Last Report

Madelene Kjellgren, DI:s last report from DAPP Child Aid Serenje!

So…I have written 3 reports out of 6, good job Magda, good job!!! I have to say I am very proud! It is now the last week in Serenje, it feels strange! I am going hooome! I can’t stop thinking about it, the feelings are mixed….In this last months, work has been alright.

To start with I was working with the Youth Club in the village Angoni – not so far from here, maybe 20 min by bicycle. I bought them 4 types of seeds for my own money which we planted together – this time I felt like I knew them better so I asked them what they think is not working in the club/what needs to be improved. I made the decision to organize a meeting with them and make a plan together. The meeting I had 2 weeks after with the youth and their parents. For the meeting I prepared a poster with the plan (which the club had agreed on) and I had written some notes. I had asked the Area leader to come and participate and I brought posters with pictures from the 2 last picture clubs I had to show the parents what I have been doing with them. The Area leader never showed up at the office as he promised, I was very angry!! He hadn’t even helped me to prepare the meeting which he had agreed on, I was not sure if I remembered the way to the meeting and will there be somebody to translate for me?? After taking the wrong turn twice I found the place. And there, thank God, was Cephas – one of the Youth Club leaders which is very active. He is doing a good job! AND he – the only one there – knows English well!! In this moment I hated the Area leader (who I yelled at the next time I saw him) and loved Cephas my angel haha! Quit many came to the meeting and it went very well! They enjoyed the pictures very much which had the themes The negative and The positive side of Zambia. In this picture clubs they were very active and creative, I was proud of them. After showing them the pictures we discussed why it is not working properly and what to do about it. I talked about why the Youth Club is important and asked the parents to encourage their youth to come and participate and be active. The parents and youth listened, asked questions and gave me comments. Then I presented the plan for them which they thought was very good. I thanked them, especially Cephas, and said good bye. I felt good about that I managed everything so well alone and smiled on my way home. Shortly after this I decided that I also wanted to work with another Youth club and after talking to the Area leader I decided to go for Kebumba. The same week Lucie was going there for another Corn leaf work shop, so I decided to come with her to give her assistance and to ask when the youth club are meeting. I told them that next time I will be coming and that they should inform everybody. This next time, nobody came – but the time after that they did! Then I told them about what I been doing with the Youth Club in Angoni and that I now would like to work with them and how. After that I played some games with them to get to know them better, they really enjoyed it – we had fun! Unfortunately only boys participated. The next time I came with suggestions of activities and seeds that I again bought for my own money. The seeds they had been given last time from the project had been taken by the youth club leader whoquit and left to another village, so they didn’t have any garden. Together we made a plan for the rest of my time in Serenje from my suggestions. After this they had a football game which I was watching for a while before I left. They are good!The same week I had my first presentation about running and training with the Youth Club in Angoni. I also started making a running manual for them so that they can keep training after I am gone if the want. The week after I went to Lusaka for my vacation. The last days I called to Child Aid Chibombo were I wanted to go for my task force week. Again, they said I can’t come – so I decided that I don’t care anymore. For the rest of the time I already have a plan and I refused to change it again. I went directly to Serenje – home sweat home!Since I now had like one free week I decided to go to Kashishi again that I promised. So again I bicycled for 3 hours and when I arrived I asked for the Youth Club leader Nicolaus. 2 boys escorted me to his home, maybe 30 min away. I was very welcomed by him and his family – wife and 2 young boys. I was tierd so when they gave me a cup of tea and some sweat potatoes I was in heaven! This night they made a sleeping space for me in the kitchen, the wife lied in the room next to me (it was a very small hous) and Nicolaus and the kids sleeped outside by the fire. The floor was hard and there were ratts in the kitchen so it was impossible for me to sleep. And I as scared so after a while I asked if I could sleep outside with the others. I felt bad – they have this living conditions always and I couldn’t even take one night. Outside by the fire it was very nice but I still couldn’t sleep. The ground was to hard and it was to cold. I managed to sleep about 1-2 hours this night so the day after I was a zombie. But I managed to go around with Nicolaus to inform the youth to meet the next day at 10.00 a clock. Then I prepared the