7/24/09 from Carrie

Muli shani (hello) from all of us in Zambia. The HIV education team (Dan, Carrie, William, Matt, Jami) finished its last day for the first week of teaching at Mutamba Basic School and Greyson Basic School. Around 9:30 in the morning we took taxis to Mutamba where we met with some teachers involved in an Anti-AIDS club at Mutamba. After a presentation Dan gave on Stop the Spread Clubs, the teachers eagerly agreed to partner with us, thus beginning a new phase of HIV education for the students at Mutamba. Carmelitar, a local 29 year old retired teacher, will facilitate the STS club at Mutamba, organizing weekly club meetings with club parents and "aunties." Carmeltiar will go in depth on the topics that we taught the students this week, covering basic biological information on HIV to reducing the stigma people infected with HIV may face by encouraging the students to understand that HIV affects everyone-mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. The teachers at Mutamba are very excited about fusing the club Anti-AIDS into the STS club.

Overall, teaching at Mutamba was a great experience; the students were cooperative and bright, active participants, which helped fuel a discussion based lesson. On the first day of teaching we had them begin planning for a presentation at the end of the week. In my (Carrie) class of 25 girls, the girls split up into four groups and began working on their project. On Friday morning each class room presented their projects. We had skits on sugar daddies, getting tested for HIV and songs on the effects of the HIV crisis in Zambia. The school-wide presentation was a big hit at the school. After saying our goodbyes to the students, the headmaster at Mutamba, Henry, invited us into his office to thank us for all our hard work during the week. All the teachers were very appreciative of STS, so much so that they wrote a combined 'thank you' letter to us. Henry had one of the students read the letter aloud to the HIV ed group. STS looks forward to the years to come of partnership with Mutamba Basic School.

We ate our lunch (PB&Js) on the walk from Mutamba to Greyson through downtown Mulfilira. Walking through the markets, eating lunch, laughing, and talking with the rest of the team was always a nice transition from one school to the next. I have been learning tremendously from all the rest of the group on how intricate teaching can be. It is like an art to learn to get the students to talk and open up. On Tuesday when I walked into the classroom full of girls staring at me from across the room, in the first five minutes I could barely get words out of my mouth, but after encouragement and support and mostly strength that is not my own, I have begun to enjoy teaching. In the mornings I would teach the girls at Mutamba and then help and observe Jami as she taught the girls at Greyson. It was a wonderful balance.

Once we wrapped the classes up at Greyson, the group set out for the market. Outside of Shoprite, the local grocery store, a group of little beggar boys always gather around the Muzungus (that would be us!). Most of them do not have shoes, so Dan bargained for a pair of shoes at the market for one of the boys. It is hard to see children walking around shoeless, knowing that they do not even have money to feed their empty stomachs. If you lived in Zambia, it would be nearly impossible not to adopt some of these orphaned children.

In the evening, all seventeen of us piled into the "Say Yes to Jesus" van and drove to Murundu where we were supposed to show the Jesus film in Bimba. Unfortunately, the speakers were having some issues, so we will have to come back next Friday. While in Murundu, Jami was offered some children for a good price from a drunk man. s.c.a.r.y. I wonder what the going rate for children is these days... Because of the large crowd, the hordes of children, and drunk men and the fact that it was dark, Murundu did not have the safest feel to it. When we got back, the girls received some excellent self-defense tips from the guys. Jami, me and Heather are well protected by the household of men!