On Monday we met with 5 pastors who work in the rural bush area, and they talked about their experience of ministry, their heart for the area, and some of the issues that the rural people face. They seemed to really care about the people in the rural areas, and had given up the opportunity of earning more money by working in business or being pastors in the urban areas where they can earn more money.
Yesterday (Tuesday) the team headed out to Mibila village to visit the clinic Dignity had helped build and support, and also a school in the nearby village of Kapeshi.
The drive from Chingola is around 90 minutes to Kapeshi, and after an initial 30 kms along the main tarmac road out west from Chingola, you turn off onto a dirt track, which although, contained many potholes and bumps, was slightly easier to drive along than in March, when much of the road was flooded due to it being near the end of the rainy season. For the last 4 months or so, there has not been a drop of rain, so everything looks a lot less green and lush than on my previous visit. As we drove through you could see much of the land has been burnt. This is where villagers have been making charcoal, which they put in sacks and then walk pushing a bicycle with 2 or 3 large sacks to the main road, where they try to sell the charcoal to urban dwellers passing by along the road. With the money, they try to buy food off others who grow extra food to sell. Many village folk, however are just growing cassava or maize for their family to survive.
We arrived at the primary school and met the main teacher there. She is called Alice – a mother of 4 girls, and along with one other teacher, they teach 146 pupils from grade 1-6. It is the school holidays at the moment, but normally Grades 4-6 will be taught in the morning, and the younger children in the afternoon. Alice has to take grades 1 and 2 together and also 5 and 6 together, because of a lack of teachers. She and the other teacher also struggle to get paid, because funding has to come from the parents, and many have little money to give. The school was built in 2002 with the help of Barry Ilunga, but in recent years has suffered with lack of resources. Alice was finding it really hard there, because of a lack of teachers to help her, but felt that this was where God wanted her to be, rather than earning money elsewhere.
Yesterday (Tuesday) the team headed out to Mibila village to visit the clinic Dignity had helped build and support, and also a school in the nearby village of Kapeshi.
The drive from Chingola is around 90 minutes to Kapeshi, and after an initial 30 kms along the main tarmac road out west from Chingola, you turn off onto a dirt track, which although, contained many potholes and bumps, was slightly easier to drive along than in March, when much of the road was flooded due to it being near the end of the rainy season. For the last 4 months or so, there has not been a drop of rain, so everything looks a lot less green and lush than on my previous visit. As we drove through you could see much of the land has been burnt. This is where villagers have been making charcoal, which they put in sacks and then walk pushing a bicycle with 2 or 3 large sacks to the main road, where they try to sell the charcoal to urban dwellers passing by along the road. With the money, they try to buy food off others who grow extra food to sell. Many village folk, however are just growing cassava or maize for their family to survive.
We arrived at the primary school and met the main teacher there. She is called Alice – a mother of 4 girls, and along with one other teacher, they teach 146 pupils from grade 1-6. It is the school holidays at the moment, but normally Grades 4-6 will be taught in the morning, and the younger children in the afternoon. Alice has to take grades 1 and 2 together and also 5 and 6 together, because of a lack of teachers. She and the other teacher also struggle to get paid, because funding has to come from the parents, and many have little money to give. The school was built in 2002 with the help of Barry Ilunga, but in recent years has suffered with lack of resources. Alice was finding it really hard there, because of a lack of teachers to help her, but felt that this was where God wanted her to be, rather than earning money elsewhere.
After this we travelled to the clinic and met George who works there dealing with many illnesses. Since April they have also been giving immunisations to children, which are kept in a fridge running on paraffin. Unfortunately the paraffin gives off a smoke into the clinic which blackens the ceiling and walls, plus it is not great just to breathe in. One option is to build another shelter for the fridge, or a different type of power such as gas or solar power. A solar fridge, although seemingly the best option, is very expensive to buy.
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