Thank You For Joining Us In Living Life Beyond Ourselves!

On our website homepage we make a bold statement:

When we started the Christmas shoe campaign a few weeks ago, I honestly had doubts that we would be able to get all 424 pairs of shoes for the children that need them at out partner schools in Zambia. I thought we’d gone a step too far, set ourselves an unachievable goal – we may be dreamers but sometimes you have to be realistic too!

And so as the first orders came trickling in I watched carefully as the numbers started to creep up, 20, 40, 80, 100, then a couple of the schools we link with here in the UK got involved and we jumped in to the 200’s.

Then on Monday we sent out an email to everyone on our database, we sent it at 1pm, and in under an hour another 40 pairs of shoes had been bought! I’m not very good at Maths but that’s a pair of shoes every one and a half minutes! Amazing!

Seeing our inbox fill with orders was quite overwhelming. We may have been the ones to make the bold public statement about choosing to ‘live life generously’, but from what I can tell over the past few weeks there are a fair few of you who are joining us in that life…

We’ve had orders from people we know, people we don’t, friends from now and friends from years gone by. There have been orders come in from at least seven different countries so far; UK, Canada, America, Australia, Tenerife, Cyprus, South Africa... Your response and generosity has been amazing.

Thank you to all of you who have contributed to making the shoe appeal such an incredible success. As I write this we have 379 pairs of shoes bought - only 45 pairs to go!

Sometimes being a dreamer isn’t so bad, together we can do this!

Thanksgiving Thoughts...

Today, our friends in the U.S are celebrating Thanksgiving, which made me think of a quote I saw on Pinterest a little while ago:

It’s so easy, especially now in the midst of a busy season here at Beyond Ourselves, to forget to take time to be thankful. We’ve got 900 children’s information to update, over 500 sponsorship packs to prepare, 424 pairs of shoes to raise money for and numerous other things to tick off our to do list!

We could let ourselves get disheartened so it’s good to step back for a moment and be thankful. 

- Thankfulness looks outwards, not inwards

- Thankfulness encourages a positive attitude

- Thankfulness forces us to think about what is right with our lives rather than what is wrong

- Thankfulness develops hope for the future

Research shows that grateful people have, “higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy…”. 

Sounds good to me!

So today, on this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for:

- All the people who partner with us by sponsoring a child, without you it just wouldn’t happen

- The incredible school directors who we work alongside in Zambia who had the vision to educate the children in their community

- Our team, who work tirelessly to make everything at Beyond Ourselves work and see dreams become a reality

- The individuals, schools and businesses who go the extra mile to raise funds, support us, encourage us, and generally be wonderful to us!

Thank you!

Christmas School Shoe Appeal...

This week's blog post comes from Cathy, one of our 'Gapettes' as she explains our Christmas 2014 school shoe appeal...

This morning I tried to think of how many pairs of shoes I have back in the UK. To be honest, I lost count pretty quickly. At one point in time, I must have stood at a shoe shop counter and convinced myself that they were all necessary – but the simple truth is that many of them go unworn in the depths of my wardrobe. Why do I ‘need’ so many shoes? One task Beth and I have had over the last few months has been to go into every classroom of the three schools and identify those children who need a new uniform and/or shoes. Out of the 983 pupils currently registered at our schools, 424 need new school shoes, and when I use the word ‘need’, I don’t mean their shoes are fine, but just aren’t fashionable anymore… they just need shoes. This Christmas, Beyond Ourselves are running an appeal to buy these shoes. I wonder what would happen if everyone that reads this blog donated just 50p for every pair of shoes they own? I reckon that would go a long way to meeting the needs for the children here in Zambia.A pair of shoes is such a small sacrifice for you and I, so why not do something amazing this Christmas?

You can help our campaign by buying a pair of School Shoes by clicking here 
(You could even buy one someone else's behalf for a Christmas gift that really makes a difference!)

3 Busy Weeks in Zambia - As told by Cathy...

These past three weeks have simply flown by! Firstly, two teams from the UK came out. The first was a team of students and five teachers from Cranleigh School visiting Kawama. They had a packed week, including some teaching, a clothes sale, many interviews and the incredible Jubilee Independence celebration. There was a quick turnaround between groups as the next team arrived on the flight the Cranleigh team were leaving on! There were twelve adults, mostly teachers and some businessmen from ‘Stephen James’ staying at Kafakumba, a mission training centre. This week consisted of two teacher workshops, yet more interviews at Janna and Greater Joy and lots of painting (plus a relaxing day at Nsobe game park at the end)! This lot were lucky enough to experience ‘true Africa’ with many powercuts and a frequent lack of water! Thanks should go to Jodie and Karen for all the hours of work they did in preparation for the trips and in leading the trips out here.

