by Angela Malik, the director and founder of the centre. A clean, freshly painted toilet building is her latest pride and joy- "squatty potties"- no seat –just a hole in the floor, with a flushing mechanism is a vast improvement over the previous pit toilets. Cholera has been reduced and all the kids know to wash their hands with soap in the metal basins. A small garden with papaya, banana, corn and tomatoes flourishes away from the play area. This food supplements the noon meal. Tiny, delicious bananas were served to us after a lunch of "n’shima", a maize porridge, with a chunk of beef and gravy.
We had managed to buy 100 fuzzy blue blankets locally for the children, but Angela felt that it would be better if the guardians came to collect them. Apparently, a small child walking home with such a luxury would be the target of thieves!
Then the great excitement began! We opened up our enormous hockey bag of hand-knit teddy bears. We tried to hand them out to small group in Angela’s office, but when those children returned to class with their treasures, much squabbling and wailing occurred! So, all the kids were brought into the main hall, sat down and then brought up in small groups to chose their own bear. The girls were entranced by the teddies with skirts and the boys had no pre-conceived notions about colour or style. Pink and fluorescent colours were popular with everyone. As they waited for dismissal, the little girls helped each other wrap up the teddies, making slings out of their sweaters. They were anxious to keep their bears out of the dust for the walk home. A group of grade ones and twos gathered at the gate, watching and waiting in their school uniforms! Word had quickly spread that there were good things happening at Kondwa. We were able to bring them in and let them choose a teddy too. A very sad, older girl named Jess, arrived- not able to go to school today but she had no socks to wear with her uniform! Fortunately, we were able to provide her with a few pairs from Canada and a bonus bear. She went home smiling, promising to return to her school the next day!
The remaining bears were left with Angela to distribute on her visits to HIV+ children in the compound. A stack of baby blankets would be delivered to a young woman, abandoned by her husband who was expecting a baby any day now.
Angela and her teachers pronounced it to be a "grrreat" day, despite the chaos created by us visitors. They were delighted with the blankets and teddies, and the extra money we were able to hand over. The blankets were only $15 each, rather than the original estimate of $20 . The extra funds will be used for underwear, warm sweaters and school socks. We had a good discussion about the future and how we in our community in Canada might be able to continue to support the Kondwa Centre and the Flying Angels School.
We feel really blessed to have been able to bring the blankets and teddies to Kondwa. Meeting the children was fantastic and receiving hugs, "I love you" s and grins from these happy little souls has been the highlight of the week, We feel really humbled by Angela at Kondwa and Bernard at Flying Angels School. Despite the over-whelming poverty and precarious health of the compound, these two individuals have a vision for the future. They witness miracles every day and keep trusting in God to provide .One day before we arrived with our huge suitcase of school supplies, Bernard was asking Angela for pens for his newly opened "high school"- 25 children in the living room of a house! While they wait, they work- planning toilets where only a pit stands now, petitioning for food, encouraging widows to support each other, collecting pennies from the neighbourhood and scheming to create a future for the most vulnerable children in their community. They do all this with much laughter and positive enthusiasm!
So, thank you all for your support! Your money, knitting, sewing, good wishes and school supplies have been delivered and will make a real difference in the lives of these beautiful children- children with wonderful names- Blessing and Precious, Peleka and Sunday, Mwamba and Gibson, Shadrach and Meschak.
Angela and Bernard send their love and thanks!
The children of Flying Angels School and Kondwa blow kisses to you and say "Zikomo Kwambiri", thank you very much!!!!!!!
