SYDNEY
Elementary Education Graduate |
SYDNEY
Elementary Education Graduate |
Sadly, our trip came to an end last week Thursday. We began our travels back to the states and safely arrived in Buffalo on Friday afternoon. Before I begin to reflect on my overall amazing experience, I would like to give a brief update about the last few days of my trip.
I left off at Mukambi…The girls and I set off to visit Mukambi Lodge which is located in the Kafue National Park. It was about 3 hours from Lusaka. I’m not sure where to begin here. Mukambi was a beautiful place. The lodge was wonderful and the scenery was breathe taking. The first night we arrived, Saturday, we participated in the water cruise/sunset cruise. It was so beautiful driving along the Kafue River. We saw various animals from the boat including elephants, a hippo, a couple of crocodiles, a couple of lizards and various birds. The sunset was beautiful that night. It was a nice introduction to the wildlife and a relaxing ride that could have put me to sleep. The next morning we all woke up very early to go on the morning game drive. This was another great activity the lodge had to offer. It was a cold morning, but we were provided with warm ponchos and blankets to keep warm during the drive. We were able to watch the sunrise and see many different animals as we drove through the Kafue National Park. Again, the scenery itself was pretty. I loved driving around and seeing what the land of Africa looks like with my own eyes. We came across elephants, monkeys, puku, warthogs, waterbuck, various birds, a crocodile, hippos and impala. Although we spotted lion prints, we did not come across any. As we drove along, our driver would stop and talk about the animals.We even stopped to enjoy some tea and a morning snack. Overall, the game drive was a great start to the morning, informative and very lively! We came back after about 4 or so hours of driving to have breakfast and rest a little. Some of use decided to go on the afternoon/nighttime game drive. We were told that there would be a higher chance of spotting a big cat at night. Plus, who wouldn’t want to check out the afternoon/nighttime wildlife? I was all in! We spotted some of the same animals as the morning drive, including more elephants, puku and waterbuck. It was another nice drive seeing wildlife and enjoying the land of Africa. We, again, stopped for a break to have a drink and a snack. We enjoyed the beautiful sunset and had some good conversation with our guides. As the night fell, we got back in the truck to begin our nighttime safari. I found this to be more thrilling. One guide had a spotlight and was scanning the land around us for animals, particularly big cats. During the day, you can see all the land and easily spot an animal. At night, the guide controls where your eyes will go with the spotlight. As you look where the spotlight shines, you do not know what you will see. The anticipation is higher. We kept driving and searching. Although the ride was wonderful and I was enjoying glimpses of the beautiful starlit sky, I was losing hope of seeing a big cat. Just as I began to think this, the truck stopped and from far away, down the road in front of us, was a big cat. At first I thought it was a female lion, but as it got closer I saw spots. The driver whispered and told us it was a female leopard. I was in awe! I couldn’t believe that I was watching a wild leopard! She walked gracefully with confidence and didn’t think twice about us sitting in the truck watching her. She just went about her night. Her coat was beautiful. I couldn’t help think about how much I wanted to get out of the truck and got pet her, like I did with the lions and cheetahs at the Mukuni Big 5 Safari. This was a fantastic end to another great game drive! As we drove back across the river to the lodge, I couldn’t help but stare at the sky. Since there was absolutely no light pollution, I could see every single star in the sky. It was the most beautiful night sky I have ever seen. I love star gazing. The night sky had my full attention. Later on that night, I had decided to go on the morning game drive again. I loved the drives we had taken that day and I wanted to experience one more before we left the next day. The second morning game drive was another wonderful morning spent exploring the land and spotting more animals. It was, yet again, an enjoyable experience. We did leave soon after I arrived back from the morning game drive on Monday. Later on that night, we went to Dr. Shandomo’s nephew’s house where we were all invited for an evening snack. Her nephew’s wife had prepared delicious foods including yummy chicken