So, apart from all the excitement of the teams, we experienced an earthquake (5.3 on the Richter scale), a lightening strike on the house, and the announcement of the death of the President of Zambia (his funeral is today)! Slightly nerve-wracking I have to admit but nevertheless, a memorable three weeks!

A Week at Kawama School - Athina Mitropoulos

I didn't know what to expect from a few days in Kawama School.I had seen photos and heard stories but unless you are there, experiencing the heat, dust and countless smiling faces and waves, you have no idea.

The drive into Kawama is certainly an unforgettable experience. The enormous pot-holes which had filled with water from the night's rainfall made for a bouncy ride and seeing the different stalls with tomatoes, drying fish and endless barbers introduced us to this different place. The sounds and smiling faces of the children however is what I'll take from that ride. They were literally unable to contain their excitement and were jumping about and running alongside the bus. Never will we experience such a greeting again. Our entrance into Kawama School was similarly overwhelming as children ran up to and onto us, introducing themselves and wanting to hold our hands or have a cuddle. That moment of entirely mutually joy and kindness was pure and heartwarming.
The interviews and home visits were eye opening. Yes we saw differences: some very difficult stories and experiences were shared and implied but there were far more similarities than I expected. Hearing the children's favourite subjects, their favourite dishes (often chicken and rice - something I adore!) seeing how much pride mothers had in decorating their houses and hearing how they celebrate birthdays and weddings bridged what I had thought would be a significant gap and brought out the common humanity that we share.

As a teacher, I have been eagerly awaiting the teaching days. I signed up for the baby and reception class since I thought that would be great fun and different. Slightly apprehensive about the class size and the language barrier, my team was struck by the discipline and enthusiasm that Teacher Florence had created. Lots of rote learning and songs as well as an impressive amount of enthusiasm and energy went into the lessons. It was equally incredible seeing the children get involved and progress but also seeing the Cranleigh pupils rise to the challenge and really give the best of themselves to these few hours. That ultimately is the aim - learning and fulfilment on both sides.

It is hard to sum up my thoughts on Kawama School and Beyond Ourselves. I am impressed by the school's physical appearance but I still dread the moment of going to the loo. I really enjoy the nshima, mostly because of the delicious sauce that comes with it and eating with your hands, but am deeply saddened to think that this is what people eat all day, every day, and many do not get it more than once a day. I love playing with the children, picking them up and giving them a cuddle, but come close to tears when I see the older girls and think these are their last years of childhood as they are likely to soon get married and have children of their own. The fact that the community ended up paying for their borehole themselves, with Beyond Ourselves merely acting as facilitators by setting up the clothes sale, gives tremendous hope and encouragement but it also reinforces the long journey left. I guess I am left thinking that it is a work in progress but a work that is in very safe hands both from Beyond Ourselves and from Kawama itself. In the words of the chant, "Mighty mighty Kawama" is definitely a happy, enthusiastic, energetic and hopeful place and I love being a part of it.

Celebrating The Teachers!

The 5^th October 2014 was World Teachers’ Day!

When I went on the website http://www.worldteachersday.org I loved that the tagline for the day was “Invest in the future, invest in teachers”. That’s definitely something we believe in and want to celebrate!

Here’s what happened at Janna School (as told by our Gapette Cathy):

We were invited by Teacher Ireen to celebrate ‘Teachers Day’ at Janna School last Friday. Quite embarrassingly, we were twenty minutes late (thinking it wouldn’t start on time) and Dan got a call saying that they were all waiting for us!

We were seated at the very front on comfy sofas and the celebrations began. This consisted of every grade performing something for their individual class teacher, usually in the form of a poem, a song, a short theatrical production and of course…lots of traditional Zambian dancing - not quite what we were used to in UK primary schools!

It was a great day and a wonderful experience. If that was anything to go by, the 50^th Anniversary of Independence Day later this month is going to be unbelievable!

Check out some great photo's we got of the celebrations:

Beyond Ourselves: Your questions answered!

