Author: malambograssroots_kuyzez (Page 4 of 5)

School funding 2011

May 13, 2011 /

 

Students from Malambu Basic Elementary school have fun with a donation of pencils.

 

This year, Malambo Grassroots once again helped to provide educational funding for many students. Here’s a report from the field:

We are at the end of a busy six weeks of interviewing students and parents  who have applied for educational funding, and forty-five students have gone off to studies from Grade 8 to college, happy to know that another year of life progresses well. 

The students we have funded range from Grade 8 to 12, and to college, where this year we have eight qualifying in power electrics, marketing and supply, medical and teaching.

As always this has been a rewarding time for us. We have witnessed such eagerness from students. To quote from a dog-eared letter that a parent showed us: 

“Daddy, may you please send some money here.  I don’t have soap, detergent paste and other things for use.  My friends are doing some tuitions for maths, sciences and other subjects.  As for me I don’t have money to pay therefore I am not learning. I know that you don’t have money but for this case you must do something.  If possible you can sell anything because I want to learn and to buy other things.  Remember Mummy and Daddy you promised me….”

We were able to send him $38.29 for soap and tuition.

Goat or no goat? Part 3 of 3: What more could we do?

March 10, 2011 /

 

The children and young adults who come to us for scholarships know that a good education will change their lives, so they really want this chance.

 

Our first initiative in Zambia was an income generating project for women, the Malambo Women’s Group. But we asked ourselves, what more could we do?

My aunt, Dr. Thea Savory, had started a free medical clinic and a scholarship program. We support these programs. We wanted them to grow. My mother is an educator and used to do curriculum development. We had been courted for a few years by the local headmaster, but we held off initially because we worried about how much funds we would be able to access. We could see the need was immense, beyond our limited means. So now we are working with schools.

We are also contributing to the scholarships. I went shopping with my aunt in Choma. We were stopped by the security guard of the shop—who thanked us profusely.  He was a high school graduate and got this job on the strength of that. It was a good job.

We have had college and university graduates in a number of fields. Lately a young man graduated as a radiographer. He works in a hospital in northern Zambia and can now in turn contribute to the education of other children in his family. He is very grateful for his education and was very disappointed that my aunt could not attend his degree ceremony.


Sometimes when we are in Zambia, we help with the huge job of interviewing and processing the scholarship applications. This has to be done three times a year, and for some programs, four times. It’s an enormous effort. Our scholarship fund is limited. We have to say no to many prospective students. This is extremely hard to do—to say no to a child who really wants to go to school. The kids beg and cry. I find this tremendously difficult. These children and young adults know that a good education will change their lives, so they really want this chance.


This is what we want to give Zambians, a good education and the opportunity to have a better future.

Goat or no goat? Part 2: Where do we go from here?

February 28, 2011 /

 

Harriet is a member of the Malambo Women's Group, which was our first initiative. It's an income generating group for women.

 

How do we get beyond addressing only the immediate needs of Zambians? What is the next step, after providing food, for example? How do we get beyond the need to provide this bandaid-style charity, because, to tell the truth, we have been working in Zambia for many years, and still there are now even more in need.

I think giving to address primary needs is still important. 

But it needs to be linked to education. Education is the next step.  It gets people to the point where they have the ability to improve their futures themselves.

These villagers need more access to education. They need support so they can continue beyond, they need better schools and a strong curriculum, they need access to scholarships, college, and university. If they don’t manage to finish high school, they need skills training so they have the chance at a career. 

Giving education is a gift that lasts all one’s life. Not only that, it spreads beyond the individual. It opens the doors to good jobs in countries like Zambia that are in short supply of an educated workforce. These educated workers send money home to their village relatives and they sponsor younger relatives to further their education. 

Malambo Grassroots has worked for years on a shoestring—small funds and few people resources. However, we have constantly tried to maximized our impact. When we are in Zambia, we are volunteers, living rent-free and with a support system offered by the farm where we stay— security, power, a network of people who help us here and there. With this we have the ability to maximize our outreach.