activities at their place and I helped the wife to cock. She was a very nice woman and enjoyed chatting with her. Next morning I packed my things, said good bye to the family and me and Nicolaus went down to the school. Waited for about 1 hour – nobody came! I was angry, I went there for nothing. And this situation I had before in Kashishi so felt frustrated. But…it is Africa… I started bicycling home, I was in a bad mood and I was tired even though this night I could sleep. So the journey was slow and my stupid Red star felt heavy. On Saturday this week I went with Lucie to Angoni Youth Club. There I had a running competition with prices and Lucie had a work shop with them. It was nice but they didn’t try so hard with the baskets. But we had fun together!The day after I went to pick up my dog, that an Area leader had been taking care of while I was gone. On my way there I had an accident with the bicycle, I injured my legs and Lucie and Fredric, our project, leader came to pick me up with the motorcycle. It was a Sunday so when we reached the hospital there was no doctor (they have only one) and the nurses were not very willing to give me any help. My knee (especially the left one!) were swollen and colorfull and then I had some small sources on ankles, stomach and my arm. First day it was very difficult to walk and it was paining a lot. Of course I had to use this situation to the fullest – I made Lucie my slave!Loooser! Can you give me that book? Fix the pillow! Bring food!Following day I went to the hospital again, they released some blood from the knee joint and gave me pain killers. I was also applying Rub on. Stupid leg! I was very annoyed with it, I wanted to work! And actually I was working to hard. Fredric, our new project leader, was very concerned. Magda, go home now and rest! Noo, it’s just okay! I’ll be fine!But I have to admit, my annoying boss was right . I never became fine, after 2 weeks it was still very swollen even though I had been resting a lot more and really tried to take care. I had by then visited the hospital 4 times and I now wanted to go to a hospital in Lusaka I heard was very good. So I called to Vibeke again but she just refused to help me, why I don’t know since health should always come first, and she didn’t know what was wrong with my leg. So it is always better to check it to be sure. It is not good to have a coordinator like this who just doesn’t care, since she is the one you depend on. And we have insourence so I don’t understand her problem; it is her responsibility to help me. Because of her I have now been having some troubles to manage with money since I had to arrange with the hospital and the insurance company by myself and went anyway. At the hospital they checked my leg, made x-ray and gave me medicine for it. They said that it is okay but if it is still swollen in 2 weeks I have to come back. So that was nice to hear. By now it is okay, still a bit swollen and it is paining if you are putting pressure on it. And still I don’t have much feeling on the skin. But I can now use it normally, I just still can’t bend it all the way. Just before I went to Lusaka Lucie had a celebration in Kebumba School that I was participating on to assist her. Lucie has been given a donation from her country so she arranged for tables and chairs for the school. So when the school opened we went there and arranged activities during the day. What I did was to prepare a presentation about my country Sweden, some competitions for the children and a runningcompetition with the Youth Club. Then I was singing songs with Lucie! It was very successful and everything went well! Lucie did a good job preparing all this. (This busy day I had to stand and walk almost the hole day and I could feel my leg was just getting worse and worse.) Since the beginning almost me and Lucie has been preparing a HIV-campaign. But it has been veeery sloooow. But now more in the end we finally pulled ourselves together and started to work on it. We made a theater, a test for the children to find out the situation here (like a research) and planned to make a discussion with the girls and boys separately. We went to Boma School and Kebumba School and made appointments. In total we worked with 5 classes and it went very well! But it is difficult also…Loooser! Can you give me that book? Fix the pillow! Bring food!Following day I went to the hospital again, they released some blood from the knee joint and gave me pain killers. I was also applying Rub on. Stupid leg! I was very annoyed with it, I wanted to work! And actually I was working to hard. Fredric, our new project leader, was very concerned. Magda, go home now and rest! Noo, it’s just okay! I’ll be fine!But I have to admit, my annoying boss was right . I never became fine, after 2 weeks it was still very swollen even though I had been resting a lot more and really tried to take care. I had by then visited the hospital 4 times and I now wanted to go to a hospital in Lusaka I heard was very good. So I called to Vibeke again but she just refused to help me, why I don’t know since health should always come first, and she didn’t know what was wrong with my leg. So it is always better to check it to be sure. It is not good to have a coordinator like this