This week I was sent over some questions about Beyond Ourselves from a Year 10 group of students at one of our link schools here in the UK. They were such good questions that I thought I would share a few of my answers with you here. For those of you who know us well think of it as a little recap of who we are! And for those of you who are new friends of Beyond Ourselves, welcome, here’s a little something about us: 

1. Please could you summarise what your charity does to promote the right to education?

We are working alongside local churches and community schools in the Copperbelt region of Zambia offering education to children who would not otherwise be in school. The Government does provide education but there are ‘hidden costs’ to attending the Government schools which excludes a lot of children from being able to go to school and receive an education. Unfortunately many of these children are orphans and vulnerable children. So, together with local people we are building and developing community schools which offer a free education to these children.

2. Why do you think the right to an education is important?

I believe Education is a basic human right and all children should have access to it. Only then can the potential that is in every child be realised and can they have the real opportunity to break the cycle of ill health, hunger and poverty in their own life and in their family’s life. If these children receive a quality education and get the right opportunities, they can genuinely make an impact in their communities. 

3. Why do you think it is important for schools in Zambia to be supported?

Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) seeks to, “Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course in primary schooling”.

In Zambia, the need for more schools has been recognised by local communities and there has been a significant growth of these community schools set up by churches and local groups of people to enable the poorest children to attend school. 

A key element to our partnerships with the schools in Zambia is that we are keen that the relationship between us is not one based on dependency, but that we journey with the schools towards self-sustainability. Although in the beginning years we are providing the majority of the finance we are working on creating social enterprises around each school community to provide skills training, employment and finance that can help sustain the school in the future. 

We believe in offering a “hand up, not a hand-out”.

4. How have you helped them so far?

Since 2009, Beyond Ourselves has partnered with three community schools, helping to build and resource these schools during their infancy. This support has involved building classrooms, toilet blocks and kitchens, as well as creating a feeding programme at each school that provides every child with a meal every school day. A local medical professional is also employed by the school to make weekly visits and attend to basic health needs.

Over recent months we, as a partner organisation, have made the important shift from the above immediate needs of the children and the infrastructure of the schools to focus on the quality of teaching and learning being offered. To this end, we are supporting the schools in the teachers’ professional development and providing a literacy framework to improve the levels of reading and writing.

We believe that with a solid foundation in literacy (in both Bemba, the local language, and in English) and the development of questioning, reasoning and problem-solving skills, the children will be able to progress more successfully through the education system and give them the skills that will afford them and their communities greater opportunities and secure livelihoods in the future.

5. What could we do to support them further?

A really easy way to help us and them is to follow us on social media, helping us to raise awareness! All details below :-)

Sponsoring a child is an excellent way to help meet the basic need of the children. The child sponsorship costs £12.50 per month and 100% of that goes to Zambia, we don’t take any cut here in the UK for admin or marketing etc. The money help provides a meal for every child every school day, contributes to the cost of the teachers and cooks’ salaries, and helps give the child access to basic medical care.

Our website: http://www.beyondourselves.co.uk <http://www.beyondourselves.co.uk/>

Our blog: http://beyondourselveszambia.blogspot.co.uk <http://beyondourselveszambia.blogspot.co.uk/>

Our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeyondOurselvesUk (not much on it though)

Our Twitter handle: @BOZambia

Our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-Ourselves/319686681386762?ref=bookmarks

Our Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/beyondourselves/

Our Instagram: http://instagram.com/beyondourselves

Meet the Gapettes!

This week we wanted to give you a proper introduction to our new gap year students, or the 'Gapettes' as we call them... So here they are:

Who are you?
We are the Gappettes!

I’m Beth Wilson. I go to Restore Community Church in Loughton. I’m eighteen and have done Cache Level 3 (childcare education). I visited Zambia last August for 10 days with my church and couldn’t wait to come back.

Hey! I’m Cathy Hobbs. I went to Cranleigh School and have just finished my A levels. Cranleigh is partnered with one of the schools linked with Beyond Ourselves – Kawama. I came out here in October 2012 with a group from school and was desperate to work with Beyond Ourselves for a longer period of time. Beth and I are staying out here for three months.

Why did you want to return to Zambia with Beyond Ourselves?

Cathy:
For me, Beyond Ourselves is a very special charity. I have never come across a group of people so devoted to a shared goal, both teachers and those representing Beyond Ourselves in Zambia and in England. The Christian grounding of the charity is especially important for me. The short period of time I spent here two years ago were simply too good and I felt that I didn’t have enough time (only 10 days) to fully get to know the staff, teachers and the kids properly. They taught me so much more than I could have ever taught them. There was simply no question of not returning when the opportunity came up!

