Grade 7's First School Trip... Ever! By Melissa Whitcombe

This week the Grade 7 students at each of the schools we work with have gone on their first school trip.  Not simply the first one this year, but their first one ever.  We decided to do a day of leadership training – focusing on the fact that these children are the eldest in our schools and that they are the role models for the younger pupils.

The children arrived wide eyed and full of excitement.  For many of them it was the first time out of their city, possibly even out of their local community.  This truly has been an exciting experience for them.

The day consisted of team building activities, a leadership workshop, playing games, sport, prayer and food.  We have talked about being good role models, following Jesus as our example as we try to be good role models to the rest of the school.  The team building activities and games have been full of laughter.  Even the teachers have found these time hilarious as they watch their students working together in various creative activities.

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had a lot of fun this week!

Staff Training Highlights - By Dan Whitcombe

At the start of every school year we set some time aside to get together with the staff of the schools we’re partnered with, before the busyness of the new school year begins. Over the last couple of weeks we've spent two days in each of the schools reflecting with the staff on the successes of last year, giving thanks to God and then looking forward into the coming year.

When we recorded the staff’s recollections on all that they’d seen happen in 2014, the lists were lengthy and certainly worth celebrating. Here’s what the staff at one of our schools came up with before we ran out of room on on piece of paper;

2014 highlights at Kawama Community School:

·      Wall fence nearly completed

·      A very successful clothing sale that paid for a bore hole to be sunk

·      Borehole sunk

·      Burglar bars installed meaning we have secure classrooms to store resources

·      Feeding programme budget increased

.      Toilets completed

·      Classrooms painted

·      Reading corners made

·      Children healthier

·      T-shirts for staff

·      Kitchen built

·      Noticeboards put up and learning aids displayed

·      Kawama Kraft increased sales in UK therefore more work for sewing team

·      Sewing room got a facelift

·      More resources/learning aids in classrooms

·      Sanitary resources provided

·      Grade 7’s improved to a 77% pass rate

·      Babies born among the staff

·      Won netball tournament

·      Teacher training workshops

·      Government resources given out and increased government support

·      2 large Teams (50+ people) from the UK hosted.


2014 was a really busy and productive year – there is much to give thanks for!

After reflecting on 2014 and thanking God, we then set our sights on 2015 and took time praying about what our priorities for this coming year should be.

As we looked to 2015 we really felt like the need to focus on putting God first in our personal lives and being signposts to Jesus for the children and the community around us.  In addition to this we continue to work towards improving standards of education, creating safe and inspiring learning spaces and looking after educational, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the children.

Before closing the first day we spent some time taking part in some team building exercises with the staff – ephasising that we need to work together to be effective over the coming year. It was a great opportunity to develop communication skills, have fun collaborating with one another and to give justification for having hoarded cereal boxes for the last 6 months.

The second day had an education focus and was purely for the teaching staff. Again we reflected on 2014, the workshops we’d had and the training the teachers had received. The teachers set professional targets for the term to help focus their development and we conducted some additional training on reading and writing; priorities for 2015.

Some days working in Zambia can feel slow and like developments are a long time in coming, during those times we feel the need to focus on the thought of our long term commitment to be here. So days like these days of reflection have been a timely reminder that, with God’s resourcing, a lot of hard work and collaboration, we are seeing lives changed, and communities transformed, for the better.

Our new life in Zambia - By Emily Pearse

I am currently sitting in my living room about to head out for dinner. It’s what we call ‘tight wad’ Wednesday today as children eat free at our local restaurant. This time last year I never imagined that be heading out for a ‘kids eat free’ meal in the middle of Africa. 2014 was certainly a crazy year for our family. In a nutshell we came out to visit friends and Beyond Ourselves project in Feb and decided to stay for good!

We arrived in Zambia at the end of August just in time for my husband, Malcolm to start as a grade 5 teacher at the local international school. My two children, Lucy and Albert joined him later that week in grade 4 and 3. I spent the next few weeks setting up home and getting myself familiar with the Beyond Ourselves schools and our new town of Ndola.

We’ve been here now for 4 months and life is good – Zambia is a beautiful country and we still get very excited every time we find a chameleon or buy 10 mangoes for £1.
Last week was my first official week for Beyond Ourselves.  I’ve already been in and out of the schools doing a few observations and some training but it definitely feels good to be an official BO employee.

It’s a great time to start – January is the start of the school year for Zambia and our first days in each of the 3 schools were vision days – a time for looking back over every thing that has happened during 2014 and looking forward to what will happen in 2015.  Sometimes it can feel like things take a really long time to get finished (and started) but it’s amazing to see how the school buildings, staff, children and communities have developed over this last year.

I remember teams going out from our Church 3-4 years ago to help build schools buildings. Now there are enough classrooms to house all the pupils, bright colourful painted walls inside and out with learning murals inside and out, toilets, kitchens, play areas, blackboards, display boards, secure doors and windows (so resources can actually be kept inside the classrooms) and so much more.

 I am just at the beginning of my adventure with Beyond Ourselves and it struck me today that I have a lot to learn from the Zambian culture.
This ‘job’ is all about partnership – The transformation of these communities is going to come through the unity that we have with the all staff.
As much as I will be helping to train and resource the schools’ teachers they will no doubt be teaching and advising me along the way.
 I have been made to feel very welcomed and loved by Kawama, Janna and Greater Joy primary schools and I feel very privileged to be able to work for such a great charity alongside some great friends.

Welcome 2015!

Well, 2015 is here! Happy New Year to you all!

There’s always talk at the beginning of a new year of starting new habits and setting New Year resolutions. The most common one of course is to ‘lose weight and get fit’!

Yet it’s a well-reported truth that at this time of year the gym gets busy with people who are full of good intentions but lack longevity! By mid-February, they’ve gone, the machines are free again and all goes back to normal!

And so, with that in mind, we haven’t made any New Year resolutions for Beyond Ourselves. We’re not about quick fixes or fads, we’re here for the long-term.  And so for us, in 2015, we’re going to keep on keeping on…

We’re going to keep on investing in the local teachers to improve teaching and learning at our partner schools
We’re going to keep on employing cooks to provide a meal for children every school day
We’re going to keep on developing social enterprises around each school to provide employment, training and profit
We’re going to keep on moving our partner schools towards sustainability
We’re going to keep on working with passion alongside local people to see their communities transformed and lives changed

And we’re going to keep on dreaming and daring to make a difference…

Thank you again for all the many ways your support has helped make the last few years happen. I can’t wait to see what we can do as we keep on journeying together through 2015!