Blessing of the Teachers' House at St Michael's Mikumbila

BLESSING OF THE TEACHERS’ HOUSE AT LUNCHU

THURS 25th OCTOBER 2007

We woke early, showered, killed a few enormous ants in our loo, and then Ken and I walked to the Cathedral, met Janet, the Admin secretary, and Happy Banda, the Bishop’s driver. We looked inside the Cathedral, and Janet explained all the dust covering the outside of the Cathedral, and also a thin layer inside, was due to pollution from the cement factory. They had complained to the Environment Agency, but it is still bad.

We returned to the guesthouse for breakfast – just down a short driveway from the Cathedral. I have worn my Mother’s Union sarong (called a chitenge in Zambia) for the Blessing of the teachers’ house at Lunchu. Mother’s Union members all wear their uniform whenever there is a meeting/ service etc. It is blue and white. We set off for Lunchu in Bishop Derek’s vehicle. He drives very fast so we made it in about an hour and a half! We were Bishop Derek, Bishop of Central Diocese in Zambia, Bishop Peter Maurice, Bishop of Taunton, Florence Mumba, the Diocesan Mother’s union worker, Dorcas, the MU president, Ken, myself and a young man who wanted a lift to the Kapiri turn off, where he would catch a bus to Lusaka. Liz, Bishop Peter’s wife, stayed and had a quiet day at the guesthouse, as she wasn’t feeling very well. It was very disappointing for her.

The straight road seemed endless. All along the highway there were people walking. One wondered where they’d come from and how long they’d already been walking, and how far they still had to go. A lot of charcoal was on sale by the roadside and lots of fruits and vegetables at little makeshift stalls – such as apples, watermelons, tomatoes etc. One stall we passed sold only mugs!

We arrived at Lunchu to be greeted by some of the children singing and dancing towards us, accompanied by Pumulo, the Deacon in Lunchu parish and Head teacher at the school there at St Michael’s community school. He was so excited and happy to see us all, and Ken and I were particularly excited to see him as he had stayed with us for a week when he was over in England for some training in August this year. Everyone greeted us all, shaking hands using the African handshake (3 shakes). We met up with John Chawaya, our link correspondent, seen here with Ken. There was lots of activity, the ladies cooking in the open air, chickens (from the chicken project) wandering around, excited children, young mums with their babies tied on their backs with pieces of cloth, Mother’s Union members. We met Hilda, and later Abigail, the 2 trained teachers living in the house that Bishop Peter had come to bless, also the Rev Stephen Panji from Macushi parish ( where Mark is priest – he also came and stayed with us in August with Pumulo), and John Chawaya, a lay reader and our link correspondent.

After lots of greetings we all went into church where different groups of children took it in turns to sing – they sang so beautifully and with such gusto and enthusiasm. At the front were Bishop Derek, Bishop Peter, Dorcas (MU president), Florence (Diocesan MU worker), Pumulo, Stephen, Pumulo, Ken and myself. We were introduced and the leaders in the congregation were introduced to us. There was a priest warden, Mr Malata, a church warden, 2 MU leaders, Deacon Pumulo, Mr John Chawaya, a teacher and link correspondent, Hilda Banda, Deputy Head, Kachinga, teacher, Father Panji, from Macushi, Miskandeo, president of MU, and Florence, the MU worker.

Bishop Derek asked each of us to stand up and say something. He said we would start with the lowest and work up! ‘ So Lois would you like to get up and speak first!’ Dorcas translated for me – I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I sent love from everyone in Nailsea, and our thoughts and prayers for them. Ken was next and then Bishop Peter! If it had been a church service in England I would have been very nervous, but it was all so relaxed and informal that I felt quite calm!! Then Pumulo did a long speech that he’d prepared in English, remembering his visit to England. He mentioned Jon Backhouse and family, Linda Dicks, the meeting with the Mother’s Union in our Rectory garden, and Jane and Pete Nott. He witnessed a baptism and a cremation while in Nailsea, and he remembered the meeting to talk about Lunchu. He continued, talking about the challenges facing them at Lunchu:

Transport to get around – (Ken had talked to Bishop Derek and hopefully now that can be followed up. Bishop Derek suggested getting a realistic quote for a motor bike for Lunchu, including spare parts and maintenance. A `few days later Bishop Derek said that he’d been thinking of the question of transport for Lunchu and thought for much the same cost a small Toyota pick up truck would be far more useful).

