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.

June 12 Update

Good morning, again!  Communication from Zambia has been a bit sporadic.  Here is an update from the group dated June 12.

This is Mary Sicoli. Yesterday, I was part of a group that went to St. Anthony's Orphanage. It was a bittersweet day; on one hand I was happy to see the many improvements in the orphanage. Physically, the orphanage upgraded in supplies and equipment. The staff also seemed to be more interactive with the children. In all, the quality of life for the children seemed to have improved compared to last year, but at the same time, there is still a lot left to be done. From talking with the sisters and staff, I learned that the number of children inhabiting the orphanage has increased. The children are still numerous and starved for attention. Sadly, the overall health of the children seems to have decreased. For example, I was holding the cutest baby that was only six weeks and was notified by Dr. Johnson that the baby would suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for the rest of his life. With this information, I could not help but feel upset and angry for the preventable handicap this boy would have to live with for the rest of his life. All in all, my visit to St. Anthony's Orphanage was eye-opening and life changing. It is an experience that is never to be forgotten.

Hello, this is Nick Goldman.  Yesterday Maddy, Rachel, Maura, Julia, Kayla, Mrs. Mattson and I went to the Barefoot school to paint a mural of the alphabet and numbers inside one of their classrooms.  I measured out the dimensions of the mural while the others drew sketches of what it was going to look like.  Then Kayla and Maura drew the pencil outline of the mural on the wall, and we finished by painting over it all.  As we were painting, we were joined by many students of the school who helped us paint, taught us phrases in Bemba, and took many pictures with our cameras.  The student who was most helpful was a boy named Peter.  He constantly would enter the room and paint with us and would gather supplies that we needed.  Altogether it was a rewarding experience, and we left our mark, literally, on the wall.

Hey, this is Abbey. Today Katie, Caity, and I went to Natwange School. While we were there, I had the opportunity to help Dr. Johnson take down measurements to figure out the general nutrition levels of the students. The results ended up being a little shocking. The vast majority of the students were about two standard deviations below what's considered normal (in other words, really bad). It was very depressing for me to see because, having interacted with a lot of the students, I knew that they were very kind and intelligent, and it was hard to swallow that they would never reach their full potential on the physical level. After spending the morning taking down the measurements, the three of us played volleyball with a group of kids from the school. While none of us will be going professional anytime soon, we had a lot of fun and it was really great to spend time with the students. On our way back from Natwange, we decided to stop by a couple of the orphanages we went to last year. There was one boy who I remembered from last year, and he became really excited when I told him that I remembered him. That really made me realize just how much we can impact the lives of some of these children, even if it may not feel like it at the time. Today ended up being an extremely eye-opening and rewarding experience, and I'm so grateful for the time I have spent here and my remaining time here.

From Ann Mattson:
Good night to all! We will continue to work with our connectivity issues as we attempt to blog! All is well and we are blessed to be here!

Morning of June 14 from Zambia

A quick overview of today's work from Ann Mattson:
Today the 15 Vis girls and lone STA boy are shadowing Fatima school students. They are resplendent in the Fatima Jubilee uniform: a black and white cotton skirt, a white polo shirt, and a dark monogrammed sweater. (It is winter here!) Nick is wearing the polo with his own pants.

Their day started with mass at 6:15 AM, followed by a full day of classes, three meals with the Fatima students, and they will fall into bed tonight after the study hall ends at 8:30 PM. I suspect they will appreciate our American class schedule much more after today! If we don't communicate tonight, at least you will know why! I can to wait to hear their stories!

Meanwhile, the chaperones were continuing their work in the Kavu medical and dental clinics, preparing presentations while I was teaching at the nearby Yengwe Basic School, and we will visit a hospital later today. Greetings to all, Ann Mattson for Team Mutomo

June 13: Team Mutomo's first report from Zambia

Good morning!  Team Mutomo has arrived in Zambia and sent the following email to Visitation last night.

