JARED
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
JARED
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
A week into our trip and we visited an organization called Chikumbuso. This is a lovely charity that educates the local community and feeds the students that come. One of the efforts that our group made while we prepared for our trip was to fundraise for this organization. We were lucky to receive so many generous funds that we made donations to the Women’s Safe Haven Program, the Feeding Program, and supporting a grandmother financially for a year. Knowing that we had an invested interest in this organization we were all extremely excited. On route to the school, we are no longer in the city of Luska. We are in the on the outskirts of town and it is noticeable. The road has turned from pavement, to gravel, to dirt. The houses and shops have became huts and precarious shelters. This is clearly a community in need. As we pull into the doors of Chikumbuso an overwhelming sound hits my ears. Before I step out of the bus this group of a dozen women were all singing a traditional Zambia hymn. While I could not understand the words the effect was powerful. All the women were smiling and dancing with such joy in the eyes and on their mouth. These women work for the organization, and they weave bags and sell them to the community. The work these women do support the charity and themselves. We were shown how to make the bags and were able to sit with the seamstresses while they crafted. Of course, being future teachers, we had to inspect the classrooms and say hello to the students here. Each and every classroom we walked into on our tour we were greeted with a resounding “GOOD MORNING VISITORS!” Although I will admit the younger students were the loudest and most emphatic with their greeting. While on tour we talked with a few teachers who went to Chikumbuso as students, once these students went and got an education, they were so impacted by the school that gave them hope and a dream they returned to give back to the organization and the community that uplifted them. Having a passion for education I know the importance it is to have powerful role models and some of these teachers are examples of that. After our tour we were even able to feed the students’ lunch. This was particularly rewarding knowing that we contributed to the feeding program that ensure the students learning in the school get fed. During the student’s lunch hour, we also joined them in their recess. The school does not have a playground or a set of swings but what it does have is more fun then any six flags park I have ever been in. The students sing and dance together. I had heard before coming to Zambia that many African countries enjoy these arts but experiencing them with children was a real joy.
-Mapalo
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After a long weekend of travel and a fair amount of recovery following. Our team is ready for our work to begin in Zambia. Our initial stop in the country is meeting with the Buffalo State sister school The University of Zambia or UNZA. This partnership is the reason that we are able to visit Zambia and spend time in a few of the schools here. They are partnered with a few organizations that you will see in future posts. We spent two days at the school touring buildings, speaking with fellow students, and meeting with UNZA facility members strengthening the partnership that has been established by the schools. The second day at the school specifically was my favorite. Our team was given a tour of their special education department and were able to see the special education school that they have on their campus. I felt right at home when I was in special education room. For those of you who do not know I worked for a year as a Teaching Assistant in a school that specializes in students with autism. The 1st grade students we delt with the same challenges that I worked with. Seeing them lack impulse control and proper social boundaries reminded me of the need that students in special education have in all places, not just in America. Zambia is building its special education program, but it is still a struggle to teach students with higher needs. The schools we will visit can have upwards of eighty students in them so students with higher needs will often be left behind in the mass of children. Another highlight from the second day at UNZA was our meeting with fellow students who attended the University. One student who was soon to graduate with a special education degree led the Buffalo State team and the UNZA students in games to get to know each other and engage our bodies in learning exercises. This young man’s name was Gift and he had a knack for leading a crowd and bonding two groups of strangers together. Once we lost the jitters of meeting new people through these activities the room was full of chatter about our different countries. Many of the Zambia students gave us tradition Zambian names. The name I was given is Mapalo which means blessings. Seeing our different cultures collide was oddly effortless. We had much to talk about because of our similar passion teaching. Comparing our school requirements was of particular interest. Two primary education majors I talked to Tim and Kennedy were astounded about the number of certifications that New York State teachers must undergo in order to teach. That and it is not common for Zambian education students to go for the master’s degree so a few were not pleased to hear if they want to travel to the states and teach, they will need more education. There were many more topics of discussion that day but the takeaway that was the most important is how connected with all these people I am. I received more numbers between the UNZA students than on all my years in college put together. It will be a blessing to have international pen pals to compare our teaching experiences. -Mapalo I am going to Zambia! It has not truly sunk in yet but as I finalize packing it is tough deciding if this pair of pants is going or if this bag will be big enough. While I struggle to pack, I think about my teaching ability. There is a lot I do not know about this trip and the nervousness that comes with the uncertainty is staggering. Not only am I traveling to a different country, but I am teaching members of that country. I feel an enormous amount of pressure having to represent myself, my school, and my country. Most of the continent has had a difficult history with the developed world and this was a topic of conversion in our class to prepare for the trip. One of the goals of our trip is finding universals that relate different cultures. These can include music, dancing, or basic necessities. Using these universals, we will build bridges between the people we interact with. Keeping our goals in mind and the fact that I am with an incredible team I know this trip will be a challenge but it one that I have been blessed with.
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AuthorHello I am Jared Milford. I am a junior at Buffalo State University and I have been blessed with an incredible opportunity to study and teach in Zambia. I am on a trip with ten other students and two professors. Our goal while in Lusaka, Zambia is to create international outreach and use our teaching skills to educate and learn from our fellow educators while we visit their country. Enjoy my journey! ArchivesCategories |