Ignite make a difference....

Hello again,

Its been another busy week with the 'Ignite' team despite the weather (well, it is the rainy season!).  After finishing the project, we invited the children to come and try out the equipment - such excitement..........

the multi - purpose climbing frame!

Note the creative use of the tree stumps - what we term as TALULAR - using locally available materials!

Walking on a plank, then a round pole and another plank - quite an achievement for a 3-5 year old child

This child is so excited about walking on the plank but a bit timorous too!  However, he does well...........

and when he gets to the end where you have to jump into a tyre filled with sand, he takes his time and .......

What a smile of triumph..........he continued to do it again and again......I think this will be a hit with the children.

Another challenge is the zip line, but we are willing to have a go anyway..........

See-saw is always popular with the children - again this is made on a tree stump.  Note the welcome fuel tanker passing in the background!!

Hopscotch or pada as we call it here..........

and a lovely sand pit.....

The work is still continuing - the builders are busy making a wall around the playground and the next stage will be the administration block.

One morning we went to visit a neighbouring nursery school where the team gave the children football shirts - this wee boy is really cute........

there were enough shirts to share with a neighbouring primary class standard 1 - these boys were really excited and happy........

One of our assistants in school had a baby 4 months ago and the team took her a lovely hand knitted blanket - the baby is gorgeous!

and Mrs Msowoya, our retired head teacher also received a blanket.  She is becoming frail and was absolutely delighted to welcome the visitors.

On the day before leaving the team went to the Mzuzu coffee factory here in Mzuzu and had a guided tour which was fascinating.

The whole process is done by hand from the beans coming into the factory until they leave - after the beans are sorted then they have to be mixed all by hand - the bags of beans are brought into a circle and people throw them out into the centre to mix them - one or two of the team had a go.....

Sorting the good beans from the bad........ all done by ladies....... there were over 100 workers in this room.......

and then to the laboratory where we had the opportunity to see how quality is tested, and tasted.........

It was a good experience and now I appreciate my cup of Mzuzu coffee even more!  

I would like to thank the team from Ignite, the leader Paul  and his team of Desi, Drew, John, Simon and Trish.  They were great to work with and a lot of fun.  They worked hard, and had a great team spirit and I hope they enjoyed the trip as much as I enjoyed hosting them.  I know that the teachers and children are very grateful for the lovely playground they have left and I look forward to sharing more with them about the project in the near future!

On another note entirely - just to share with you the joys of living in Africa - the morning before we left to go to the airport,  I went into my kitchen to find that a rat had eaten through the ceiling and left quite a mess.  There was no sign of the rat though.  I asked a carpenter to come and patch the hole while I was away and to make sure the ceiling board was nailed up properly!

When I came home.......this is what I found!!!

creativity - mend the ceiling with bottle tops!!

My ceiling had been nailed up with bottle tops from soft drink bottles - such a well finished job!!  However, it hadn't stopped the rat because as you can see in the first picture, it has eaten another hole in the ceiling.  I just covered it with cardboard and will deal with it on Monday!!  What can you do but laugh!!

I hope you have all had a good week - the 'Ignite' team should be home by now and I know they will be tired but I hope also excited and proud of what they have achieved in the past two weeks.  

This week its back to 'normal' if that is possible here.  We had some incidents this past  week in Lilongwe and Mzuzu of vendors taking the clothes off ladies wearing trousers as they said it was indecent, so Trish and I were careful to wear long skirts when walking around the town!   Fuel is still in short supply, and forward planning is not easy.  Food prices are still going up every day.........budgeting is a thing of the past because its impossible.

However, we are thankful to have the joy of the Lord who keeps us in good spirits no matter what comes our way.

Wishing you all a pleasant week where ever you are.

Blessings and love,

Diane

Ignite at work.....and play!

Hello everyone.  On Sunday 8th January I welcomed a team from Ignite in Northern Ireland who came to help us with our school building project.  It was great to see some old friends and meet a couple of new people too.  Here you can see Simon, Desi and Trish as they discuss what they are going to do on the first morning at the site.  Its the rainy season here and we have had some heavy downpours with thunder and lightning but the team have worked really hard as you will see from the pictures.

Our site is situated in the centre of the city - its a big site and with the rains it had become really overgrown so we employed 10 men to slash and clear the ground the week before the team arrived.

The plan is set for the playground and the team set to work......

Soon we can see a construction of some sort.........

John taking a well earned rest.......

How exciting to see that we now have a climbing frame, a set of swings and almost an obstacle course for the children......

There was much excitement as passers by stopped to see what this group of azungu (white people) were trying to do........  I think these children at the gate would have been delighted with an invitation to try out the new equipment!!

While the work outside is going on, there is also plenty happening inside the building - these men are organising the wood to begin putting the ceiling in.

and by the end of the day already one ceiling was almost complete.

Walls have been painted and the building transformed......

One morning when it was raining heavily, I took some of the team out to a few of our local nursery schools - I think the children were a bit shell shocked.....

It has been a hard week for the team - it was warm and humid, and the heat was taking its toll, coupled with the fact that we are at a higher altitude than Northern Ireland - people were becoming exhausted - some rest and relaxation was called for, so we went on Saturday to Chinteche on Lake Malawi(after the driver queuing for 3 days to find fuel).  On the way we stopped at the local shopping mall..........

 and past the rubber plantation.........

old trees have been cut down and new trees planted

rubber being tapped from the older trees

Some of the local boys steal rubber and make these amazing balls which are sold at the side of the road - they have a great bounce for a couple of days - we didn't buy any!

We were travelling by minibus which is not the most comfortable, but as you can see some people can sleep anywhere!!  The team leader is exhausted!!

However, when we arrived at the lake everyone woke up again and had a pleasant afternoon walking or resting......

or canoeing - they couldn't compete with the locals though!

Good food and laughter was had at meal times.......

and it was nice for me to spot some wildlife too......

The lake of stars lived up to its reputation..........

On the way home on Sunday afternoon we called at Chinteche CCAP to meet friends of mine, Rev Brian Theu and his wife Gertrude.  The children from the Sunday school were rehearsing for a trip they are going on, and as you can see the team joined in and there was much hilarity all around!!  The children thought it was great!

I thought I was going to have to take Desi to the next door hospital afterwards........

It has been a great week and the team are still here - in fact they are already at the site as I type.  They have done a wonderful job so far and we look forward to the finished result.  Some of our parents and the teachers at school have volunteered during the week and its a real team effort from all concerned.  I would like to thank all those who donated money toward this project and to thank the team themselves for the commitment they are showing and for the love they are giving to the people all around them.  Next blog will show the finished result.

Wishing you all a blessed week wherever you are!

Diane x