With our first few dollars we decided to start an income generating project for women. The women asked us. We have found that the women’s first priority with their income is their family–food, clothing, medical needs, and schooling expenses for their children. So we started some more income generating projects. We were able to minimize our need for money by starting simple craft-based projects, and maximize on our ability to donate our time for training. We kept expenses low. We had to.

So time has been one of our resources. We kept going back to Zambia. Our projects were running. What more could we do?  

Next post is the third and final section of this essay: What more could we do?

Goat or no goat? Part 1 of 3

February 19, 2011 /

 

A goat is like a walking bank for a rural Zambian.

 

by Jocelyn, one of our volunteers

I recently watched a great documentary on CBC.    Newfoundland filmmaker Christopher Richardson asks the question, if you donate a goat to a charity, does someone actually get a goat? He traveled to Zambia to find out. His film is called Where’s My Goat, and is well worth watching.

His show made me think. Is our work with Malambo Grassroots really having an impact?  Is our belief in a multi-pronged approach right (ie. income generation, education, and community development)? By giving a goat, (which can become a small income generator), what is the real impact on Zambians?

Well, right from the start, the gift of a goat, chicken, pig, or cow provides food and income. So for an impoverished villager, life is improved immediately.  This is good. Feeding a hungry family is the very first step towards making a difference.

While the gift of a goat is welcomed, the animals themselves can be a problem. Goats denude the environment. Overgrazing by any animal, whether it’s by cows, pigs, or goats, has a big impact on the environment. However, goats are welcomed because they are good survivors, they are relatively easy to look after, and the people in this area were traditionally herders. Villagers gather flocks around them as a form of a walking bank account. People stock up with grazers the same way they might put money in savings. Goats are something to sell in times of need.

If you need a walking bank, you try to cultivate your herd so it grows. With the growth in population, with more people banking this way, the land can become bald, overgrazed. Then when the rains come, the soil washes away and deep erosion begins. You can see this clearly during the dry season in areas where there is a high concentration of grazers.

Perhaps the “first-step gifts” that we need to give are those animals that give back to the land – for now perhaps chickens, perhaps seed and fertilizers to those who live close to a water source. Perhaps we need to broaden the variety of first help interventions.

Villagers do need to accumulate wealth. At this point, a bank account in Zambia charges more in fees than most people make in a month. My hope is that cell phone banking will be cheap and will allow villagers to accumulate wealth.

Our next post will continue with part 2: Where do we go from here?

Rainy season in Zambia

January 10, 2011 /

Selling roasted mealies (corn) by the side of the road

Our volunteers are now in Zambia to work on Malambo Grassroots’ various projects. Here is a message from one volunteer, about her arrival:

“This morning there is a spectacular thunder and lightening storm outside. It’s 5 am right now. I’ve been lying here since 3 am thinking it will stop any moment but it’s still louder than ever.  I wonder how the earth can absorb so much water?

“Flying into Zambia yesterday, I couldn’t stop smiling.  The moment I got on to the tarmac and smelt the air my grin got impossibly larger.  I laughed when I got to baggage and saw that the belt was broken so there were huge piles of luggage stacked on top of each other — the room was full.  Luckily for me, my luggage was added to the chaos just as I got out of the eternal customs line! 

“We spent the morning in Lusaka. A lot has already changed since last year.  There is a general feeling that Zambia is coming up–though life expectancy is lower than ever right now at 36 years. We looked at numerous crafts, wondering if the Malambo women could make them and whether or not they would sell back in Vancouver.  After dealing with many other practicalities we drove several hours to the Kafue junction and waited in the sweltering heat for Sipriano while women offered to sell us bananas.  The bus (that is used for Malambo Grassroots projects) is more rickety than ever. We now look like the official transport here–one window won’t open (which makes it unbearable in the heat), the windshield is broken, the side mirror is hanging on in a precarious fashion, and the muffler is a joy to listen to.  The bus won’t make it much longer so we are thinking about alternatives–a newer, safer vehicle.

“We met in the late afternoon to talk about school scholarships and had some good discussions about how exactly to micro-finance part of the school scholarship program since it is so expensive to go to school here. Miriam came by to visit–she is one of the oldest grandmothers on the farm.  There is a lot of malaria right now, with many people in hospital, so she wanted to share this concern.  

