Hey everyone - thought I would just send a wee note out there to say that we have all survived the rural experience, and will all be back home in Lusaka by the end of the weekend. As a group of 12, we were split into three different villages, maximum 2.5 hours outside of Lusaka, and stayed there for 2 weeks in total. Mel, Kevin, Kieran and I were in Twickantane, however Kieran exited early due to a dislocated ankle after a football match. I'm sure he will not hesitate to tell anyone about his ox cart ride to the nearby clinic, and the village doctor who snapped it back into place. More about Twickantane though.
It's hard for me to explain the experience out there, but I can without a doubt say it was the best part of my trip so far. We were staying outside the school, with no electricity or flushing toilets, with a well nearby. Back to basics at its best. The three of us were based at Twickantane Basic School, which had three classrooms, and taught grades 1-9. When we got there, we were greeted by the acting head teacher, the football coach, and the chief man of the village, among over 770 kids all eager to participate in PE lessons and shake our hands.
This was the first time any volunteers from Sport in Action were in Twickantane, and the village elders were more than appreciative of our presence. Mel, Kevin and I spent our mornings teaching the grades 7-9 topics such as self-awareness, peer pressure, drug and alcohol abuse and HIV/AIDS lessons. Our classes were full to the brim with over 60 kids in a class with only a couple of desks, and kids came back for more. In the afternoons, we taught PE lessons to the grades 1-6, and then had football and netball sessions with the village teams after school. Our days were packed, with school starting at 730am every morning, and our days ending at 6pm, but neither the kids or us could get enough.
We could really tell the progress we were making throughout our 2 weeks there, as when we first got there, kids would sprint away from us screaming "MUZONGU!" (meaning white person) as many of them had never seen a white person in their life. By the end of the 2 weeks however, we were friends with the students and the teachers; it truly felt like home. We got to try things like bush rat (can't say I was keen...left Mel and Kev to try those), killing our own chickens and goat for our goodbye party on our last night.
Our last night there was a party in the classroom, with music and light provided by a nearby generator, and speeches all around. Although everyone was thanking us for coming, and helping out in the school and on the pitch, I don't think I could impress upon them that we were equally, if not more, thankful to them. Our confidence throughout the week increased, and we really felt like we had accomplished and changed something by the time we left. Every night we could hear the kids singing the songs we had taught them that day, and coming up to us just to talk.
Overall, the village experience was the rawest, most stereotypical African experience we have had yet. I loved being based at one school and really getting to know the kids and the teachers. I pinky promised the village chief, after an 1.5hr run (in which he very clearly beat me), that I would be back next summer, and I have every intention on keeping that promise.
I can't wait for the rest of the group to come back home now, with only one more week to go. I think we're all excited to be back in the UK soon, but none of us want to be leaving.
Lauren x
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