3 Community Schools – Mekumbila, St Agnes, and Kamukuba.

Parish needs help to lead a spiritual life.

He asked Bishop Derek to release funds to him on time! Then he talked about his visit to Canterbury, thanking Bishop Derek for allowing him to go to the UK. He was able to visit Canterbury, Bristol, London, Bath and Wells and Bournemouth. He sends his greetings to family and friends at Holy Trinity, Nailsea, and to all those that he met.

Most of the service was conducted in the local language of Bember, and then translated into English. When Bishop Derek asked the children questions in Bember, they would reply in English ‘ Yes’! He said ‘ oh, I see I don’t need to translate for you’!! Then Bishop Derek gave a potted history of how the school came to be built. It was a Mother’s Union initiative, by the late Mrs. Piri. It is difficult for many children to go to the government schools, as they are poor and unable to buy the necessary uniform and books. It was decided to build a Community school so that they could come just as they were. One family , I think from the UK, initially started to help with funding for the school. Unable to finish the school, HT Nailsea were then given Lunchu as their Link Parish and were able to help complete the school – fund the walls and the roof through our reordering fund (10% of which went to help overseas projects). The next project that HT helped fund was a house for the teachers to live in. Bishop Derek went on to say ‘ I might get in trouble with the government, but when Government teachers see the Lunchu teachers house and how nice it is, they all want to come here!!’ ( Hilda and Abigail are both from Dorcas’s church, and she is godmother to Hilda). The teachers in Community schools are often voluntary and untrained, and so Bishop Derek said, the schools are often considered rather 2nd class. So the Diocese agreed to send 2 people for teacher training – Hilda and Abigail. The Diocese paid for their training and they are now paid by the government. Pumulo who retired as a head teacher went into training for the Ministry and is now a Deacon, but is also head teacher of the school where Hilda and Abigail are!

Bishop Peter was then asked to speak. He sent apologies for Liz who wasn’t well, but being a teacher would love to have been here. He also said that he was sorry that Zambia lost the football final last night to South Africa! Bishop Derek later asked if anyone knew what we had in common – England and Zambia? No one answered, but everyone was thinking it must be a spiritual answer. He then replied to his question, saying that England had also just lost to South Africa in the final, at rugby!! Ken and I tried to learn some Bember language on the way to Lunchu in the car. We wanted to be able to greet people because many couldn’t speak English.

Mulishanni – How are you?
Bwino - Fine
Natotela - Thank you
Muleya Kwinsa - Where are you going?
Infi fiwakulya fiwama – the food is delicious

Hilda also spoke. She had prepared a speech in English. First she welcomed us all. Then she gave a background to the Community school. It was started in Jan 1999, Mrs Piri, an MU member being the founder. She and the MU were concerned for orphans and vulnerable children. The Diocese sponsored 2 teachers to study. UNICEF gave 25 desks and got some sports equipment. There are 5 teachers – 2 male and 3 female – 3 are trained. There are 212 children at the school (107 are boys and 105 are girls). 51 of these are orphans. They teach from grade 1-7, one stream each.

The challenges are:
There are only 2 classrooms and 7 streams.
Payment of community teachers is very low .
Lack of modern teaching and learning materials.
Only one toilet.
No jerseys for sports.
Many children live far away so are late for school.

Hilda said she would love to see another building, so that they could offer weekly boarding.

Projects

1 teacher’s house – helped by our church.
1 mono pump.
Chicken rearing project – 19 chickens at present. There is a temporary structure to house them.
Playing grounds.
Toilet.
Inter school competitions.

We all then went to look around the school, on the way passing where the community are making the bricks for the new house for the Head teacher.

Then we went and saw Hilda and Abigail’s house, which HT funded. It is a very nice small 3-bedroom house with a small kitchen, living room. It also has a bathroom and toilet, but this is yet to be completed. Bishop Derek, Bishop Peter, Pumulo and Ken all robed for the Blessing of the new home, service. We went around praying in each room, led by Bishop Peter. Lots of the children were there, and teachers, and MU and St Veronicas. Not everyone could fit into each room, but the clergy, teachers, MU and myself managed to go around each room. When the land and the entrance were blessed everyone was able to join in.