wings! They were very welcoming. After we had our snacks, we stayed for some tea and cookies and talked about some of our experiences in Zambia. It was very nice to meet more members of Dr. Shandomo’s family. On Tuesday morning, Phylicia and I headed to Roma Girls Primary School to do some research. I was working with a third grade classroom, interviewing students to learn more about how they practice literacy skills outside of school. In the time that was alloted I was able to interview 11 students. Each interview went well and I gained new information about how students use literacy skills outside of the classroom. It was very interesting. We also spent some of our time here giving our donations to the third grade classroom. We gave the goody bags to each student. Then I presented the teacher with a bag of supplies and the class with a bag of supplies. It was a wonderful moment! I was so glad to donate to this school as they are in need of supplies. Each students was thankful for their goody bags, but also seemed grateful for the other classroom supplies. It felt good to see the faces of students light up more. They were very happy! Later on in the afternoon, we went to the tailor to pick up our chitenage dresses. They all came out so beautiful! I am very glad I had some pieces made. On Wednesday morning, we went to Chikumbuso Orphange. We got a tour of the orphanage and we told some information about the orphanage, the school within and the students. After our tour we went inside the main building to listen to two of the staff members talk about their experiences and how they became involved with the orphanage. Both stories were beautiful and moving. These are wonderful ladies who have come out very strong from the hardships they faced in the past. All of us had donations for the orphanage. Some of the other women of the orphanage and the two staff members got together and began singing, dancing and clapping to an African song. It seemed to be a traditional song. They continued as we laid our donations on a rug. I enjoyed this ceremony. It was another great experience that I will not be able to replicate again. This was the end of our program at Chikumbuso. They had a shop where items such as beaded jewelry and crocheted bags from recycled plastic bags were for sale. The proceeds partially went directly to the orphanage and partially to the person who made the item that was sold. The women used the money to help support themselves and their families. I bought a few items. It felt good to know that I was helping support the orphanage and women of Chikumbuso. Later in the afternoon, we went to the U.T.H. Special School to drop off a donation and to say good-bye to the students. All the students were very happy to see us and to interact with us. They were so fun to talk to and take pictures with. It was a nice addition to our busy afternoon schedule. I am glad we were able to stop here to say our good-byes. This was the last of journey in Zambia.
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Yesterday was another day including observations. Phylicia and I went to Libala Primary School to observe a classroom. We observed a 5th grade classroom and the teacher was doing a lesson on the heart. Since there are a lack of resources, she drew a diagram of the inside of a heart on the board. She used this as a visual to aid her lesson. This was a nice classroom to observe. Another interesting observation I made is each of the schools we have visited are the visuals in each classroom. Each classroom had many visuals and posters on the walls. The posters were all hand written and hand drawn. It is clear that teachers or schools do not have access to posters with printed images, unlike schools in the U.S. I am impressed with the drawing skills of the teachers. All the drawings I saw were very nice and were presented nicely for students to refer to. Today, we went back to U.T.H. Special School. Each of us were able to observe two classrooms. I was first in an 8th grade classroom. The students were high functioning, so the teacher was able to teach in a lecture style. I think the teacher did a wonderful job teaching her lesson. The students were understanding and participating, it was great to see. The next classroom was a second grade class. The students were eager to learn and to participate in the lesson. They all were happy and smiling. I also enjoyed this classroom. I just wish we had more time to spend here. The deputy head teacher asked us when we were coming back! She also wanted us to have more time at the school. This weekend we will be visiting Mukambi! I can’t wait to go on a safari and see more wildlife!
