ZAMBIA - 'A New Seed is Sown'

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?What lies before us and what lies behind us are only tiny matters compared to what lies within us? A quote found in Lubasi Home Children?s Orphanage

On March 25th, our group of fourteen people from the Abbey Grammar School left for Livingstone, Zambia; after months of preparation, we were ready to start our Immersion Project.

Zambia is a central African country surrounded by six other countries : Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, Tanzania and Mozambique. It is approximately ten hours flying time from the UK, and is around eleven times the size of Ireland. Zambia has a population of eleven million. There are seventy three different tribes, each having their own language. In the area where we stayed there were the Bemba, Tonga and Selosi tribes. The Zambezi River which runs through the country is 2700kms long, about 8 times longer than the longest river here in Ireland, the River Shannon.

The preparation started on the Edmund Rice feast day in May 2008 when thirty six Year 12 students applied for a place in what would be the fourth trip of its kind from the school. By October, from this group eight students had been chosen along with two students from year 14. In the following months, we had meetings every week where we arranged fundraising and practised cooking meals, as we would be cooking for ourselves in Zambia. In general, we prepared for what would be the experience of a lifetime. It was over these months that we really became a group. We fundraised through various successful events. This was not done by our group alone, but also with the support of the whole school and others and for that, we say thanks.

These months flew by, and it wasn?t before long that we were waiting in the Abbey car park on our bus to take us to Dublin Airport. We set off, anxious at what lay ahead, but nonetheless excited. Our Aer Lingus flight took us to Heathrow where we waited a few hours, before boarding our ten-hour flight to Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia that would be our home, for the next two and a half weeks.

We got off the plane at 7:30am local time and were hit with a gust of thirty degree heat and were welcomed by Br. Joe Mosley at the Spiritual Centre. After a quick refresh we headed for breakfast in the Irish Embassy. We were then driven on an eleven-hour bus journey to Livingstone, thanks to our bus breaking down six times, all part of the experience.

During our journey to Livingstone we were shocked to be the centre of people?s attention. It wasn?t until we were told not to be afraid and to wave at the people that we began to ease. The people were so friendly and would go out of their way to wave and smile at us. In spite of the heat, we managed to get some sleep on the journey but were woken frequently by the thud of the many potholes in the road. We eventually arrived at our destination- ?Fawlty Towers?, Livingstone. It had everything we needed, and was a luxury compared to the places in which we saw other people living, over the following two and a half weeks.

Living life to the full for us is getting out of your normal way of life; it?s about exploring new horizons, witnessing different cultures from that of your own. One of the things that was so noticeable was the contrast between the beauty and the poverty; it was evident in every area we went to. Whether it was the smile and happiness of a little child playing in a poor excuse-for-a-home or even the fact that Victoria Falls, a glorious wonder of the world, a place with so much water in an area where clean water is so hard to find. Beauty and Poverty are two completely different worlds, living in the same area, two opposites living along side each other.

But the Beauty is unreal. Actually witnessing the Victoria Falls first hand was the best experience of our lives. It is a place of solace, giving solitude that words can?t describe. We went on the rainbow bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe. At a certain point on the bridge there is a line which ends Zambia and a line that starts Zimbabwe. The gap between these lines is called ?No Man?s Land?. We walked on a bit after the bridge and for fifteen minutes we were actually in the country of Zimbabwe where we became trillionaires with the new bank notes issued.

The Great Falls plummeted into the base of the river creating a thunderous mist; it is called the ?Mosi ? O ? Tunya?, which translates as ?the smoke that thunders?. It was hard to keep your eyes off of it. We walked across a bridge that was narrow and slippery but it brought us through the mist. One moment of our lives that we will never forget is standing on that bridge, with the Falls behind us and the rest of Zambia opened out in front of us as a million beads of water came down on us from the mist. We just didn?t have a care in the world; time just passed by. It was amazing. And the chance to see the sunset across the Falls was astonishing. It was a perfect picture, how the red sunset created a black silhouette of the mountains in the background and black water in front of us. It is something you have to see. You could watch it for hours.