“The rain is slowly starting to dissipate–the thunder and lightening still really loud!  I have heard the others stir, so I’m going to go sit on the deck and watch the end of the storm…..the birds and insects are amazing–louder than the rains….there is a soft voice floating above the birds—it must be our mulonda (security guard for the night)–beautiful.”

Dispatches from Zambia: from orphans to photocopiers

December 1, 2010 /

 

Monze storefront

 

Here is an excerpt from a message from Marylee Banyard, who is now in Zambia. On a recent trip into the nearby town of Monze, she encounters both old and new, from technology to polygamy to children orphaned by AIDS:

“We have laminating facilities in Monze now. It sort of works, but is a little gimpy. Photocopying too… the page comes out with a dark mass at the top. 

“The man there gave me a big lecture about, “Why is it always women and orphans? What about the MEN!” He said he is a grandfather supporting an orphan at Zimba school. He also said that he was born in a hut, not a hospital, and BaTonga culture has good midwives. We foreigners don’t understand Tonga culture.

“I said we should go have a cup of coffee, as he was continually being interrupted and dealing with all sorts of people with issues while he was arguing with me and trying to laminate.

“He also said women bring it on themselves because they don’t have to be second and third wives. They have choice. [ed: Polygamy is still legal in Zambia.]

“From him I went to see Sister Lontia at the St Vincent de Paul Community School in Monze. We discussed many things. Concerning second and third wives, she pointed out their usual circumstances of poverty and insecurity. The children they bring with them into the marriages are often not accepted by the new husband, and the real father has probably died or vanished. 

“She has 204 children in the school, of which 123 are orphans, and 77 are “vulnerable”. Sometimes the economic pressure is too great for families and children are abandoned. Although the school tries to charge K5,000 ($1.25 Canadian) per term (3 terms a year ) the school accepts all, even if they can’t pay.  They are Catholic Mission funded.”

A student from St Vincent de Paul Community School paints a mural on the school walls. The Zambian flag flies high above.

Dispatches from Zambia: adventures with the mini-bus

November 16, 2010 /

Here’s an excerpt from a recent message from Marylee Banyard, who is now in Southern Zambia. For the last few years, Malambo Grassroots has used a white mini-bus for all their errands. The mini-bus is indispensable. Just one of its uses is to transport the women from the Malambo Women’s Group and the Lusumpuko group to Lusaka for the monthly craft market. Here Marylee updates us on its fate:

“Our bus is now defunct. A friend from Choma very generously has lent me one of his. A Suzuki…4-wheel drive. Little. Tough. I came back with it on Sunday, hauling it around corners with no power steering and very heavy.  We went through an enormous, pounding rain with wind and hail. Couldn’t see the lines on the road. But all OK and we got home in one piece.

“On Monday I set off for Monze in the mini-bus. Our mechanic Rabson said it would make it to Lusaka with Sipriano driving, and a cargo of Mrs Jonah, Mrs Mweetwa with a bag of maize, our young secretary Tiswani and another woman. By the time we got half way to Monze (about 5 km) the bus was juddering badly, so we decided to come home. 

“We jettisoned the ladies by the side of the road and turned back. However, by the time we got to the turnoff [to the Moorings farm], the old bus had recovered, so we turned round again, found our passengers still by the side of the road, and the rest of the trip was fine.

“Sipriano picked the old thing up this morning at 5 am and drove very slowly and carefully up to Lusaka. He brought Lasco along for support. He called us on his cell from the turnpike [about halfway to Lusaka] to say he was slow, but OK. He said he would make Maranouchi Motors [just outside Lusaka] by 9 am. The trip usually takes three hours.”

It looks like we’ll now be fundraising for a new bus!

Christmas craft fair

November 11, 2010 /

 

Tortoise appliqué, made by the Malambo Women's Group

 

Malambo Grassroots will have a table at the Queen City Craft Fair in Nelson, BC.

Friday, November 19, 5:30-8:00pm

at the Prestige Inn on Nelson’s waterfront

The craft fair is a great place to browse for Christmas presents. If you’re in the area, come out and see the women’s work!

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