Last time I blogged I left off with the Mukuni Village. After the village we climbed up to a platform within a large boba tree that is over 100 years old. I took a pictures of the falls, this picture is in my previous post. I was a little nervous as I stood high up, so I quickly took a couple of pictures and climbed back down. As we were driving out of the park, we had to stop because a group of elephants were crossing the road. It was so cool to see! There were quite a few back in the bush. It almost looked like they were gathering for an evening meeting. Later that night we went to a restaurant where I was able to try nshima. This is a traditional food that is eaten by Zambians. It is cooked plain. To me it taste similar to grits, but slightly smoother. Dr. Shamdomo’s nephew showed us how to eat it. First you wash your hands in a warm bowl of water. Then you grab some of the nshima with your right hand and move it around in your palm to form a ball. Then, you can dip it in a traditional sauce. It is a tomato and onion based sauce. I found nshima to be quite delicious! I love trying new foods. I hope I am able to try more traditional foods while I’m here. The next day we had another early start to our day. All of us signed up to go to the Big Five Safari in Mukuni to ride an elephant, walk a lion and walk a cheetah. All of these activities were such a great experience! The elephant walk was our first activity. The elephant Phylicia and I rode on was named Sondella. Our guide that rode with us was named Phillip. He was very knowledgeable about elephants and the elephants belonging to the Safari. Sondella was an orphaned elephant. The Safari takes in orphaned animals and animals in captivity. Then, they rehabilitate them and eventually release them back into the wild. I loved hearing this. The handlers do not force the animals to do anything and let them be their natural selves. The ride was peaceful and relaxing. After the ride, we were able to find Sondella. I fed him twice by mouth and by trunk! The group then moved on to walking the lions. This was another awesome experience. Before walking them we learned some information about the lions and how to pet/interact with them. I pet a couple of the lions, Terry and Choowe. This was so great! Walking them was a neat experience too. I had to hold their tail like a microphone, it acted as a leash. Next, we went to interact with the cheetahs. I think this was my favorite cat walk activity. The cheetahs were more similar to a domesticated cat, it kind of reminded me of my own cat. They were purring so loudly. I was able to take a longer walk with Lillian. She was so sweet and she was purring for the majority of the time. After we walked them, we got to see each cheetah run around. They really are so fast! All of these activities were such amazing experiences. I almost did not participate in all three activities, but I am glad I did! During my time here so far, I came across something interesting. There have been three people I have met and I have introduced myself to them. After I tell them my name, they have all told me they have a son named Sydney. I’m not sure if it is the same spelling, as Sidney is the male spelling. However, it was interesting to find that here my name is typical of males and at home it is more typical of females, but is also used for males. You don’t realize these kinds of differences until you experience them for yourself. Yesterday, June 10th, we traveled to different schools to observe classrooms. First we went to Roma Primary, Jacaranda Primary, Lusaka Girls, U.T.H Special School and St. Mary’s Queen of Peace Girls School. I observed a variety of classes between each school. There are vast difference between them as well. For example, Roma Primary is a school with students coming from mixed economic statuses. There are more affluent students and less affluent students, even orphans. St. Mary’s is a private school, where the majority or all students come from a more affluent family. The other schools seems to have students from an average economic family. I could tell which schools had more resources and monetary support. In some classrooms students shared a book with a partner, in others there was enought for each student. The classroom sizes varied between schools, but had between 40 and 50 students each. There was no technology in the classrooms. Although there were so many students, the teachers had good classroom management. I did not see any behavior issues. There was only a chalkboard to write on. Roma had a computer lab for students, although not enough for each student in a classroom. We visited one and it looked like the students took turns using the computers. Lusaka Girls had a computer room as well, I think this is for teacher preparation and to show students PowerPoint presentations. I enjoyed going to all the schools, getting a closer look at how each school runs and seeing the differences between each school. I have decided to conduct my research for my Masters project at Roma Primary. I think this school will work well with the kind of data I would like to collect. I am trying to get a closer look at children’s literacy practices outside of school. I am asking students to bring in a book from home, if they have one, and then interviewing them according to if they have a book or not. Since this school has a variety of students coming from different economic backgrounds, I feel I will get a variety of information. On Friday, June 13th, we scheduled time to go back to U.T.H. Special School and observe in a classroom. I would like to learn more about special education in Zambia. I am looking forward to seeing more of this school. All of the students seemed very nice and sweet. They were smiling and greeting us while we were there.