Even the sky is different out there. We remember coming home in the back of Brother Mick Doyle?s truck along one of the worst roads in the world. The roads out there are terrible, so bumpy, and you have to sweep around the pot holes, weaving, instead of driving straight. We could even see ?poverty? in the roads. They were the straightest and longest roads in the world. Anyways coming back home in the truck at night there were stars everywhere. The sky was so clear, as a new moon appeared. It was so relaxing looking at the stars, as we raced through the culture of Zambia to get back to the lodge while people shouted out ?Muzungo? which means white person: a brilliant moment.

An average day for us would have consisted of us getting up at around half six. The schools started between 7.15am and 8am and went on until 1pm. The thrill of teaching is amazing. We all got on so well with our classes. You could ask them to sing and they would just belt out a song in an instant; it was amazing to watch. Even how they greet you in the morning is an experience on its own. Once you say, ?good morning? to the class they rhyme off this routine. ?Good morning sir!? Then you say, ?How are you?? They reply, ?Fine sir and how are you?? You say, ?Fine. Take a seat? then they finish by saying ?Thank you, sir?. Now they don?t just say this; they belt it out. The community school buildings were basic, however, they were in a bad state of repair, before we maintained them.

You can see where the money we in the Abbey have donated has gone. For example, our money provided a brand new roof for a school. Before this pupils went to school and if it rained they got soaked. But you could be teaching in a place which barely has a blackboard or even windows and you could be trying to teach sixty pupils in a classroom that finds it hard to accommodate twenty. Their reading skills are ridiculously bad. Some of us were teaching grade 4 which meant that they were 9 year olds. In that class there was a 16 year old called Lubinda. You could only feel sorry for him because he tried so hard and yet he could not get any answers correct. It?s things like that that open your eyes. Even when you ask a question and they don?t understand you they give you the same monotonous answer, ?yes?, back every time. But at times we knew that was just because of our accent.

We never really thought about AIDS or HIV that much around these people. We never really stopped and thought that these children could have AIDS. You just forget about it completely and played with them. One day in one of our classes this wee lad just burst out crying. We tried to console him but we didn?t know the reason for his tears. The principal came in and told us that he cries a lot now because he is a double orphan. You see his Mum and Dad died and so he lived with his Auntie and Uncle but then they died and now he lives with his other Auntie and he just got told last week that he is HIV positive. Now imagine that. This boy is only 9 years old and he has to deal with problems like that. Yet he is still in school every day, wanting to learn whereas back here we complain about being in school. They don?t have things to write on out there and if they don?t have a pen they get sent home. We don?t have to worry about that here because everything is handed to us. It?s amazing how these children deal with problems like that but are still in school happy and belting out songs.

Something that struck a chord with everyone in our group was the home care visits that we attended. Each member of our group went on two home visits each; these were such an eye opener and for many people, difficult to experience. These visits involved going out into the compounds to one of the local clinics to help administer drugs to the patients. Then we would go to see those who were not fit enough to attend the clinic. Most of the patients with whom we came into contact at these clinics were suffering from HIV/AIDS.

These clinics were run by a group of Franciscan nuns, some of whom were from Ireland. Sister Mary Courtney was from Co Cavan and was the leader of the clinic. Sister Sheila was one of the helpers; she is an 84 year old from Ravensdale in Co Louth. The fact that she is 84 and still as active was inspiring to see.

One of the care assistants we worked with was called Richard. In 1999 he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was described as being bedridden-however, with the help of the Franciscan nuns and medicines in 2000 he improved and is now working for the nuns as a way of repaying them for saving his life.

On these visits, patients from all around the different compounds come together at one patient?s house which then acts as a clinic for the medicine to be distributed. Twenty years ago this would not have been able to happen simply because there was too much stigma attached to having HIV/AIDS so people would have been afraid to gather at what would have been known as the ?AIDS House? for fear of being shunted. These clinics begin with a prayer and then the patients do exercises and then medicines and drugs are distributed to the patients according to their need.