Beth:

When I came out to Zambia last year I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was blown away by people’s generosity, kindness and love. People were inviting me in to their homes, showing me around their area and just loving me for who I am. That’s something that you don’t really get back home, so that’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back. Also just because I loved the children and families so much, they bring me so much joy and laughter and everything they do and the way they live teaches me so much and makes me value life so much more.

What have been your first impressions – second time around?

Beth:

My first impressions second time round were the same as my first impressions last year. The community still brings me so much joy and the love is still going strong. The only thing I have found different this year is that people are looking at me (and Cathy) in a much more funny way than they did last year. I don’t know if this is because I’m not within a big group of people, so I may stand out more, but my first impressions of this is why are people looking at me!? (Plus we are both ginger!)

Cathy:

Similar to Beth to be honest. First impressions are similar although for me, the teachers seem to be slightly more chatty as they know we are staying for a long period of time, so that’s great. The kids initially were quite nervous which I didn’t remember from last time, but now they are as boisterous and playful as ever. Understandably it took some time for them to get to know us both. Dan set us on a ‘treasure hunt’ in Ndola yesterday (basically doing odd chores and finding our way around, one being collecting a napkin from ‘Hungry Lion’ – the Zambia equivalent of KFC!). Previously I hadn’t seen much of ‘proper’ Zambia. Even if slightly daunting with lots of stares (!) it was great to find our feet.


Any highlights (or lowlights!) from your first two weeks?
Cathy:

A major highlight has got to be the lunch we had with the Bishop of Zambia after visiting Gilgal church on Sunday. He was an incredibly inspirational preacher and such an amazing person to speak to. It was a truly humbling experience. Additionally, spending time reading and playing with the kids everyday has got to be a highlight. Seeing Dan’s face after buying him an African shirt off the street has got to be up there too!

Possible lowlight – Beth and I have just cooked our version of Chili con Carne for the Whitcombe crew and Dan, who has eaten caterpillars in the past and has not been sick, now has a stomach ache… Whoops!

Beth:

My main highlight has to be going to the football stadium to watch Zambia vs Mozambique. The atmosphere was just crazy, never seen so many excited people. It was great! Within this highlight, another highlight, was when Cathy turned to me crying, I was thinking she’s crazy, what’s wrong with her, soon I realised we had been tear gassed! That was probably a low light for her, but for me it’s stuck in my memory!

What are you looking forward to doing?

Beth:

I am looking forward to getting more involved with the schools, working alongside the teachers to provide fun stimulating, educational activities for the children. I am also looking forward to Cathy teaching me how to play my recorder! Dan is going to love me! Getting to know my neighbours will be fun and I love the idea of becoming a family and not a ‘team’ with the Whitcombes and the Pearses family.

Cathy:

I simply cannot wait for the next church service. The singing is absolutely incredible and the praying is something I have never experienced before. In addition to that, I’m looking forward to teaching the kids some songs to perform for the Zambian Independence Day on the 24th October. Every Friday afternoon, we have ‘Team time’ where ‘The Crew’ (Whitcombes, Pearces and Gappettes) meet and take turns to choose an activity. Beth and I are taking it next week and there is no question that ‘pass the parcel’ shall be making an appearance.

New term, new team!

As the new school term starts we are ridiculously excited that we have new people joining our team in Zambia!

At the end of July we were sad to say goodbye to our Gappies Alex and  Charlie after they shared three months with us, but we are thrilled to be welcoming our first Gappettes (we're fairly sure that's a real word!), Beth and Cathy. They will be staying with us for the next three months working alongside Dan and Melissa at the PHC community schools we partner with. Although they've only been there a couple of days it seems they have already got to know our neighbour Daliso! I'm sure you'll be hearing from them as soon as they've settled in to life in Zambia :-)

Not being content with just a couple of Gappettes we are also welcoming the Pearse family; Malcolm, Emily, Lucy and Albert.

Malcolm and Emily first visited Zambia in February of this year and they loved it so much that they have committed to retuning for two years as a family! Malcolm will be teaching at a local school in Ndola, where Lucy and Albert will be going to school too. And from January 2015 Emily (also a teacher) will be working alongside Dan promoting the quality of teaching and learning at our partner schools. 

All very exciting!

