…….from a letter received 08-19-09

Blog Entry 07-20-09:
“That’s what the students are really for”
Part of the Community’s agreement to have us come and work for them for two years, is that the Community provides a safe (preferably dry) house, and help us maintain basic needs for a structure, i.e….a bathing shelter (bafwa), a latrine (chimbus), a gazebo (kinzanza), and a roof with no holes. Now my house is awesome, as I mentioned before, but the roof could use a bit more grass and I’m in such a busy area that my community not only promised to patch my roof, but to also rebuild the fence the volunteer here before me had. But once getting here, I didn’t actually think these two things would happen…..until today.

My APCD (the person in charge of my program and basically my boss) came to visit my site last week. We met with all my counterparts and reminded them of all the promises they made. Plus, the 6 week strike/go-slow is finally over 3 weeks before the term ends, so this week my counterpart was “on it”. My main counterpart is a teacher at my nearest school and it’s also her job to help monitor the other schools in the zone and facilitate in-service teacher trainings. Her official title is ZIC (zonal in-service coordinator). My ZIC is a sweet yet super sassy woman with a voice that gets shit done.

So today I came to the school for an afternoon meeting and found her directing all the 4th graders to take grass to my house. And all the 5th graders to take poles. It was quite a sight…tons of little kids in white and maroon uniforms running down the path with grass on their heads. The path starts to fill up and all you can see is grass bouncing, dust flying, and hear giggling as they fly down the road.

07-27-09….fast forward a week..
I have not only been to all my 7 schools, but Moses (my host father) has almost finished the fence around my house. It makes my place feel totally different. I like the privacy and it hasn’t stopped the kids at all…but I am just a bit worried that it might be too isolating. Oh well, only time will tell and it’s way too late now. Moses also said he’s going to build me a garden fence as well. Pretty soon I will have my own garden! I’m also currently cementing my walls so I can paint the inside of my house. Things are changing at “nzubo pa ba” Stevie.

Random side note…
The first school my ZIC and I went to visit for introductions is called Kakikasa and is about 4km away from me. After talking to all the deputy head teachers, I went and met all the teachers. I told them why I’m here and let them ask any questions they had. It came out that I’m a singer and they requested a short song, so I sang the first verse of “Amazing Grace”. Then when I was leaving the school they gave me a giant bag of ground nuts.
So in a way, I kind of felt like I was singing for peanuts……

Much Love,
Stevie

…Dad’s note…
Stevie has hit her 6 month mark and is currently back in Lusaka for a week of training with her entire group of PCV’s. After that they’ve all planned a group trip to Livingstone and Victoria Falls, which will include a 111 meter bungee jump over the Zambezi River. (100 % safety record they say) Stevie’s goal is to be one of the jumpers. (I might be rediscovering religion)