OUCH!

Just a quick one today folks - been at chamanuka game reserve and went to kalimba reptile farm then headed to a little culture village - everyone seemed to have a great day and even though MOST of us put suncream on (I had factor 50+ on 4 times) we have all returned sunburnt - so the aftersun is going on - I will get someone to do a more in depth post about today tomorrow - but we are all alive! Just a little well fired

Russell's wedding speech

Bullet points
- I love ZAMBIA
- complement wife and new in-laws
- ZAMBIA is great
- Namibia is great
- inform father in law rest of dowrie is in the post
- congratulate zambia on win of african cup
- I love ZAMBIA
- complement guests including SLPC who have travelled thousands of miles for such a special occassion
- ZAMBIA is great
- I fit in well in ZAMBIA because I am so laid back and my timekeeping is not my strength
- I love ZAMBIA

THE END

Well just a short update above is the travellers notes for russels speech which he had first thought of doing "off the cuff" (let's just forget about that now!) Remember the man has 4 days before the wedding and I seem more worried about his speech than the man himself. We have been busy at work and we all took a huge breath and sighed today as all 434 books transported over by traveller have been - covered in sticki back plastic spine labelled and catologued on computer complete with barcode scanners - AND the painting is complete HOORAY!!!!!!! And to make everything better the books are on the shelves! Great job done by all - computer lab is in a lot better state and time keeping classes are being run. I must say Nathan (one of the teachers) timekeeping is imaculate - he has startled us - quote " 5 minutes of your break remaining and you shall return to work" 4mins 50 seconds later "ok folk time to wrap up and get back to work" - highly efficient. Even Arthur is impressed - yes folks this is the Arthur Mathieson that we know from SLPC!! Anyway time for bed g'night

Myra's blog.

We're here and it's hot and it's wet and there have been 3 power cuts already. Shower by candle light each evening. What have we been up to? I'll start with today and work back. Sunday 11th which means very, very early rise. on the bus without breakfast at 6.30am and off to school for 8.00 service. Youth day today in Zambia so the girls conducted the 1 and 50 mins service including a rousing sermon. Singing, well all of those who have been here can imagine the beautiful music from the girls. Harmonising, only drum accompaniment and the volume has to be heard to be belived. Wonderfully uplifting. On to breakfast in the HE dept then down to work painting. Yes the library is big. Not a surprise to me because I knew from Theresa the measurements as I had had to work out the area and order sufficient paint. However, the task is large but certainly not beyond this team !!!! Team now depleted by one. Guess who is in Kabwe? I dont think well see him until we go to his wedding at 16.00 on Sat 17th.
Jennifer has taken 8 girls for lessons on the keyboard teaching them how to play the Zambian National anthem. Exillia is one of these girls. David and I had a short chat today with Exillia but will have longer to be with her before we leave. Genevieve was in one of our (ie Judy and me) Timekeeping workshops yesterday and also in the knitting class in the afternoon. Genevieve set up a knitting club when she returned to Chipembi in August and has 35 members. We had those girls for two two-hour sessions so far and we have another three two-hour sessions to go. Apart from the girls in the club, many more came along and started knitting. We started everyone off with knitting a headband first and once that was finished off in their own time, we got them on to crocheting or knitting flowers to decorate their headband. Some of their designs are fantastic.
Judy,Calum, Dean, Arthur and Jennifer are doing very well in the library. On the final coat for the walls. Dean is now undercoating the doors. David and Calum have spent most of their time in the computer lab troubleshooting. Albert and Fortune have been shown the cataloging program by David and are excited about setting it up.
as for the books, we tried to pass through the "green" gate at the airport but no such luck. We were diverted to "Declare". There we had a stroke of luck as the Customs Officer was a former pupil at Chipembi and she waved us through accepting underestimation of the value of the six boxes (300 books) as 100pounds stg. Lets hope our further 28 boxes (1200 books) via NPAC can slip through Customs with similar ease. Text books? Theresa and I are going to Lusaka on Wed to MacMillan Publishing to,hopefully, pick up the ordered text books and pay for them. Eva and Freddy will be pleased to hear that Calum and Jennifer have been teaching the pupils "the Port Of Leith Reel". Mrs Zulu was doing the military two step in the HE dept yesterday! We have passed on all your good wishes to everyone here. They are all interested to know how everyone is, back in Scotland.
We're not going hungry here. Mrs. Zulu is desperate to give us a full breakfast when we arrive then large amounts of sandwiches and cake at break followed at 13.00hours by a large lunch. Arthur has had a job convincing her that we really do not have room for all that food. Delicious though. and as always the teachers and the pupils are so generous towards us.
George and Mini at Fringilla are still in good form as is Allan. There is another son, name?, who will be visiting tomorrow. Judy already has a date with him as he is a glider pilot and Judy went gliding a lot when she lived in Zambia some 35 years ago.
That's all folks. Myra

Arrival

Well Folks the 2012 trip from SLPC is well under way, we have all arrived safely and all projects have got off to a flying start. Library is a bigger paint job than expected however with Arthur Mathieson on the scene everything has been take with a pinch of salt. Computer lab was looking a bit depleted but not every problem is impossible and David Fell has been working away and everything is on the up. We have had some torrential rain at least once each day (makes it feel like home) and the dam is now looking like it may flood over the road and block us off from the school, nothing will stop us though. Well lots of work to be done so over and out for the meantime.