Hi this is Jordan. Today we went to the outreach clinic in two separate groups. The clinic I went to was the farthest one where there was the most need for medications and health care. I was given the opportunity to work with the nurses involved with tracking the growth of the children and providing prenatal vitamins. I also was taught how to guesstimate the age of the fetus, and turn the baby to prevent a breach pregnancy. One of the nurses gave me one of her chitenges to wear around on the bench in the clinic. Her name was Chaz and after I had helped her in the clinic, she shook my hand and said she would pray for me and that I was always welcomed to her village, Nafinga. What I learned today was to work with the environments that were provided: we were giving shots in the dark and giving women pills with minimum water supply. The women I met today have truly changed my life, and I will hold all of them in my heart hoping that the 5 short hours I spent with them was enough to create a better environment for the mother and child in the world they live in. Much love to everyone in the states and all the best, and may the Lord bless and keep you.

Hello, this is Kayla Oscarson. Today I went to the farthest clinic with seven others; the place is called Nafinga. Today I worked in many fields: I weighed babies and recorded their age, gender, and weight for statistics; I helped with recording the weight of mothers; and I helped test the people of Nafinga for HIV. From what we observed, only two people had HIV, a mother and her child. My mother cried because it was really sad. The mother did not even cry or blink with that news because it is pretty normal to them to hear people's diagnoses. However, we did have a fun time because we knew we were helping these people with what we can. It was funny because a lot of kids got scared due to the fact that we are differently colored people who they have never seen. I wish that we could have done more, but in God's eyes, small things can make a huge difference (for example, the loaves and fishes story in the bible). When we were finished, we had to bring a mother and her child to the clinic because her child had malaria and the child was having bad symptoms that had to be treated. It is quite sad seeing all these people walking miles to get medical help (it is only few times people come to give medical help, too) and they don't even have any drinking water. It is so depressing and sad the lifestyle they are living, yet they smile and laugh like they are not even living such a bad lifestyle. At home we complain so much, but we don't even realize how much better we have than people here in Zambia. I love you guys in America and God bless you. Reminder: small things can make a huge difference. This is the biggest lesson you will learn when you come to Africa. Thanks and see you in a week!

Hi, this is Caroline Mulligan, and I am really enjoying my trip to Zambia so far. I have had a great time at the dental clinic, greeting the friendly faces around Fatima School, and bonding with the other girls on the trip. Today, we split into two group for the Outreach trip. We set up in an empty building, and before we began taking patients, a man gave us a tour of the surrounding village. It was exciting to see the neighborhood and hear about their lifestyle, which is mostly farming. I spent most of my time at the Outreach, measuring children's head circumference, height, and weight as research for Dr. Johnson's project. I also had a chance to listen in on his examinations of the children, which opened my eyes to the different ways one can be a doctor besides just being in an office. After the Outreach, a group of us unexpectedly found a soccer game being played at the school. It was especially interesting for me as a soccer player to see their style of play. I'm so grateful for this opportunity, and I can't wait for more moving experiences to come.


Hello, this is Maura Gaylord.  From the stories that I have heard from girls who have participated in Team Mutomo in previous years, I had very high expectations, which have all been met and exceeded.  All of the days here have been very unique, and I have enjoyed every one of them greatly.  On one of the first days, we were taken on a tour of the Fatima school and surrounding compounds.  I was blown away by how friendly and welcoming all of the Zambian people are, and this reaction has stayed with me throughout all of our time here.  On Wednesday I got the privilege of working at St. Anthony's Orphanage where we spent the day playing with the kids.  I was really influenced by this experience due to the conditions of the orphanage and how the children were so grateful for just the simplicity of laughter.  Today, Thursday, the whole team went to Outreach sites where I helped weigh kids and was able to learn a lot from Dr. Johnson as he was giving kids checkups.  All in all this trip has been an amazing experience, and I will forever be influenced by the people that I have met here and lessons that I have learned. 

Good night for now, from Ann Mattson. The Vis girls and STA boy are shadowing Fatima students tomorrow all day - decked out in the Fatima uniforms! We love your children! They are making us proud!
     