who just doesn’t care, since she is the one you depend on. And we have insourence so I don’t understand her problem; it is her responsibility to help me. Because of her I have now been having some troubles to manage with money since I had to arrange with the hospital and the insurance company by myself and went anyway. At the hospital they checked my leg, made x-ray and gave me medicine for it. They said that it is okay but if it is still swollen in 2 weeks I have to come back. So that was nice to hear. By now it is okay, still a bit swollen and it is paining if you are putting pressure on it. And still I don’t have much feeling on the skin. But I can now use it normally, I just still can’t bend it all the way. Just before I went to Lusaka Lucie had a celebration in Kebumba School that I was participating on to assist her. Lucie has been given a donation from her country so she arranged for tables and chairs for the school. So when the school opened we went there and arranged activities during the day. What I did was to prepare a presentation about my country Sweden, some competitions for the children and a runningcompetition with the Youth Club. Then I was singing songs with Lucie! It was very successful and everything went well! Lucie did a good job preparing all this. (This busy day I had to stand and walk almost the hole day and I could feel my leg was just getting worse and worse.) Since the beginning almost me and Lucie has been preparing a HIV-campaign. But it has been veeery sloooow. But now more in the end we finally pulled ourselves together and started to work on it. We made a theater, a test for the children to find out the situation here (like a research) and planned to make a discussion with the girls and boys separately. We went to Boma School and Kebumba School and made appointments. In total we worked with 5 classes and it went very well! But it is difficult also…The 4 October I had my next Hip Hop Party for the Youth, this time it went very well, I am proud of myself over my improvement! For this time the theme was “Just say NO drugs!”. My decorations was very cool, and my competitions was fun planned – but it was sometimes hard to make them understand, at least it worked! The price for the main competition was a trip to Nsalu Caves and Nkundalila Falls – 3 won from the party and then me and Lucie choose the 10 most active in Angoni Youth Club. This was also from Lucies money from the people. At the party I also had hot music and I got a lot of help from my very good friends to get good loud speakers. First I was going to rent but they demanded 125 000 kwacha for the hole time!!! Now I got them for 10 000. I was very grateful. I had also arranged with Angoni Youth Club to make a theater about drugs and alcohol for the party as an income generating activity – I paid them 10 000 kwacha. I had fun activities during the party and they enjoyed! In short: my party rocked!The day after we went for the trip – it was so cool! We had a lot of fun together! And at both places we arranged games. It was very nice! And nobody of them had been there before, in general it is difficult for people here to travel, so I think it was a very good experience for them!My last task I did myself was from the beginning – in Chimpati I meet a girl that can’t speak and since then I have been thinking a lot about how to help her in the best way. I have been contacting organizations/companies in my country but nobody would help me or answer me. So I decided to contact my boss (I was working with handicapped people for 2 years before I started the program and I am a trained Under Nurse). She thought the best thing to do was to make pictograms for her. So I kept thinking and decided to go for buying a book, pens and markers, glue, siccer and paper for her to put pictograms inside the book. I made structure in the book for her to be able to fine the words easily and made few examples for her and the pre school teacher to understand. The girl is also very young so I think this can be very good for her to be able to learn to communicate with people better – she is now quit shy also. Her preschool teacher seams to be very good! Perfect for the job! He really cares! When I came to Chimpati I decided to make one last picture club with the preschool before I started working with only the girl. They enjoyed very much and afterwards I left the rest of the colors with the Pre School. I explained them the way to my idea, how she can use the book, the structure of the book and I gave them advices of how to teach, support and direct her. After that I made few examples together with them so that they really understood the idea and they thought it was good. They even gave me a drink and cookies to show their appreciation. I managed quit well and I had a good feeling from the day.

Now what did I achieve during this 6 months? I guess a lot of it you can’t see. But I do think I had some impact on the youth… How much or how little I don’t know. There is no numbers to look on.
Then I also hope that this little girl in Chimpati has some use from my idea, if the idea works and they do use it I believe I could have done a great impact.
I guess I will never find out, but I tried.
Soon I am leaving Zambia,see you in 1 year!! Magda