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 Thursday, 20 December 2007 Today was our first day of Vacation Bible School. We had over 72 children present. In fact, one girl was turned away because she did not attend the school. I was told that couple kids did manage to sneak into the program (good for them!).. I tried to get the Head Mistress (Principal) of the school to allow the little girl to stay. However, she did not want to set a precedence of letting outsiders in.
As the children were registering, Mark took their cute pictures. I could not believe how little the children were. A ten year old had the built of a six year old. A six year old had the built of a four year old. Some of the children looked unkept and wore tattered clothing.
 The children filed into a room filled with basic long benches and plastic chairs. They enjoyed the song service conducted by Vera (from NAPS). Boy, did they have volume! They sang! Clapped! Raised their hands! Smiled! And nodded! They were hungry for something different. We’ve been talking about heroes. I asked them who was their hero. They mentioned the president of Zambia, and a Zambian soccer star. We talked a little about Orville and Wilbur Wright. I asked them if they could fly anywhere in the world where would they go. Most of them responded them would like to come to America. Some responded South Africa. We had several setbacks: nearly all of the children do not speak English; the school is very tiny; the children’s age distribution is very uneven. Most of the children fall into 8-12 range. Somehow, I was warned not to get too worked up. So, we went with the flow. Otherwise the program went well and we all identified areas for improvement.
When we covered nutrition as Health topic today, it was a little awkward. I asked the children how many of them ate 3 meals, 2 meals, and 1 meal daily. Most of them ate 2 meals daily. Unfortunately, we had several children who at only 1 meal a day. No wonder they are so scrawny. At lunch, each child ate very well. It was neat to see them comfortable. Some kids were so thrilled that they had jelly on their peanut butter. It was a big treat for them.
As our first session ended, I had both relief and bewilderment. I was relieved that our VBS was going to work out in this little school. I was bewildered by the fact that in this village, each household has been affected by HIV virus. I wondered where was humanity. In 2000s, the era of globalization, we could do better. Somehow, these precious children have been left out.
In Lusaka, the uptown life is good. Many Zambians and Expatriotes have a lifestyle similar to ours in Alabama, while on the other end the kids live in dilapidated shantys. Their streets have been washed out. Their school is a two room dirt floor. I’m trying hard to not judge anyone. Because, I’m also part of the problem.
Later on as I chatted with the Head Mistress, I was very impressed with her compassion and genuine concern for the kids. She suspects that some of the children are HIV positive since they have been weaned by mothers who were HIV positive. We talked a long time about her vision. She and nine other individuals are sacrificing from their own pockets to start the school and pay teachers’ salaries. She has a big heart for these vulnerable children. She pointed to me a 10 year old girl who has been repeatedly raped. The little girl is at a point where she has put up walls and does not even communicate. I responded by giving the little girl a hug. How sad! There are not enough words to describe the disparity in this village.
Since this afternoon, I have been a little down. Nothing has prepared me for this experience including my previous experience in Ghana. I’m praying for peace of mind. My sister assured me that our program will make a difference in creating fond memories for the children. I hope that is the case.
I can’t end this blog with sadness. The children taught me about resiliency. They have nothing in their lives and yet they are very appreciative of everything that is given to them. Their smiles have left an indelible mark with both Mark and me. We hope to make this program extra special for each one (including the ones who sneak in).
 One of my favorite Bible text is Jeremiah 29: 11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV).. I want to claim this promise for each child that we met today. I have no doubt that God is in charge. He has an ultimate plan for Kyeye Foundation School.
I need to go for now. Tomorrow morning, we are heading out to Livingstone for a weekend at Victoria Falls and Safari tour. Stay tuned! Nellie..
ps. - I met a little orphan named Nelly today. She was excited to meet me. She pointed to my name tag. Yes, she also snuck into the school. About Us | From Pastor's Desk | Ministries | Adventurers | Pathfinders | Calendar | Photo Gallery | Online Worship | Online Giving | You Matter | Contact Us | Members Page | Devotional Blog | Home |
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