Quality Education: The bigger picture

Over recent months you might have picked up that we have made the important shift from meeting the immediate needs of the children and the infrastructure of the schools to focus on the quality of teaching and learning being offered.

We recognised it as an important part of the schools’ development and our colleague, Dan, moved over to Zambia last year to lead this work. Dan is currently supporting the schools in the teachers’ professional development and helping provide a literacy framework to improve the levels of reading and writing.

Although for us it felt like a natural shift and the next step in our partnership journey with the schools, it is being reflected in what is happening on a wider scale across the globe, particularly within developing nations.

Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) seeks to, “Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course in primary schooling”. 

Encouragingly, primary school enrollment rates have increased substantially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, many experts argue that this push to achieve MDG2 is a major cause for deterioration of quality at all levels of education. There is growing concern that low quality education translates into decreased competitive advantage; basic education is simply not enough to secure a successful future.

There is also evidence that the chances of a child moving through the primary education system and receiving the significant benefits of secondary and higher education have actually worsened since 2000. Increased class sizes and resources being shared amongst more students along with a lack of trained teachers has led to increased absenteeism and drop out; in the least developed countries (which includes Zambia) only 61% of children who begin primary education remain for 4 years.

A recent UNESCO 2013/4 Report, ‘Education for All’, “makes a powerful case for placing education at the heart of the global development agenda after 2015”.  It is widely noted that mere enrolment in primary education is not enough, and that quality education is the key.

So we’re encouraged to keep on moving forward in this area, to see real change in the teaching and learning at the schools we partner with. We know it won’t be a ‘quick fix’ but it’s something we are committed to over these coming years and know it will be something that truly makes a difference. 

Time to reflect...

August brings with it sunshine and a few weeks of quiet. The summer trip has been and gone, our link schools here in the UK are closed for the summer holidays, and our partner schools over in Zambia are shut for August too.

Time to breath, think, reflect and look ahead to the rest of the year.

Today, I was looking back on my recent trip and thinking about the things that stood out to me, the moments that I remember now in the quiet of this month. It’s been interesting (but maybe not surprising if you know me!) to note that these moments all carry the heart of our partnership with the schools in Zambia.

Maybe it’s because I heard the High School Musical song randomly playing when I was in Lusaka last week but I can’t stop “We’re all in this together” going around my in my head! (Apologies that it is now in your head too!)

When Beyond Ourselves began, we wanted to make sure that we worked in partnership with local people, churches and schools in Zambia, that we didn’t “own” anything but that we would support seeing local people’s vision and dreams for their communities become a reality. That together we would see lives changed and communities transformed. We knew it wouldn’t be a healthy relationship if we created a dependency on us; instead we want to walk with the schools as they journey towards self-sustainability in the future.

And so the times that stand out to me over the recent weeks are when I have seen moments of the “future” happening. They are the moments that could perhaps go unnoticed by others but are significant all the same; the steady repayment of a business working loan we gave a few years ago, the free use of a vehicle (plus money for diesel!) for several weeks when the one I was using broke down and gave up; the school and church community working together to repair the fence around a school or to complete the new wall they need without Beyond Ourselves being involved physically or financially, the unprompted offer from one partner school to another to donate their water tank , or to provide the timber the other needs for their new kitchen area…

They are the moments when I can see five years of relationship gives us not only a strength in the present but a shared commitment to the “future”.

Dipo receives a new wheelchair!

Some of you may have seen the short video we posted on Facebook or the photo on Twitter a few days ago which showed young Dipo getting a new wheelchair. It’s had a great response, so we thought we’d share with you how it all happened…

When the Roding Valley High School team was over a few weeks ago, we went with a few of the children from Greater Joy School to visit their homes. It was at one of these homes we met Dipo and his family.

We heard that when Dipo was four years old he caught malaria and got very sick. Since then he has been unable to walk and unable to talk. He is now seventeen years old. Dipo is taken care of by his Grandmother as sadly, but not unusually, both his parents have died. It is clear to see that he and his Grandmother have a very happy relationship, when she comes near him his face lights up!

It’s not easy taking care of Dipo and getting the support they need. On most days for the past few years Dipo has been sat in a contraption that is a plastic garden chair set in a metal frame. It once had wheels but they have long stopped working.

All of the Roding team who met Dipo were moved by his story and wanted to be able to help the family in some way. A wheelchair was top of the list, but we didn’t know how we might get one. A couple of days later, just before the team were heading home, we heard that a container had arrived for another organisation and that in the container were some wheelchairs. After a phone call or two and with the generosity of the Roding students, Dan went to pick up Dipo’s new wheelchair.

