21 Villages Blessed - Kalimansenga Community

I think the smile on this medical worker says it all!!! The people are so very, very happy and express their gratitude for the gift to their community - Kalimansenga!

We had another opportunity to attend a Handover Ceremony for a medical facility and a school. Truly out in the bush! These facilities will benefit twenty-one villages which includes 10,951 households with a population of 65,706. The village community, through their leaders of Head Men and Head Women called "Ndunas" and the Chelstone Lions Club members established the need for a Health Facility and a school building for children who travel long distances (from 10 km-21 km - 6 to 13 miles).

The event was the most well attended by hundreds of people!! Of course we were well entertained by school children and women from the community singing and dancing.

We were so grateful for the huge tents that had been set up. We sat under one with crowds of people behind us and hundreds of people under the test opposite from us. I noticed women carrying buckets of water and tubs filled with mugs so the people could get drinks of water. They would just dip out of the buckets of water.

I loved looking into their faces. They would nod and clap and squeal with their tongues (I wish I really know how to explain that one) as the guest speakers said things they approved of...which was often. The Minister of Health, a member of parliament, was the keynote speaker. We were told she was somehow related to the Headman of the village. She was very well received by the people! She spoke a lot in their native language. Other speakers included the mayor, a representative of the Lion's Club, the school master, and President Mushala who is member of the Stake Presidency.

I did not get very good pictures of the facilities because they were always ushering us to another place. The above picture is the medical facility. As you can see it is not really very big, but certainly bigger than anything they had access to!

These two buildings are for medical and faculty living quarters. If the buildings are located on the property, then the government will provide the employees and pay their salaries. This is a big deal!!

The Lions Club had begun these projects by building the foundation for one structure. When they could not complete the project the Church found out and assisted with finishing that remaining building and then did the following additional work:

Kalimansenga Health Post:

1) Built new mutiple rooms building for a health clinic with separate flush toilets and a shower room.

2) Built two 1 x 2 houses for nurses and technicians to live in. Because of these houses, the government will provide for medical and technical personnel for this health post.

3) The church also provided all of the necessary equipment and medications for proper care of patients who have need of medical support here.

4) The Church furnished a 5,000 liter water tank and tower, along with all of the plumbing to take the water to the health post and houses as well as outside water.

Chasha Community School:

1) The Church put a new roof on the 1 by 2 classroom building.

2) They built from ground up a new one by three classroom building.

3) Furnished these class rooms with 180 student desks. And also provided desks for teachers.

4) They built two new bush & block buildings. One for boys and one for girls with flush toilets.

5) They built two 1 by 2 houses for teachers. And now the government will provide for these teachers because of these houses. This will allow more opportunity for more youth to receive a higher education.

6) They dug a new borehole and installed backup water tanks, along with plumbing for the water to be taken to each of the buildings.

Local contractors do all of the labor.

We walked close to the living quarters at one place and viewed the most coveted outdoor facility with flushing toilets!!! I might add there is no electricity to any of these buildings but the Minister of Health promised that electricity would be brought very soon!! Sure hope she can fulfill her promise!

President Mushala and some of the medical staff.

Some of the medical equipment and supplies purchased by the church. Nothing fancy, just the very basics!

Notice how the nurses wear hats just like they did years ago. And privacy is only obtain with portable screens...no individual rooms. There were three deliveries tables in the same room.

Women and children touring the new facility.

A lot of the people were dressed in this green fabric which all had the President of Zambia's picture on it. The people think he is wonderful as he is making great strides in eliminating corruption, providing free education and medical services.

This is the water tower and the pump located nearby. When these two girls walked over to the pump I thought they were going to pump the handle and get some water out. I tried to tell them how to do it but the one little girl just raised her harm. They didn't have a clue what I was saying and I was being whisked away so I couldn't show them.

These two beautiful little girls all dressed in white carried the scissors to cut the ribbon.

The Minister of Health, Sylvia ...?, member of Parliament

These are beautiful people and their babies are absolutely adorable!!! And they love to get their pictures taken, especially with us whities. Hal and I were the only ones there so people are always staring at us, especially the children!!

The school children were all seated at these desks and had to listen to all the speeches! They were out in the hot sun, while the rest of the people were either sitting under a tent canopy, under a tree, or against a building in the shade.

The Humanitarian Project included these desks. They were build by local people and built to last!!

I was a little intrigued by the homemade alphabet cards hanging in one of the classrooms. Their word association is for things the children are well acquainted with: G for gate and M for Mango; P for Pot.

T for Tap...all the necessities of life! Z for zigzag (that is what their roads and walk paths are!!!) These might look like mountains, but I haven't seen any mountains! All very important items in their community!

Very few posters or anything hanging on the walls. Just homemade paper signs. Nothing store bought. I doubt if the children have much paper and few other school or teaching supplies. Once I saw a class outside writing their names in the dirt with a stick. The chalkboard in each classroom is simply a part of the wall painted black.

The stare and wave and love to have their pictures taken!

The school yard is just dirt. I saw where they had planted a few trees though, so that was nice!!

More grateful people! And this guy!!! He was huge!!!

On the way home from the Handover Ceremony, I was noticing how many unfinished builds there are everywhere!! The people work so hard! Many times they make their own bricks but so often they don't have enough money to put the roof on. If they purchase bricks they are very cheap.