On these day care visits we saw people from as young as twenty to as old as 106. This 106 year old woman we visited was sitting in the corner of a dirty one room hut and these visits presented her with the only people she would see every week. This woman in Zambia was completely neglected and forgotten about, being cared for by strangers not even half the age of her. These people are described as being bedridden because they can?t even get up to visit the St. Francis Centre; some of these patients have been in bed for years and are just waiting to die- and for some death is the best solution.

At day care visits people were also given talks on HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking. The most common diseases from which people we saw suffered were: Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and Malaria. These day care visits may be the only healthcare and support that these people receive but for many it isn?t enough as they will be dead within hours of being visited. The majority of the sick we visited were uneducated and therefore never spoke English-because of this tablets were distributed in small packets which have pictures of four stages of the day: morning; afternoon; evening and night with the corresponding position of the sun as this was the only way they knew of telling the time.

We saw many patients; however, the one which struck us the most was a 28 year old woman who was HIV positive and had AIDS; however she refused to take her ART (anti-retro viral treatments) as she felt it was God?s will. When we visited her she was lying on the ground outside under a tree, using the bible as her pillow- she weighed about 6 stone. With our perseverance we eventually helped in getting this woman a bed in the hospice. This really struck us as being true poverty because if this woman had been educated then she would have known that God wasn?t punishing her-but instead she lay there, rotting, waiting. These people where extremely ill and a lot of those people are now dead. These sights really were immersion.

We found it quite ironic that the people were such a hugely devoted race as the majority of the country live in absolute poverty. And despite this they don?t feel bitter or resentful towards Christ about how unfortunate their lives have turned out. Instead they have tremendous faith in God and always have smiles on their faces ? both children and adults. Every person you pass in the streets greets you warmly with a polite ?Hello ? how are you?? This is in stark contrast to the usual grunts you get from people on the streets back home.

This is also a main reason why the state of healthcare in Zambia is so bad. Living conditions are so poor and minor sicknesses over here such as the flu or even a cut on the leg could turn into a potentially fatal wound. We visited one of the girls, Betty?s house. It was no bigger than the size of a car and there were eight people living in it, but in Zambia this is seen as being quite well off as in some cases there can be up to sixteen people living in such a small space, with a hole in the ground outside for a toilet which may also be used as a shower- the smell alone would turn your stomach.

In Zambia they treat children very different to the way they are treated here at home. As we travelled through the compounds on a daily basis we saw young children running round the street with nobody looking after them; they didn?t have any shoes on their feet and their clothes were in bits. We also came in contact with a lot of children in the orphanage. These children had no parents and had a very traumatic life. Playing with these children every day made us feel good and we would like to think that it made their day a wee bit brighter as well. Despite of all of this the Zambian Children are the happiest children we have ever met and everyday we were greeted with the welcome of, ?Hello, How are you?? accompanied by a warm smile.

Every afternoon, we visited the Lubassi Children?s Home- an orphanage for children who have lost both their parents due to HIV/AIDS. The orphanage was set up by Brother Pat Murphy (RIP) and some nuns run the orphanage and the work they do is outstanding. There were forty children in total and we looked forward to visiting them every day. They would come and shake our hands every time we came and their happiness was inspirational. They, like the children in the schools, had so little, yet were unbelievably happy. We played football with them, made cards and taught them a few songs. The feelings we had while we watched them perform the songs, without any help, on the last day was indescribable. We then sang them songs, before they continued by showing us some dances and playing the drums. It was heart breaking leaving them that last day, but we also felt very proud that we had made their lives a little brighter.

In the evenings, we had meetings to inform the group what we had seen that day and to talk about something that maybe had a great impact on us. This was important as, after all, we were thousands of miles away from home seeing sights that weren?t easy to bear.

After a long week of teaching and taking part in Day Care visits it was nice for to see the weekend again, to give us a break from quite disturbing sights. On Saturday 4th April it was the day for Safari. The Safari itself is actually in Botswana and to get here we had to cross the great Zambezi river in a speed boat. We passed through immigration and were taken to Chobi National Park. It is about half the size of Northern Ireland and there is no fencing so all the animals are free to roam over 2000 km. The animals we saw that day were amazing. We saw : elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, buffalo, hippos, warthog, napol and a special species of eagle. Our tour guide told us that the total population of elephants within the National Park was over thirty six thousand. Seeing these animals was just an experience in itself.