So, this week we went to Dipo’s home and delivered the wheelchair to him this was the moment the Grandmother received the news!

And this is the moment Dipo was wheeled outside for the first time in a very long time:

Even though I am writing this a couple of days after it happened I am still moved as I recall the moment Dipo came outside; the smile on his face, the happy noises he was making, his Grandmother’s obvious delight and the celebration from friends and family! Life for Dipo has changed.

To the Roding team, in the words of Dipo’s Grandmother “Thank you, you don’t know what you have done.” 

And in case you missed the video, here it is! 

An update from Zambia

Being here for a longer amount of time means I get to do things I don’t always have the time to do on shorter visits. With the teams gone, life is a little less hectic for us here in Zambia now.

I’ve had time to hang out with my colleagues, Dan and Melissa (and their boys), and time to catch up with each of the schools reviewing the past few months and looking ahead.

In those conversations when we think about the future for the schools and communities it can sometimes be overwhelming thinking about how far we still have to go with the schools, and how much resource it will take to see those things happen. Thinking of doing it all alone can be daunting!

So it’s great to connect with people who want to journey with us in some way. This trip I’ve met a mix of people; individuals, organisations and businesses, who make the future look less lonely:

• A local South African lady who has lived here 13 years and has a heart for her local community turned up at one of our schools offering to support the feeding programme there.  Within the week she had organised providing and serving a nutritious lunch one day a week. She hopes to get more of her friends and church involved in the weeks ahead.
• Over the weekend we were introduced to a Kiwi who is working with other community schools in the area. It was great to share ideas and we plan to visit each other’s schools early next week.
• We’ve continued to be connected with another organisation who also have a craft social enterprise here in Ndola. Again it is so encouraging and helpful to share our experiences.
• Next week we’ll be meeting a large craft business/enterprise that has been working in Zambia for many years. We’re looking forward to learning from those who have gone before us!
• And finally, before we fly from Lusaka next week we will be meeting the Public Relations Officer of a large Zambia based corporation who have supported us in the past and are keen to continue this relationship in to the future.

The saying, “together we’re stronger” really does apply when it comes to seeing transformation in the communities we love here.

On the ground In Zambia - Changes for the better

Being a part of the UK based Beyond Ourselves team means that there are sometimes moments when I can feel disconnected from the work on the ground in Zambia. In the midst of administrative tasks, raising awareness, raising funds, and nurturing relationships with schools and businesses which support us, it can be surprisingly easy to forget the ‘why’ of Beyond Ourselves and get stuck in the day to day ‘what’ of the work.

An amazing part of my role is that I get to visit Zambia three times a year and what’s even more incredible to me is that these trips always come at the perfect time.  Times when I need to remember ‘why,’ when I need to reconnect with our friends and partners in Zambia face to face rather than over email, when I need to get re-inspired by the vision and re-energised for the days ahead.

Now is one of those times.

So today, on my first day back in Zambia, I visited Janna School and was encouraged to see some of the recent developments there; a repaired and completed boundary fence, two new classrooms that now have a roof and are being plastered, the Early Years outdoor learning area making progress, and plans being made for the ‘ntemba’ shop that will be set up as an income generating activity for the school. 

But the moment that encouraged me the most, the moment that (as my friend would say) made my heart sing, was when I walked past the Grade 7 classroom and looked in at them through the window.  Sat in that classroom, well-fed, healthy and concentrating on their studies, were children who I first met back in 2009 when they were in Grade 2. Children who started at Janna School when it had no classrooms but was one of the few schools in the area offering education to those in the community who wouldn’t otherwise have access to school.

These children have seen great changes at Janna over the past few years and as I looked at them today I realised they are both the reason for and the beautiful product of that change.

They are our ‘why.’

Observations of a Janna Student

The three Mzungus[1] have been digging holes and planting poles for quite some time now. They’ve been working here once a week for about a month and a half now – I reckon a Zambian could have finished the job in two weeks. To be fair to them, they’re also busy at two other schools in Kitwe during the week, and they do work hard here. You should see these guys dripping with sweat in the midday sun, it’s great fun watching them shovelling dirt, lugging around tyres and nailing wood together. My mates and I love to help out during break, fetching water and rocks and checking out the toolkit, although for some reason, Alex and Charlie don’t let us play with the saw.

