Easter with the elephants!!

Hello and a very Happy Easter season to you all! Today we had our Easter morning service in church from 7am - it only lasted 3 hours as we celebrated the risen Christ! All week there have been services in our church and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are 3 different services one after the other. The church this morning was packed!

This week has been quite hectic as usual. On Tuesday I took Fiona to Lilongwe, we stayed overnight and did some essential shopping on Wednesday before returning to Mzuzu. The traffic and driving in Lilongwe is horrendous when used to the quiet roads of the north so it was a pleasure to see Mzuzu again!

On my return I found this little friend on the doorstep - I think he lives somewhere around - no idea what he is but he seems harmless so I just let him be!

Sandra, our German volunteer had our last day with us on Thursday and the teachers and some parents organised some gifts for her as she has been so good with the children. The children and the staff will really miss her - she taught them some new songs and games and really enjoyed interacting with our children.




As part of Fiona's orientation and also Sandra's farewell, we arranged to go to Vwaza marsh on Easter Saturday. This is about an hour and a half's drive north of Mzuzu. The reserve has a lot of buffalo, elephant, hippo and various antelepe such as roan, kudu and impala, and of course crocdiles in the river! We went with no expectations as it is still raining, grass is high, the water level is high which means that animals do not have to come to the water to drink.



On arrival around 7am we made some breakfast and then set out on a walk - it was a beautiful day. Not long after we started out we spotted a herd of elephant and watched them from a distance. They looked so beautiful and peaceful as they wandered to the water to drink and to bathe.


What a privilege to see such majestic animals enjoying their natural surroundings.


As we walked on we saw warthog, a few antelope, and many birds and butterflies for which malawi is known. It was a fabulous day. On our return walk by the river we met a group of elephant so our guide suggested moving up to the road to continue back to the camp. However as the grass was long and we moved through the bush, we heard the warning sound of an elephant and hastily retreated. We had to walk a long way back before being able to get onto the road. Just after we retreated from the bush, we saw another herd of elephant move down to the water.

Arriving back at camp hot and needing some water, it was almost lunchtime. We set up camp and got the gas stove on to cook our sausages. We laid out our food and dishes when Sandra spotted some elephant and baboon a few yards from us. Seeing they were coming in our direction, I suggested that we move further into the camp where there are small huts made of grass. We packed quickly and moved to a hut. Again, we set up lunch and sat down to enjoy our food. Sandra froze, and said there is an elephant - and sure enough coming quickly toward us was not one elephant but a herd of elephant only a few yards away. We left everything (including the whistling kettle which we had just put on the stove) and moved swiftly into the grass hut. Our prayer life suddenly became very active!!!

The elephants came all around us - sniffed at the food and sniffed at the tent. The girls were sort of laughing nervously and I told them to keep quiet - we prayed that the whistling kettle would not boil! The elephants continued to sniff and then moved on......we thought!!

I went outside and there was the rumble of the warning noise from an elephant obviously in the bush in front of our hut. I quickly retreated - meanwhile the kettle was getting near boiling point. I made a decision to go out and grab the kettle and switch off the gas. As I did it, again the growling sound from the bushes..........

We stayed quietly inside and suddenly there was crashing of water (as if there was a herd of elephants in the water!!), and yes, there was a herd of elephants who were splashing around and then crossed the river. Still, the noise was coming from the bush - one elephant was still near us.

We watched through the straw of our hut as many elephant crossed the river. Suddenly from the bush came a lone elephant who just walked majestically in front of us and followed his friends. We were glad to see them go.....

As I explained to Sandra and Fiona, wild animals are so unpredictable - I am glad I am here to tell the tale - it could have been a very different ending. We thank God for the opportunity to witness such incredible sites in nature.

Sandra leaves on Wednesday and she will have some wonderful stories and pictures to share with friends in Germany.

Study has gone by the way this week but I am hoping to have more time during this in coming week.

I hope by now everyone in N Ireland who had no power has been connected again - I am sure it was not easy for people who are not used to such inconveniences. It may encourage you to think about people in parts of the work for whom power is a luxury!

With that thought, I wish you a wonderful elephant free week!

Blessings and love from Diane

a day in the life of....

Hi everyone

As I was thinking what I could write about this week, Fiona gave me an idea. She commented that no one would believe what a variety of things happens on any one day in my life, and so I decided to take a day and write about it. The pictures don't really bear any relation to any one day but are just chosen at random from my vast library of pictures.