After The Blessing of Hilda and Abigail’s home we all went back to the church. The children and teachers all sat on the pews, made out of hardened mud. As we entered the children were all singing beautifully. Then we did the presentations of all the gifts given to us by Holy Trinity, Nailsea. Ken presented all the gifts to the school – all sorts of things, - pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks, bible stories, ruler, geometry set, pencil cases, kangaroos (not real, small toys!), spinning tops etc.

Then I presented the other gifts firstly to St Veronicas, from our Morning Break. The 3 young mums who came to collect the gifts, plus some lovely little children’s T shirts, were thrilled and went to their seat singing! Dorcas said they are singing to show how grateful they are. I said that Morning Break thought of them often and sent their love to them.

Then the Mother’s Union ladies came up to receive the gifts from our Mother’s union at HT. A card signed by our MU members, MU brooches, MU cards. I kept back the knitting needles and material given to me as I would like to uy some wool to go with them. This is just one MU group. I was to meet several more on my next `visit! There are 22 congregations in the parish, and so lots of different MU and St Veronica groups.

Then from the Explorer group at HT, Hilda and Abigail came and received their gifts and lovely card that the Explorers had all signed, with a picture of Holy Trinity on the front. They were amazed when they read that HT is 700 yrs old! The oldest church in Zambia is only 100 yrs old when the missionaries came.

I gave the cards out from those that sent them – the photos to Pumulo from Vera Hendy of Pumulo with the MU members in the Rectory garden. His beaming smile said it all. It means so much to them, that we at HT remember them in our prayers. Hilda and Abigail received the card from Linda Dicks. They so appreciate correspondence to know we are thinking of them.

We asked Pumulo afterwards to give us a list of things that were needed at Lunchu, so that we could buy things in Ndola, from the money collected by our church and MU. Here is the list that he gave us:
Filing cabinet
2 footballs, 2 netballs, 2 volleyballs and nets.
10 files.
Plain paper (ream)
10 bibles.
100 exercise books ( squared).
Carpentry tools – hammer, chisel, saw, nails.

So when we return to Lunchu to stay at the weekend, we may have a filing cabinet on the roof of the MU Landrover! The school has 2 classrooms with a small office in between them. There are just shelves that everything is stored on. A filing cabinet is desperately needed.

After presenting the gifts and more wonderful singing, we went back to the teachers’ house for lunch. The ladies had been busy cooking it on open fires. This included nshima – a solid white mass. It doesn’t have much flavour, made from maize usually. One picks off bits of nshima, roll it into a ball and pick up the food with it. Rural Zambians would not use a knife and fork. Bishop Derek said that now it was Ken’s 2nd visit, he wanted to see him eating his food the Zambian way!! Ken said ‘ no problem’ and got stuck in. He told me next visit you can eat without a knife and fork! He’s got quite a sense of humour! Before you start a meal, water is poured into a bowl so you can wash your hands under the ‘running’ water. As well as nshima we had chicken, one of the ones from the chicken project, cabbage, a tomato and onion sauce, rice, and a bean dish.

Then we said ‘goodbye’ to everyone. I think Pumulo thought Ken and I were staying tonight. He said his wife was waiting for us. She couldn’t be here today as she is a teacher at another school. Bishop Derek explained our programme to Pumulo. Tomorrow morning we will go to see an MU sewing project, then Bishop Peter and Liz return to Lusaka early afternoon, as they fly back to England on Saturday. In the afternoon Ken, Florence and I will do some shopping for some of the things on Pumulo’s list that the community need, and then return to Lunchu on Friday evening. Florence will accompany us – she is the Diocesan MU worker, also Happy Banda, the Bishop’s driver, will drive us in the MU Landrover.

We then returned to Ndola – Bishop Derek driving at a fair speed. He has such distances to cover. We stopped to look at a project the Mother’s Union are hoping to get under way. Some land near Kapiri has been bought by the MU, to build a school. It would be a community school, but a private one. That way it could pay its way and so they could have a percentage of orphans at the school. It would be a Christian boarding school. It sounds a wonderful vision. It is quite a large piece of land with a wall around it.

We had a relaxing evening together with Bishop Peter and Liz. It was a lot quieter than the previous evening when about 20 clergy, wives and Diocesan staff came to the guesthouse to join us for supper. Before bed we went for a short walk – we didn’t get very far as the gates from the Cathedral were shut! It was good to stretch our legs a little after a long drive.