It’s been slow progress, but I have to admit it’s all looking pretty awesome. Dan seems to be the mastermind behind the Outdoor Learning Area (OLA), although I have seen him digging alongside Alex and Charlie now and then, getting his suit trousers dirty. They’ve finished the pretend ntemba[2], made sand and water play areas, dug in tyres for us to jump around on, and have also created a pipe telephone which means we can whisper to each other from across the OLA. At the moment they’re finishing off a wooden hopscotch, and planting some balance beams. Soon there will be a mural with phonetics, numbers and the alphabet too – the teachers tell us that all of this is going to be great for early learning, particularly for Baby Class, Reception and Grade 1 & 2.

The boys try to speak Bemba with us, which we find pretty hilarious. They appear to love the nshima at lunchtime though, and are actually alright at football – for Mzungus. Alex even scored two goals in a 3-1 victory. Now we’re just waiting for the Outdoor Learning Area to be completely finished. Maybe there will be an opening ceremony… if the boys could get a special guest along like Wayne Rooney that would be cool.

[1] Bemba for “white person”

[2] Wooden roadside shop, often selling snacks

The meaning behind the Zambian flag

Looking at the various timelines and news feeds on my social media this week I’ve noticed an increase in England flags being paraded around, in anticipation of cheering on our team in the World Cup!

Us English love our St George’s cross and the Zambians are no different with their national flag.

This year Zambia will be celebrating 50 years of independence, and their flag tells their story. The colours used are rich in symbolism. Green stands for the nation’s lush flora (land), red for the nation’s struggle for freedom (blood), black for the Zambian people, and orange for the land’s natural resources and mineral wealth (copper).

Additionally, the eagle flying about the coloured stripes is intended to represent the people’s ability to rise above the nation’s problem.

So there you have it, a few facts about the Zambia flag, not that you’ll see it waving in Brazil this month! Maybe one day…!

Exciting times at Janna School!

Janna School has been a hive of activity in recent weeks with the school fence being repaired, the Early Years outdoor learning area being developed and the two new classrooms being finished! It’s been all hands on deck, even the Bishop has been rolling up his shirtsleeves and using his carpentry skills!

It’s amazing to look back over the past few years and see the physical changes at Janna school; first the main classroom block, then the toilet block, the kitchen, the boundary fence, and now the two new classrooms.

The thing to remember is that as great as all the new buildings are, and as excited as we have been (and are!) about new structures, it’s not about the bricks at all. More buildings don’t show progress or success. It’s what we do with them that matters!

These two new classrooms will be a brand new space for the Early Years, providing lots of room for the younger children to play, explore and learn. They will move from the small classroom they are currently in, to a lovely space much more suited to their needs.

We know how important the early years are and so we are sure that all that happens in these new classrooms and their outdoor learning are will make a big impact on the children at Janna School and their future learning! 

Zambian Food: What can I expect?

In the world of Beyond Ourselves, this time of year usually means we are knee-deep in preparations for the student trips we have coming over to Zambia in June and July. And this year is no different! There are logistics to finalise in Zambia and students to prepare here in the UK.

When briefing the students before their trip, one of the questions that is most often asked (and usually in a nervous voice!) is:

“What will we eat?”

The answer gets mixed reactions…!

The students will eat two of their meals a day at the guest house they will be staying at, and for the most part it will be food they are fairly familiar with.

But lunch each day will be at our partner schools and that’s when they’ll be able to get stuck in to some of the local Zambian food!

They will most definitely be served Nshima, the staple food of Zambia. It is a kind of porridge made from ground maize with the consistency of polenta. It is often served with a tomato relish and meat or fish.

The fish served with Nshima might be Kapenta. They are tiny, dried Tanganyika sardines salted, dried and fried. I’ll be honest, they’re not my favourite! On the plus side they are cheap and a great source of protein!

And then as a special treat they might get served the Zambian delicacy that are Caterpillars. I’ve only ever had them fried, which makes them crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. Yummy! Again, they are a good source of protein and lots of other vitamins and minerals too.

Bon appétit!

An update from our gap year students over in Zambia!

Who are you?
We are Charlie La Fosse and Alex Foster, currently the best lads in Zambia.

We left Cranleigh School in July 2013 and are on our gap years. We both have places at university for next year at Oxford and Bath, however that seems a long way in the future!