Usually I get up around 5am just as the light is beginning to come over the horizon. I get dressed and make something to eat before the day ahead. I go to school for 6.30am to open up and welcome the children and teachers. If all teachers are present then I retreat to my office within the school to do some admin duties for school. If all teachers are not present then I spend the morning in a class!

Admin duties in our school are similar to those of a Head teacher - preparing accounts, registration, and writing any letters which need written. I am Head teacher/secretary/teacher/Synod Co-ordinator all rolled into one! It can be quite a juggle.

I may have to go and buy supplies for school such as cleaning materials and drinks for the children (as I am the only one with a vehicle, its my duty!). I also deal with anyone who comes into the office whether a parent or a visitor. I may have to go to the bank which can take some time depending on how many people are inside! I may have to go and collect barrels of water if we have no water!

On top of this I have my duties as ECD Co-ordinator for the Synod. I am continually organising training programmes and often am out training myself. This past week, I was out one afternoon taking a committee meeting at a school within Mzuzu, and on Friday I was training all day.

Going to the market may also be part of my duties - whether to buy some supplies for school or just to get something for lunch.

Lunchtime is at 12 noon - no morning coffee breaks for me! The past few weeks a German volunteer has been helping us at school and so she comes to my house for lunch, and Fiona has also been here. So, I rush home at 11.50 and make something for our lunch - usually a sandwich and a cup of tea or coffee! Then after a break of 30 minutes its back to school.

On two afternoons a week I teach the teachers in our school - we have two agegroups and so two different sets of teachers. I enjoy this but it takes a lot of preparation time. I also assist Nicolas with his course work for the Montessori education course which he is doing.

During the day I have many visitors in the office - maybe a minister coming to discuss his nursery school, or a director from another nursery school, or someone looking for funding. I also organise and prepare for people coming in the UK summer months - their projects, accommodation, transport. No time for computer games!

In the evenings, I try to do some study for the MA - this past week has been particularly frustrating as the internet has been so slow - it took about 4 hours to download 3 documents which in UK would have taken a few seconds. So life can be frustrating sometimes.

A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting organised within Mzuzu for directors of nursery schools. It was established that no directors have had any training in ECD and so are treating young children like primary school kids even to the extent of doing exams with them. Because of this need, I offered the services of the CCAP trainers to train these people in the basics of early childhood development. Last Friday, we had a very successful meeting with about 70 people attending. A second seminar has been arranged. Praise God that we can share our knowledge with others! The photo below shows the people attending.

So, life is never dull. No two days are ever the same. Each day determines its own schedule and you really need to be a flexible person to be able to cope with this. Many times I set out with a list of 6 things to do and only manage to get one done in a day. Patience is a virtue necessary in our situations here and sometimes it is absent. Today church lasted only two and a half hours..

So next time you get frustrated, think about people like me working in third world countries, where jobs which you could do in a few minutes may take us hours.

The positive side of all this is that people have time for people - I may spend most of the day talking with people - listening to their concerns, discussing their visions for nursery school education. Its an exciting job and one which I would not swap for a nursery school job in the West.

One day during the week, some of our kids called me to come and see the crocodile - they were so excited! We have a small toy crocodile in school about the size of a large lizard- and they had seen a large lizard running up an outside wall! I must admit I was relieved it was not a crocodile!!

Wishing you a great week full of joy in your life and your job!

Best wishes

Diane

home and its hectic...so what's new!

Hello everyone

Its been a couple of weeks since I wrote because I have been at Stranmillis doing part of my MA. It was a hectic 9 days, with classes and meeting folk, and coping with the cold! Boy was it cold! Am glad to be back in the heat.

Fiona Innes arrived to join our department a few days before I left. I felt pretty bad leaving her all alone while I went off but as you can see from the photo she is settling in well and apart from being badly chewed by mosquitos, seems to be enjoying herself. She is still staying with me but hopes to move into her own house soon.

Of course, it is just great to be back with the children but boy is it hectic. There seems to be so much to co-ordinate and to plan and of course on top of this I have assignments to write!

This afternoon my neighbour's wee boy visited - thought his t-shirt was interesting! Fiona and him had a great afternoon of fun!

The other thing happening this week was that Nicolas, one of the trainers was doing his ILETS exam (the English exam set by the British Council), as he will hopefully be going to UK later in the year for his exams in early childhood development. He found it quite tough so we are hoping that he passed so that his studies can continue.