It has been amazing these past few days! I don’t even know where to begin. On Thursday June 5th, Phylicia and I visited the Lusaka national Museum. It was very interesting to learn about the history of Zambia. I learned a lot about the history of the people of Zambia, the gain of independence, the first president and following presidents. We also got to see models of how people live in traditional villages today. There was an very large statue outside the museum made out of metal. A man explained to us that it represents to first man in Zambia to come out and announce that he had HIV. The statue was made out of the beds of patients who also had HIV. The spear that is being held represents peoples’ fight against HIV. It is a very powerful statue and message. I will post a picture of the statue after I arrive home. We also walked to see the Freedom statue that is near the museum. On Friday June 6th, we left for Livingstone early in the morning. Dr. Mbewe, Maina, and Mrs. Chitalu, the head teacher (principal) of Libala Basic School. We arrived in Livingstone where we stayed at Lilamwondo Lodge. On Saturday we had a packed day of activities to complete. First on the list was going to the Livingstone Museum. I learned about the history of Livingstone, the first white man to visit here and how it was named after David Livingstone. Next, we ventured to the park where the Victoria Falls is located. After arriving at the park, we immediately saw monkeys walking around. Our tour guide Charles told us that they are known to take peoples handbags! Our first activity at the park was walking down to the Boiling Point. We climbed down ( and then up) over 800 steps. As we climbed down I could feel the air getting warmer and warmer. We also encountered more monkeys along the trek. No worries, they did not try to steal any of our belongings. The sight after we made it down to the Boiling Point was beautiful. You could see the mist of the falls, the bridge where people bungee jump from and a whirlpool. The whirlpool was similar to the one by the Niagara Falls. The current looked very strong. After this, we were highly advised to purchase raincoats for our walk around the Victoria Falls. If you don’t, you get soaked! This was an amazing experience. We had wonderful views of the falls! Walking around the Boiling Point and Victoria Falls was so pretty and serene. This really is a beautiful area. When I was walking around the falls it was like I was walking through a little rainforest. Following our wet journey through the falls, Charles took us to another area to walk around,p to enjoy the sunshine and admire more views of the falls and the area around it. Later we shopped around the market that is inside of the park. I bought 2 pretty copper bracelets. Zambia is well known for copper. From here we went to visit the Mukuni Village, a traditional village near the park. It was interesting to see that people live so simplistically. With all the technological advances in our world, it’s a little refreshing to still see people living this way, enjoying their lives and keeping their traditions alive. I enjoyed viewing the village and seeing smiles on everyone’s faces. The children we passed were so happy and they were smiling, playing and some even danced for us! This is all I have for now. Stayed tuned for more about my experiences and adventures in Zambia!
Today we went back to the University of Zambia to meet with various professors to learn more about Zambia’s education system. Dr. Shandomo’s friend Mrs. Nando gave a wonderful and very informative lecture about general knowledge of the Zambian education system. I feel as though I have better background knowledge about the schools of Zambia. Afterwards, we continued to meet with various professors in different specialties. We met with Peggy who specializes in social justice, Bwsitwe who focused on literacy education at the University, and the Assistant Dean of Special education. These were all very informative meetings. I feel that I have an even greater understanding of the Zambian school system and the specific areas within. In the afternoon we went to Safique’s Fabric Shop to look for and buy more fabric to get traditional dresses and skirts made. I found some more beautiful fabrics. I can’t wait to have these clothing pieces made! I hope to go to another market with more chitenge to bring back home.
Later on, Phylicia and I tried to make banana pudding. The directions were unclear and we had a difficult time. Unfortunately, we were not successful and our pudding turned out orange and lumpy! Instead we made rice crispie treats with some strawberry rice crispies we found at Melissa supermarket. They turned out to be a delicious treat! The journey overseas was a long 14 hours. But we made it! I was surprised to find out that the people of Zambia drive on the left side of the road and sit on the right side of the car. It is different from what I am used to. It didn’t really hit me that I was in a Africa and a whole different country until the drive from the airport. I saw many things that are different from the United States. Many people were selling food and handmade goods in stands on the of the road. It was interesting to see. We arrived to our flats or apartments a while after being picked up from the airport. We are staying in a nice area with many other flats around us. Our apartments are very nice and include a kitchen so we can cook our own meals. I am eager to eat a traditional meal cooked by the one and only Dr. Shandomo. Phylicia and I cooked breakfast our first morning in Lusaka and enjoyed our meal on the front porch. On Sunday, we went to the Sunday market. It was a