So the Bookbus project 2009 in Meheba has drawn to a close. The final two weeks have been packed with reading, activities, library sessions and more moving stories. The acceptance of the project and the group of M’zungos in yellow t-shirts has steadily grown throughout the time we were there. Everywhere we went we were greeted with genuine smiles and lots of waving and shouting, at first just from the kids but by the end from parents and absolutely anyone we encountered!
(Full story and images after the jump)
Even though it has been school holidays for the past 2 weeks we have always found plenty of children to teach right from grade 3 up to grade 9, so the sessions have been very varied. With the older children we have concentrated more on library sessions and discussing or writing about what they have just read. With the younger ones we have been reading and then doing a wide variety of craft activities like painting or drawing. As usual we have been trying to encourage individuality and imagination whenever possible. There is a general state of shock when they are asked to do anything without first drawing it in normal pencil. One of the most popular activities has been reading Elmer the Elephant and then making Elmer hats..I must confess to making one, which was them promptly commandeered and worn all day by a teacher!! I can now officially announce that glitter is just as popular here as in Livingstone, maybe even more so, with the children scouring the floor after sessions to find any remaining sparkles to decorate their faces and hair!
At Basic school D we were treated to a show of traditional dancing, singing and poems from the children. To see many of the children crying when we were leaving for the last time was heart breaking. And at Community school G, the teacher I mentioned in the last blog, Pacific, wrote us some songs then performed by himself and the kids. One was called Bye-bye, Meheba, Bye-bye and it brought many of the volunteers close to tears, it even contained all our names and was definitely one of the most moving moments of the time spent in the camp. As we were leaving G, a young boy called Olivier shouted “It’s goodbye now madam, but I know we will meet again.”
The UNHCF is starting a school feeding program whereby they hope to increase school attendance by providing all pupils with one basic meal a day. Each of the schools has to build a kitchen in order to be able to take part in the project, so for a couple of afternoons the Bookbus volunteers turned builder labourers at school D. We helped move tons of bricks(well it seemed like tons!!) and hoed a huge area of ground, and although we tried our best we were certainly outshone by the children gathered around who could hoe much faster and efficiently even with bare feet! But despite our lack of hoeing skills, it was great to be part of something like this and as well as causing much amusement, our support was greatly appreciated.
In our spare time we have taken to congregating on an anthill near basic school C to watch the late afternoon football games and the sunset, usually surrounded by ever growing groups of children, who love to teach us words in their languages and then laugh at our attempts to pronounce them!! It is also a fantastic place to star gaze. Laying on your back looking into the sky, miles from any light pollution and in complete silence is a special experience, especially when you spot shooting stars. We also had an attack by some red solider ants which the guards dealt with by lighting the hugest bush fire with just one match, pretty spectacular, but only to be attempted if you are Zambian and you know what you are doing!
Just as we were getting to know the people who call Meheba home we have to leave, which is difficult. But I strongly believe that the project has been a huge success and I’m sure that all the volunteers, the teachers and especially the hundreds of children we spent time with would agree and we all hope the Bookbus can return to Meheba next year.