Not a lot to write about - I came home on Wednesday and have been helping Fiona sort out her house, as well as organising things at school and throughout the synod. Hope to have more to write next week.

Blessings

Diane

a week by the lake...

Hi everyone from a wet and miserable Mzuzu! This past week I have spent at Chinteche on the lakeshore at a Strategic Planning meeting for the Education Department of the Synod. The lakeshore is a beautiful place to be.......

Its the time of year for the lake flies which look like smoke in the distance. One of my colleagues was telling me that his grandmother makes a delicious cake with them!! They are very nutritious so I am told ...didn't try to see!!
Martijn is from the Netherlands and is the Capacity Development Officer in the Synod - he is a great facilitator and we had a lot of fun discussing issues from Early Childhood Development right through to University level, with primary, secondary, special needs, vocational training and teacher training in between. It was a hectic time but the time went so fast as there was a lot to do. We had some experts in the education field with us who contributed a lot to the discussion each day.

Martijn in action...



We had various sets of group work and I was leading the ECD group. Can you spot which one is me? I was writing up our findings to present to the group.


Yes.......its me!!

We were fortunate to have some school children join us for the week and this is Takondwa who was in our group. He wants to do accounts at University when he is older - he is in Std 8 - the last year of primary school.

A beautiful setting for the group work.

And some hot discussions here with Rev C Kapombe, the Sunday School director speaking......about what I wonder???

Me again speaking about ECD just for a change.

The week was very successful and we have created the basis of a very good strategic plan in the department. Of course we cannot fulfil the plan without the help of God - every morning and evening we had devotion together putting God first in everything.

Its always sad to have to leave the lake and step back into reality in Mzuzu where we met torrential rain and rivers on the roads. A good week by all accounts. The photo at the top is the entire group who attended the workshop.

Off early in the morning to collect Fiona Innes who is coming to work alongside me in Early Childhood Development. I am looking forward to working with her and learning from her knowledge from the West!

Next week don't expect a blog as its study time again.........I am going for a week of classes so will catch up when I return.

Wishing you a blessed week.

Diane

another week over...

Hello there - thanks for all the messages and for the positive comments about the blog - glad you enjoy my ramblings!!

This week has been even more hectic than usual. From Monday - Thursday we had parent/teacher interviews - yes, with the parents of Pre-school children. We had a great time with very positive feedback from parents. Primary school age starts at 6 in Malawi and yet when parents can see that their children can recite something in English or write a few letters, they assume that they can send their children even at 4 years to primary school. Unfortunately this past year, about 5 children were taken to primary school when they were not ready and have since been relocated in various nursery schools!

When I was escorting one of the parents out of school this is what I found. Just outside the front door, two of the boys from the Pre-school class were very busy with scrubbing brushes and lots of soap washing two of the chairs from their class. This is an exercise we do in the practical life and the kids love it - the parents were amazed. We will have the cleanest chairs in Mzuzu by the end of this year!

On Wednesday we were training in Mzuzu when I got a phone call from the husband of one of the teachers to come quickly as his wife was sick. I rushed to the house to find the teacher was in labour and had to rush her to the hospital where she delivered a baby boy a few hours later. I might have a picture for the next blog. Both Mum and baby are fine.

Our head teacher who I mentioned was not well, is still not well - very high blood pressure and now requires a hip operation, so today she is travelling to Blantyre to see a specialist to find out what they need to do. Please remember her in your prayers.

Yesterday, Saturday we were out all day training caregivers and committees - we had a great day, and once again saw the real need that there is for training. The caregivers literally have not a clue what they are supposed to do with young children. Here you can see some group work...



This is some of the group busy taking notes as the facilitator is speaking.


These are some of the materials we make for the centres - dolls and the alphabet which actually is a game and has a song for the children to learn their names and the letters of the alphabet.

This coming week I am attending a workshop for the Strategic plan in Education Department - it should be very productive. I hope you all have a good week, and look forward to your comments.

Blessings and love from Diane

PS the picture at the top is our children in Mzuzu lining up to wash their hands - don't they look smart! We have had a challenge this week as the water was off for a couple of days - can you imagine a school with no water!!!

what a busy week...

Greetings from a hot and sunny Mzuzu (with the odd shower of rain). I have had a really busy week and am glad of today to have a rest!

