Saturday, June 15, 2013

June 15: Notes About Shadowing at the School and Visiting the Orphanage (from Katie, Caity and Rachel)

Hi everybody!
   This is Katie Conners, yesterday was the day that everybody got to shadow the girls at Fatima school.  It was so cool to see what the girls' life was like during the day.  We woke up a 5:45 AM bell to go to 6:15 AM mass with the girls in the chapel, and we all were able to wear the uniforms that they wear every day, and let me say, I kinda rocked it! 
   After mass, I helped my shadow person with her chores before going to our first class of the day, biology.  It was fun to see that they were learning the same sort of information that I had just finished learning in my AP Biology class. The whole day seemed to go by very fast because all of the classes were so interesting and fun.
   The students don't move from class to class like we do, but the teachers move instead.  During our math class, the teacher had me come up to the board and do a math problem and explain how I got it (thankfully I got the correct answer:), so that was quite the experience!  Throughout the whole day my buddy, Musonda, this other girl who called me "Bestie" the whole day, and I got to know each other really well so that it feels like we've known each other our whole lives, and I am so excited to spend more time with them before we have to leave! 
   Through talking with my buddy and the other students at Fatima it was really inspiring to see how motivated all the girls were in their school work.  After school was over, my buddy and I went to play soccer, and let me tell you, it started off a little bit rough, but eventually I got the hang of it and scored two goals for my team.  Overall I had an amazing day and I have made friends that I hope will last for a long time!

   Hello! This is Caity Dorle. Yesterday all of us visited Fatima School and shadowed a student for the day. The girl I shadowed was named Ndanji, and I also spent a lot of the day with her best friend, Joan. We started out the day by attending mass, eating breakfast, then beginning classes.
   One thing I noticed during the class day was how much respect the girls had for their teachers. Right away when the teacher walked into the room the students all stood up and greeted the teacher. Also, at one point the girls were talking and goofing off, but right when the teacher told them to quiet down, they stopped talking and focused on what they were learning. It was amazing that the girls just naturally respected their teachers even though no one was telling them they had to.
   After our first four classes we had a break for lunch. During lunch my guide told me that she was in the drama club and that they were practicing their play that they were going to perform for the Catholic Exhibition. The exhibition is a competition that all different schools participitate in. The girls had to create a play that would be judged. I was amazed how proud the girls were to represent the school and how focused they were on the play. The director of the play let the girls create the whole play and all the lines that they wanted to say, and he only gave his input when he thought something could be improved. The girls were doing a play about the difference between children who learned in privileged classrooms vs. children who learned in under-priviliged classrooms. I thought it was great that the girls got to express their opinions in the form of a play. I enjoyed watching the girls practice, and they even had me type up the script for them and deemed me the good luck charm of their play.
     Overall I had an amazing day, and I really enjoyed comparing the similarities and differences between Fatima and Visitation.

Hello, everyone! This is Rachel Gould.
    Today we split up into three groups; one going to the dental clinic with Dr. Grutzner, one going to the medical clinic with Dr. Sicoli and Mrs. Scheid, and one going to St. Anthony's orphanage. I had the wonderful opportunity of going to St. Anthony's for the second time this trip! On the way there, we stopped with Sister Margaret at a market to get souvenirs, and we found some wonderful gifts to bring back for family and friends! As we were driving, it was fun to see all of the people in Ndola dressed head-to-toe in Zambian soccer apparal, ready for the World Cup qualifying game against Sudan that is going on right now. Their passion and excitement for their country is contagious!
    When we got to St. Anthony's they were in the middle of their 10th Anniversary celebration, complete with music, treats, and a bouncy house for the children. The children danced for everyone and it looked like they were having a really great time, which was so good to see. St. Anthony's can be one of the hardest parts of the trip, but it is always a favorite. In comparison to last year, I am happy to see changes in the orphanage, such as a new playground for the children and wheelchairs for all of the orphans with disabilities, so they can come outside and move around more often. It was sad to say goodbye to kids because it was our last time there this trip, and I will miss all of them so much!
    Tonight we are going to Miss Africa Night with the Fatima girls where they have a fashion show and multiple dance numbers. This year we have our own dance prepared, so hopefully we take home the prize for "best dance group" for the second year in a row!
    Overall, I am having an amazing experience here in Zambia once again. I am learning so much from everyone around me, and I could not be more thankful that I got to come back! I hope all is well back home.

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