Central Statistical Office - Zambia

The 2010 census marks the fifth National Census of Population and Housing conducted in Zambia since independence in 1964. The country has so far conducted censuses in 1969, 1980, 1990 and 2000.

The population of Zambia has been increasing from 7,759,161 in 1990, 9,885,591 in 2000 and 13,046,508 persons in 2010. This gives an average annual growth rate of 2.8 percent between 2000 and 2010. Of the 2010 population, 49 percent were males and 51 percent were females.

Read more here

Hello Ian,

It's good to hear from you. People hear are asking after all of you all the time so I send best wishes from Chipembi.

Having a good time here, I have taught eight weeks of computer classes to all of the grades and I'm really enjoying the teaching part.

I stayed with the Chitukas for the first five weeks and now I'm staying with two of the single female teachers down the road so I'm getting the world of the family and the single teachers which is really good. The Chitukas are such a nice welcoming family and the boys are always entertaining. Choolwe is very excited about Callum's visit in October! He will be glad to see his best friend again.

I went to Chamnuka last month and have been to Lusaka a good few times now including the stock exchange.

With me I brought a donation from St Philips to be spent as the school would choose, I think they have chosen to buy a laptop. I'm shopping around to see if I can find some reasonably priced ones here.

I went to see the dormitory that you renovated and it really looks great.

I hear you are moving congregation soon but I hope that I can continue to send news over from here and it would be great to meet some of the Scots that I am hearing so much about when I get back. Thank you so much for this opportunity, I know your church has worked very hard to set this link up and I am doing my best to help where I can.


Best wishes,

Roseanne

News from Albert at Chipmebi

Hi Ian,

My friend I thought I should share this with you.

I am just from having a briefing with the staff on the great news! We have received results for the last grade (Grade 12s) in school. Out of 128 candidates and/or pupils that sat for the final examinations last year (2010), only 2 candidates failed! This gives us a passing percentage of 98.4. Teachers are really excited about this achievement. Please join us in celebrating this good results.

Please say hello to everyone from all here, they have our warmest wishes as
ever.

Regards,

Albert

Projects@Chipmebi - August Visit and March Trip

As you know we have two teachers and two pupils from Chipembi School
visiting us in August this year. The dates of the trip have been finalised
and our visitors will be with us from the 11th of August to the 2nd of September.

Someone has kindly volunteered to host the two teachers but we are looking for a host for the two girls.

We are also looking for people to help with a programme of activities for the teachers and pupils while they are in Scotland. We would welcome suggestions for activities and offers of support for the teachers and girls during their stay. As many people both within and outside the congregation will testify this is a good opportunity to further the aims of the partnership and also to engage at an individual level with our frinds from Chipembi, a very rewarding experience.

Our plans for the trip to Chipembi are also moving forward. As we have to move on and secure flights at the best price we have to request those considering going on the trip give us a definite commitment to go on the trip by the 1st of April. We would then ask members of the party to make the first payment towards the trip around the middle of April so that we can book the flights. We acknowledge that this is a short timescale but flight prices are volatile and acting within these timescales should ensure we secure a reasonable price.

At our recent meeting one or two people expressed a concern that their skills would not fit the draft programme of work that was outlined in communication from the school. I would seek to reassure people considering going on the trip that the programme would devised with the school that could be delivered with the skillset of the group. There are many activities that can contribute to the development of the school and we all have skills that can contribute.

Please contact me if you can help with the visit or wish to give me your decision on the visit to Chipembi next year although I will send a reminder on this to those who have already expressed an interest.

Innes Gray (innes.gray@btinternet.com)

Blogging from the Bush

Blogging from the Bush (Click here - opens in new window)

Projects@Chipembi - Zambia Trip Meeting - February 27th 2011

Projects@Chipembi is planning a trip, probably in March of 2012, to Chipembi school in Zambia to continue the educational, welfare and health work being done in partnership with the school.

The purpose of this meeting is to invite those with an interest in taking part in the trip to come along to find out more about the proposed work that will be undertaken; the commitment required of those taking part and the costs involved.

The meeting will feature some video taken on previous trips to the school, a number of short talks from some of those who have been on previous trips and an opportunity to informally discuss any questions.

The meeting will be held on the 27th of February at 12:30 in the Emmaeus Room in South Leith Parish Church.