Last time I was talking about training in Viyele - I went again this week to talk to the committee of the nursery school, together with one of the trainers. I was impressed to see that they have started a school garden so that they can supplement the plain maize porridge which the children receive every day. Here you can see the head teacher standing in front of the garden where they have planted soya beans, This is a real encouragement as maize porridge on its own gives little nutrients to a child.

Here you see Enala talking with some of the nursery school committee.

We also went to Zolozolo nursery school to do some in-service training and the photo at the top of my blog is some of the kids from that school.

Rumphi was on the agenda this week too. When we arrived to begin the workshop at 7.30am there was no one there but gradually they came and we had a really successful day with caregivers and committee members. We were really well looked after. Here you see some of the participants doing an exercise.

I really enjoy teaching the caregivers - the knowledge we give them is very basic as really early childhood development has had no foundation in people's lives, and when we talk of playing with children it is a new concept for many people! Here you see me leading one of the sessions.

The minister in the congregation has a new baby called Favour who is a delight and I spent a lot of time getting to know her!!

And while all this is going on, our school in Mzuzu keeps moving forward. Mrs Msowoya, our head teacher is sick and will be off for some time - please keep her in your prayers. She has very high blood pressure and also a very painful hip. We miss her a lot.

In the 3-6 years class this week there was a lot of fun. The theme was continents and the kids were learning all about the continents. One of the teachers drew a map of the world on the floor and the kids were blindfolded (thanks to South African airways blindfolds), and playing a game of jumping from one continent to another. They had such fun and yet learnt so much in the process.

Another day, the kids were marching around the room, singing and playing various musical instruments - makes me want to be a child again!

The weekend has also been busy. I had visitors from the Church of Scotland for supper on Saturday night which was lovely, and today after church (which only lasted two and a quarter hours) I had a friend over for coffee.

Now looking forward to putting my feet up and reading a book. The coming week is also a busy one with parent/ teacher meetings all week. We have prepared a parents booklet which we are going to share with them to encourage parenting skills at home. In church today, we had a nurse encouraging parents to give their kids plenty of fruit and vegetables as many chidlren have a vitamin A deficiency. Together we hope to improve parenting skills and see a change in health and education of our children.

Wishing you a great week.

Blessings

Diane

ramblings...

Hello again from a hot and sticky Mzuzu.

We have had a lot of rain this week in the city so mud is everywhere - its a nightmare in the school as we have no separate room for eating lunch so when kids eat the room has to be cleaned as they play outside. This week they had to sit on the verandah and have a shower while the room was cleaned before they could go inside again. With it being the rainy season the grass grows almost as soon as it is cut and unfortunately the snakes like the new grass and we found a long thin black one in the school grounds this week. Fortunately as it was raining none of the children were in the playground! (the joys of Africa!!)

My good friends came for supper last Monday night as Rev Chimwemwe (on the right) was returning to South Africa on Tuesday where he is studying - we had a lovely time catching up! Chimwemwe is our singing Pastor and has released some CD's of his music which are really good. He is with his wife and daughter in the photograph.

Training of caregivers in nursery schools is ongoing, and this month we are doing some training within Mzuzu city. Nicolas and Enala were out on Thursday and I went to see how they were getting on and arrived at snack time. Here you can see the kids eating their morning porridge and Nico and Enala seem to be enjoying it too!




Last time I mentioned that a container had arrived with some materials for Early Childhood. I was very excited as I was sorting them out for various schools. We received some great equipment - thanks for all the notes I found in the boxes and even a box of chocolates!! Yummy!! Thank you so much for the support for this ministry. The training boxes are brilliant - we are well equipped for the next couple of months thanks to peoples generosity - much appreciated.

In the boxes I had packed when I was in Ireland last year there was a lot of Montessori equipment and for those of you who are Montessorians, you can see it being used in the next couple of photos.

This is a short bead stair, one of the pieces of equipment we use for maths and which the children love working with.

Unfortunately one of our teachers lost her 'mother' this week - her aunt in UK terms. It happened very suddenly although she had been ill - please pray for Gift and her family as they come to terms with this loss.

Teacher Enala is back at work after being in hospital - she has yet to find out what was wrong with her!! Its great to have her back.

Its mosquito time with the heat and the rain - they love it, and they love me too, so I am constantly battling against these tiny creatures....always wondered, why did God create a mosquito??

Will leave you with that thought. Thanks for all the comments. Have a great week.

Diane