fun experience. I definitely enjoyed negotiating with the vendors. I bought some great souvenir items including a beautiful wooden carved wall hanging of Africa with the “big five.” The big five are the lion, the cheetah, the buffalo, the rhino and the elephant. After this market experience I am looking forward to experiencing other markets. On Monday, we went to visit the University of Zambia. We also met with the dean and various professors in the math and science education department. It was nice to talk to people who are knowledgable about the education system of Zambia. The campus grounds of the University is very large! It’s as if UB’s north and south campuses were combined into one. Later on we went to the Ministry of Education, and Indo Zambia, a local bank and then we headed over to the Comesa market. Here we were on a shopping mission to find chitenge, which is beautiful material unique to Africa. There were so many pretty fabrics! Also, so far, I have seen many women wearing beautiful dresses or skirts made from chitenge. Dr. Shandomo is arranging for us to take our fabric(s) to local tailors to have dresses and/or skirts made. At the Sunday market we bought bags made from left over chintenge fabrics, it looks similar to a quilt. All of the girls have decided that we will use the extra scrap fabric from our dresses/skirts to each have one of those bags. The bags will represent each one of us and become a memorable souvenir of our time spent together and this wonderful experience. Today, we visited five Zambian schools. The first school we went to was Libala Primary School. This was a nice school with great school grounds. We had an informative meeting with the head teacher and deputy teacher. It was interesting to hear some of the statistics of the school. For example, there are about 60-70 students per classroom with only 1 teacher. I’m beginning to think that 23-30 students is not so big any more! Next we went to Mary Queen of Peace Girl’s School. What beautiful schools grounds they had! We also met with the head teacher and arranged to come back and observe some of the classrooms. We did the same for the next three schools we visited. These were Lusaka Girls (which is beginning to include boys), Jacanda Primary School and Roma Primary school. It is interesting that most of the primary schools go up to either 7th and 9th grade. I am curious to go back next week and observe classrooms at these schools. I want to know more about classroom practices and teaching methods of Zambian schools. It was also interesting to learn that Zambia is also facing curriculum changes, this seems to be a common step in education all over the world.
I am thrilled to be leaving for Zambia in 3 days!!! I have been collecting school supplies to donate to the school I will be working in, and the orphanage we will be visiting. I have put together supplies for the classroom teacher(s), as well. We can’t forget about the teachers! Some of the supplies include crayons, construction paper (large and small), markers, chalk, bubbles and books. Each student in the classroom will receive a goody bag with a pencil, two erasers, a pencil sharpener, two stickers and various candies unique to the United States. Just as I am looking forward to trying new foods and other items unique to Zambia, I’m sure the children will enjoy trying these special sweet treats! I also wanted to bring them blow bubbles because it was something I enjoyed when I was younger. I am also not sure if they have blow bubbles or have ever seen bubbles before. If not, it will be great to see their reactions to these delicate and pretty floating orbs. I have been told that there is a lack of books in the classrooms of Zambia. Since Zambians speak, write and read English I thought it would be a good idea to find books to donate. I found picture books and illustrated chapter books. I hope these books will be read so students can experience these wonderful stories. One “special” student will receive a drawstring bag, a notebook and a water bottle. All students will be able to earn more candy, erasers and stickers from the extras. The classroom teacher(s) will receive a small dry erase board, a dry erase weekly calendar, “Good Character” certificates, stickers, chalk, 2 notebooks, pens and dry erase markers. Some of the teacher supplies are for only the teacher(s). However, I wanted to give the teacher(s) items that they can give to the students. As a teacher, it feels good to give students any kind of award/reward. The certificates and stickers are a great way to show that you care and you are looking for their good behavior and good work. Along with supplies, I will also be donating some clothing that is not worn anymore. I kept in mind the cultural differences in clothing style and what is appropriate clothing to wear in Zambia. I did some research to find out what is appropriate for myself to wear during my stay. The articles of clothing that is being donated, I think, meets the standards of the Zambian culture. Here are some pictures of the supplies I am brining. I am slightly nervous about what to expect. Even though I have traveled overseas, I have never been to a developing country. This alone will make my experience eye-opening. This opportunity will be a great way for me to grow as a teacher, in a unique way. Going to Zambia and being able to work with these under-privileged children will allow me to gain new perspectives that I cannot obtain from schools in Western New York. I am eager to work with these students and learn from them and their experiences.
I week from now, I will be waking up in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa!!! :) |