Why did you want to return to Zambia with Beyond Ourselves?
We both hugely enjoyed our respective trips in the July and October of 2012, however just one week left us feeling like there was a need for a more long-term and hands-on contribution, and the difference that Beyond Ourselves was making made us want to get involved. Zambia is a great place to be – the people are so lighthearted despite their difficulties, and appreciate what we’re trying to do.

What have been your first impressions – second time around?
Being here for a longer amount of time means that you really have to try to understand the culture – during our week in 2012 we really only spent our time between the accommodation and the school, whereas now we are having to adapt more to the Zambian way of doing things!

Also, since arriving, teacher Irene from Janna school has taken on the brave task of teaching us Bemba – we thought we were getting to grips with it, but most of the kids just laugh at us and correct us!

Any highlights (or lowlights!) from your first two weeks?
Three months is turning out to not be as long as we’d thought, and the laidback Zambian approach to getting things done had us worried that we wouldn’t have as large an impact upon the schools and charity as we’d hoped!
However, now most of the children are back at school and we’ve started getting underway with building the outdoor learning area at Janna. This, combined with the innate friendliness of the people here, and the support of Dan and Melissa, means that we really feel like we’re making progress in supporting Beyond Ourselves!

Charlie: My personal highlight has to be Alex swinging a pickaxe into his ankle on Day 1 of manual labour. Great stuff.

Alex: Charlie’s highlight is obviously a low-point for me – despite bringing him unreasonably high levels of enjoyment, it did seriously hurt! But my highlight has to be seeing the Reverend and Bishop from the Janna community getting personally involved in the construction of the new classrooms and wall fence. The fact that all members of the local communities are chipping in alongside Beyond Ourselves, to better the learning environment for their children, is humbling and quite a far stretch from the UK.

What are you looking forward to doing?
We’re both really looking forward to the Roding Valley and Cranleigh teams coming out  - we hope that by this time we will have some wisdom to impart, and that the students will have the same experience that we had and will want to return!

Also we’re excited to get involved with classroom assisting, and potentially assessing the Grade 2 children on their high frequency words, in an effort to get them up to the national standard. Furthermore, we can’t wait to start a bit of football coaching at Kawama, Janna and Greater Joy, with the possibility of a tri-school tournament in July!

Lastly, on Dan’s recommendation, we’re going to try Chibuku – a maize-based beer sold locally in warm cartons, although some of the reports indicate we might regret it.

What's next for Beyond Ourselves?

Over the past few years we’ve been focused on establishing our partnerships with the community schools we work alongside in Zambia. As a part of that journey we have helped build classrooms, toilet blocks and kitchens, as well as effectively launch feeding programmes at each of the schools. 

With the basic school needs now being met, recent months have seen a shift in our focus to the quality of teaching and learning at the schools. We feel strongly that we don’t just want to offer these children an education but to offer them a quality education that will go on to provide them with real opportunities in the future. One of our main areas for development is literacy, but more on that another time! 

Right now there is a huge lack of resource for the younger children at the schools and so it is with much delight we can announce the plan to create an Early Years Outdoor Learning Area in the next few months at two of the schools!

We are BEYOND excited!

Areas like this are standard here in UK schools and nurseries and are known to be invaluable in children’s learning and development. 

The very first pencil plan looks a little like this:

But already the plans are growing and becoming more creative and we can’t wait to share more of this with you in the coming weeks!

Alternative Gifts in Action!

May is a busy birthday month in my diary; family, friends, children of friends – which means a lot of my month is spent looking for gifts for all these people! Some people are really easy to buy for, but others I have to look that bit harder to find something. What I really love is when I find a gift that I know is something that person really needs or wants and I know they will love it!

That’s also why I love our Alternative Gifts! 

Throughout the year we distribute these gifts to families who are in desperate need.  Gifts like a brazier and charcoal that means a family can cook without being dependent on firewood, especially in the rainy season when the wood is too damp. Or a bicycle, which enables someone to travel further for work or to the market. Or a mosquito net, which will help protect a family against malaria. Or food parcels, maize farming, blankets, flip flops and school resources…

All of these gifts meet the immediate need of individuals and families while we continue to work on developing long-term sustainability.

So you can share in the joy in giving a gift that someone really wants or needs, here are a few great reactions from people who love their gifts!

If you’ve ever bought an alternative gift from us, thank you for helping to make this happen! 

Here is a link to the Alternative Gifts page on our website: http://www.beyondourselves.co.uk/donate/alternative-gifts/