Here are the latest smiles from Zambia. Jessica is enjoying one last week there before arriving home on Nov. 1st.
Thanks everyone for all your interest, thoughts and prayers. Maarten, Jessica and Joan have had a wonderful trip and our Zambian partners are very grateful for all the Canadian support for their ventures. The schools are thriving, the children are being fed, and the clothing and school supplies were very welcome. We will keep you updated on our "African Education Project" as we near the beginning of the Zambian school year in January 2008. H.
Jessica writes:
Here are a variety of new photos for you. Some explanations: Mary Banda is the tailor at Flying Angels and she and Alice have made 100 bags for us to sell.
The Kondwa graduates waiting for lunch are just a few of the students who come to Kondwa every day to be fed. There is very little food at home. Philimon (the little fellow who wants to be a doctor) is in the front... in the beige shirt that is slightly ripped - and Maggie Banda - one of the girls who accompanied us at Flying Angels last year - is beside him. Eunice and Memory are both in grade 5 and had come to the clinic to get checked out. While they waited, we took glamour shots of them in my sunglasses. Next time I come - I have promised to bring sunglasses for these two. On Tuesday, Dad and I stopped in at Mwamba's house on the way back from Flying Angels. In the livingroom, his Grandma Jennifer has a framed picture of me holding Mwamba - taken last year when I was at Kondwa. After seeing me at Kondwa last week, Mwamba told Jennifer that Jesca, his boss, was back! This new photo will be sent to Jennifer as soon as I get home.
On Tuesday I brought three sticker books for Mary Martha and Sarah, Benard's three little girls, and made sure I distributed them when it was only the 4 of us together. However, what I didn't think about was that after the girls got the books, they would want to show them to all 702 students. For the rest of the day, every child, regardless of age or gender, came to ask, "Jesca, and don't you have a book for me?" Looks like it is always best to bring something for everybody at every visit!
Jess