The next day we went to the crocodile park. This was great and scary at times. We had a tour guide who showed us around the park and then all of a sudden he would jump over the fence and into the pen were the crocodiles were. He would poke them with a stick and then they would jump at him...but he didn?t flinch; we did, all of us went back a step. Then we saw the biggest crocodile in the park. It was about 11 feet long and that is no word of a lie. The tour guide told us that this particular crocodile had been captured from the wild because it had eaten someone alive. Next up was the snakes. The snake was taken out of the display and we all had a go to put it around our necks.

We went to Mass at the weekends which was an experience in itself. The volume of the singing, the faith of the people and just the general good atmosphere made us realise how boring our masses here at home can be. Fr. John (originally from Rwanda) spoke for over an hour in his homily yet there wasn?t a complaint from the congregation- they were enjoying his preaching too much. That first mass lasted for about two hours- a regular Sunday mass! And on Palm Sunday, it lasted for three! We were made known at both these masses and given a round of applause- just another piece of evidence of how welcoming the people truly are.

By now, we really felt at ease in the community. While travelling from place to place in our mini- bus people would wave at us. Little children would shout ?Musungo?, which is Tonga for ?White Man?. We couldn?t help but laugh as they would shout it while waving and smiling at us.

A local Zambian called Innocent was our bus-driver for the 17 days we were in Livingstone. Innocent went out of his way to help us. He came to the markets with us where he would tell us if we were being ripped off and didn?t hesitate to show us off to his mates.

Donations from the Abbey have made such a difference to Libuyu Community School. We have a closer link now with this school and indeed Abbey students and teachers have taught in this school. The donations have rebuilt the school and built a security wall around the school. Currently the Abbey is funding the redevelopment of Linda Community School, providing a bore hole for water, paying teaching salaries and student fees and providing a regular donation to St. Joseph?s Hospice. All donations made go directly to those who need them most. We see education as the way forward in Zambia. Our donations are not simply given to the people as handouts but used to help educate them to stand on their own feet.

We have returned home from our incredible journey to Africa telling that life would never be the same again. Judging by these wonderful images you begin to understand just a little of how they might be feeling. The school Immersion had both a practical and a spiritual dimension and each Abbey student believes that everyone should at some time in their life have the opportunity to be nourished by such a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

We knew when we went out to Zambia that we were not going to stop the hunger or the poverty but just to make a difference in somebody?s life, is what matters. Whether that?s making some child happy before they have to go back to their poverty-stricken lives or even the way we finally got that woman to the Hospice. It?s about making that wee bit of a difference and about having your eyes opened.

Yet it is no exaggeration to say that throughout our two and a half weeks in Zambia we fell in love with the culture of the Zambian people. The tribal dancing and singing, the various different languages, the sheer beauty of the country itself ? never in our lives did we believe that we would ever be lucky enough to experience a different world like we did on this project.

So the next time you see a charity dig a little deeper into your pockets and make a donation because we have seen at first hand where the money goes and it is you who give money that make a difference. And we thank you for that. And if you ever get the opportunity to go out and do something like we did, do it! Because you can make a little difference.

Though Immersion we have learned that There is culture shock. There is poverty. There is illness. There is loneliness and homesickness. But, There is also joy and happiness. There is inspiration and hope. And above all, there is life.

The seed has grown into something that, dare we say it, even Edmund Rice could not have imagined. ?Seeing is believing?. In Livingstone, we see, we hear and we live the African Immersion.

We would also like to thank all those who assisted in any way with our Project. Through fundraising, preparing us and supporting us immensely.

