MOLLY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
MOLLY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
Today we woke up around 7am and made our way to Libala Primary School. When the gates to the school opened I instantly fell in love. The school is composed of several buildings for each classroom. The classrooms are spread out throughout a large open area. Each classroom leads out to the quad. The first thing I noticed was all the greenery. So much green. It was beautiful. We met with the head teacher (principal) and several senior teachers. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. We will begin at the school on Thursday. I can’t wait. Then we went to St Mary’s. There was a long driveway leading up to the school. This school was larger and had a computer lab. The landscaping was impeccable. There were several landscapers working hard. Next we went to Lusaka Girls. This school opened in 1939 and was for only girls. It is now in the process of transitioning into a secondary school and there are now a few boys attending this school. The next school we visited was Jacaranda. This school had many classroom buildings spread throughout the area similar to Libala. The fifth and final school we went to was Roma Girls. This school had several classrooms and it seemed as if the scho had a larger property. When we arrived there was a large group of girls standing in a circle playing a game with a soccer ball. When we were walking through the area the girls at the school were excited to see us. We drove through many different parts of Lusaka. Lusaka is a very big city and there is a sharp contrast among the towns throughout Lusaka. A low socioeconomic town is only minutes from a high socioeconomic area. It was a long, but exciting day. I can’t wait to spend Thursday in the classroom. Tomorrow we will spend the day at the University of Zambia to meet with the Special Education Director. I can’t wait to see what’s in store. Attached is a photo of our group with some students.
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I am writing this from the side of our own personal pool. Yes, we have our own pool. It’s beautiful. We arrived in Lusaka around 11:30am yesterday (Saturday May 31st). The very first thing I noticed when we stepped off the plane were the trees. Bonsai and palm trees. Just beautiful. I never expected palm trees here. We went through customs and received our visas. Then the real adventure began. We were greeted at the airport by some of the people of Zambia and Dr Shandomos sister, brother and her nephew. Dr Shandomos family was so welcoming. We loaded our luggage into the van and we’re on our way to the flat. I imagined the flat to be in a busy area. I imagined a more modernized area. Charmaine, Jenna and I are staying in one of the flats together. It has a nice yard, patio, kitchen, living area, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I was ready to hand wash my clothing, but we even have a washer to use. We went to the super market and to the bank to exchange money. I exchanged 200 US dollars and received 1328 kwacha in exchange. We bought foods and other household items we may need. Things I noticed upon arrival in Zambia were that you drive on the other side of the road, the driver sits on the opposite side of the car, cars beep frequently and the road seems like a free for all. We arrived at our flat and unpacked our luggage, groceries and then showered. The shower felt amazing after almost a day of travel. Today (Sunday) we woke up at 8am because Dr Shandomos nephew was picking us up to go to the Sunday Market. The market was amazing. I felt nervous at first, but after visiting the first vendor I was anxious to keep looking. The vendors were very aggressive and wanting you to buy from them. If you glance at an item they run over quickly. I bought a wooden giraffe, a fabric quilted bag, and a small jewelry bowl. There is a picture posted below. I wasn’t planning on buying the wooden giraffe but when I went to the vendor he saw my hair tie on my wrist and wanted it badly. So, I exchanged my hair tie and 10 kwacha (less than 2 dollars) for the giraffe. It was so much fun being able to exchange. After the market we had our first meal here. I had the chicken and spicy rice. The sun was shining all day long. The sun sets around 5:30/6 each day. Tomorrow we will wake up and go to the University of Zambia.
It is the first day of the three week adventure in Lusaka, Zambia. I am writing this on the plane. It now the ninth hour of this flight. Only 5 more to go. It feels like it’s been 9 days. I am feeling very envious of the people in the first class. I am restless and tired, but not tired enough to fall asleep. One thing I regret not bringing is sleeping pills. Today’s trip began around 3:30am for me. I woke up, had my last shower in the U.S for awhile. I enjoyed every second of it. Don’t know what it will be like in Africa. My parents and I left the house at 5:15am to pick up Jenna. We got Jenna, loaded up the car and were on our way to the airport. I felt anxious and nervous, felt like my chest was going to explode. I was dreading saying goodbye to my parents. I hate goodbyes. Our bags were 50 pounds (thank goodness!!) We boarded the first flight to JFK. The flight was only 40 minutes long. It was my first time in NYC. The airport is huge! I am so happy we have a small group of only 6 people. The group dynamic is great and we’ve had so many laughs so far. I still can’t believe were on our way to Zambia. I don’t know when it will set in, but it’s amazing. Can’t wait to see what’s to come. Here’s a picture of the group were just missing Charmaine.
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