The Immersion Team 2009 - David Digney, Andrew Fitzsimons, Jack Gilsenan, Oliver Hearty, David Heatley, Jarlath McAteer, Niall McCartan, James Morgan, Feargal Murphy, Keith Sloan, Mr Mark Grogan, Mr Hugh Markey, Mrs Tess McKernan and Mr Dave Evans

Overall Aim

To foster a greater understanding and awareness of the situations of poverty, injustice and oppression, of unequal distribution of the earth?s resources and of selfish vested interest prevailing over global human needs, and to empower the participants to respond at a personal, communal, national or international level. This takes place in the context of the core Gospel values of respect, dignity, love, justice and tolerance.

Compound Children

Teaching in Linda

Lubasi

Chobe Elephant

Chobe Buffalo

Singing in Convent

Palm Sunday

Sunset Over Zambezi

Libuyu Compound

Libuyu Community School

Quarry Children

106 Year Old

Sawmills Children

Group With Innocent

Libuyu Community School

Rachel in Linda Community School

Meeting irish Embassador

Leaving Zambia

At the Cemetary

Lubasi

Quarry

Maramba Compund

Group with Innocent

Ngwena Community School

Victoria Falls

Sr Francis and Sr Mary

Teaching in Linda

Teachers in Libuyu

Laochra Scoil na Mainisteach ag obair ar son pháistí bochta na Saimbia

Ar an 25ú de Mhí Mhárta, d?fhág scaifte ó Scoil na Mainistreach Iúr Cinn Trá, Aerphort Bhaile Átha Cliath le dul ar aghaidh go Livingstone, Zambia mar pháirt den ?Zambian Immersion Project?. Tá neasc ann idir ár scoil in Iúr Cinn Trá agus scoil i Livingstone mar Scoil na mBráithre Criostaí eile atá ann fosta.

Tugadh deis iontach dom i mbliana seal a chaitheamh sa tSaimbia agus caithfidh mé a rá gurbh é sin an t-eispeireas is fearr i mo shaol go dtí seo. Bhí sé go hiontach.

Gach lá, theagasc muid páistí i bpobalscoil agus chuir sé eiteoga ar mo chroí le bheith ag múineadh na bpáistí seo. Bhí na páistí seo chomh buíoch as an scolaíocht a bhí curtha ar fáil dóibh agus bhí fonn mór orthu freastal achan lá cé go mbíonn fadhbanna uafásacha ag cuid acu amhail galar, SEIF nó bás sa teaghlach ? fiú an fhadhb a bhaineann le héadaí a chaitheamh chun freastal ar an scoil. Sa tír seo, bímid inár gcodladh ar an chluais sin go bhfuil an scolaíocht ann.

Chuidigh muid in ionaid cúram lae fosta agus d?oscail an méid a bhí le feiceáil iontu mo shúile dom. Ní raibh mé in ann a shamhlú an t-uafás a bhí le feiceáil ? daoine ag fáil báis ó SEIF, galar a choinnigh bean sa leaba le trí bliana agus go leor fadhbanna uafásacha eile. Cuireann tinneas lena nglactar mar neamhní in Éirinn isteach go mór ar dhaoine sa tSaimbia, le torthaí marfacha i gcásanna áirithe. Thug muid cuairt ar chairéal lá amháin, áit ina raibh daoine idir 5-50 bliain d?aois ag obair 12 uair sa lá ag briseadh cloch lena lámha chun aon dollar in aghaidh an lae a fháil. Tá sé chomh míchothrom go bhfuil a leithéid d?éigeart ann sa domhan. Ina dhiaidh sin is uile, chonaic mé torthaí an airgid a bhailítear in Éirinn ar an láthair.

Ach ta áilleacht sa tSaimbia fosta amhail Easa Victoria agus ní féidir liom an gliondar a cuireadh i mo chroí as an radharc sin a fheiceáil a chur i bhfocail. Dá mbeadh an seans agat cuairt a thabhirt ar an tír sin, glac an seans agus ní bheidh aiféala ort. Is tír fíor-álainn, fíor-iontach í an tSaimbia agus tá súil agam go bhfillfidh mé ar ais lá éigin.

Feargal Mac Murchaidh For further information please go to www.abbeycbs.co.uk/zambia

Photos