Hi everyone!  It's Katie!  Today is Wednesday, and so far my experience here in Zambia has been unreal.  Over the past few days I have witnessed, experienced and done so much that I can't tell you all of it, but I can give you the highlights.  I have gone to St. Anthony's, the children's orphanage, multiple times.  I love to go there because playing with the kids and seeing the joy that I can bring them in the short mount of time that I spend with them is the coolest thing!  For a lot of the time that I was at the orphanage I was in the baby room!  In the room there are 16 cribs each with a child in it, some with two!  Every single kid would want to be pick up and if you ever set one down he/she would start crying.  So instead of just holding one child, I would go from crib to crib and play with each kid for about thirty seconds, then move to the next crib.  This brought me so much joy doing this because every time I would get to a new child, they would immediately start smiling and laughing.  I was thrilled to know that I was able to bring them happiness at least for that little amount of time.  While I was in the baby room I made a special connection with a little boy named Moses.  He is supposed to be three but he looked like he was only one.  His two middle fingers are formed together and one of his eyes doesn't open all the way, but he is the sweetest boy ever!  I walked in and he immediately smiled at me; I picked him up and would tickle his tummy, he would just laugh and laugh!  All of the other days that I have gone back to St. Anthony's, Moses would see me and immediately smile and reach to be picked up, one time he even tried to climb out of his crib to get to me :)  It was inspiring to see how much of a difference I could make on a persons life in that short amount of time,

Our Last Day with the Sisters of Fatima School

Hi, it's Mackenzie,

     Today Amanda, my father, and I worked in the dental clinic, where the line of people, once again, was out the door.  

     We experienced an unexpected event today! A bus showed up with many children from the disabled ward of St. Anthony's orphanage, after my father thought he had checked all the children twice the day before. It was quite the extravaganza trying to get the children to allow any of the tools near their mouths. Multiple times I was called from my normal duties of suctioning and drying the fillings to keep the children still. 

     One boy named Edgrant allowed us to clean some calculus off his teeth, but after awhile, Amanda and I had to step in and hold his arms down so he wouldn't  be able to hit my father's tools and arms. The sister there, Nassaleli, was so thankful for the opportunity to have an assistant and to learn how to use many new tools the group brought.  All she could do was thank us, and by the end of the day she was quite sad to see us leave. 

     I had a wonderful time and was thankful to have been allowed the opportunity to help Sister and my father! 

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Hi everyone, it's Amanda!

     I was lucky enough to work in the dental clinic with Mackenzie and Dr. Grutzner today and it was eerily reminiscent of when the three of us got to work together in the dental clinic in Mutomo, Kenya last year. Despite the fact that I don't exactly see myself becoming a dentist, I love learning new things about such a vast field each time I step into the clinic. 

     This morning we had the honor of working on our beloved Sister Margaret's teeth and unfortunately it wasn't as easy as we had hoped. The particular tooth we needed to extract had roots that were going in different directions and were so close to the bone that Dr. Grutzner was forced to cut into her gum to get a better angle. Poor Sister was not in any pain, but I am sure the long ordeal was tiring! 

     As interesting as the entire process was of extracting each portion of the tooth was, I still hope no one has to go through that kind of procedure. We were all assured that Sister was not too mad at us in the end when she excitedly got up from the chair and hugged us all before she left. 

     My experience here has been filled with these kinds of responses to our work, so I am sure we are leaving a positive impression on Ndola with all of our hard work during this past week. I will be so sad to leave all of the people we have grown so close to here, especially the Sisters. They have gone out of their way time and time again to make us comfortable and I will never forget the kind and gentle spirit they exude in everything they do for us!!

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Hello everyone, it's Rachel!

     While Mackenzie, Amanda, and Dr. Grutzner were in the dental clinic, the rest of the group had the opportunity to go to two different outreach clinics, or "the bush," with Sister Elizabeth, the student nurses, and some volunteers from the Kavu Clinic. Sister, the nurses, and the volunteers go there once a month to give vaccinations, exams, and medications to the people in the villages, and if someone is sick when they are not there, they have to walk a long way to Kavu. 

     As soon as we got there in the morning we were greeted by the people waiting in the clinic with a welcome song, which was beautiful, as all the singing here has been. 

    I got to help weigh the children five years and younger before they went inside to get their vaccinations. I was surprised to find out that they weigh the babies in a bag, which looked like an old shopping bag with two holes cut in the bottom for their legs, that hung from the scale attached to a piece of wood that was part of the building. 

     After we weighed all the kids, Sister gave us a tour of the village. We were all speechless when a kind woman offered to show us her home--it was smaller than most of our rooms--and she shared it with her family of five. The village has a central bathroom, which is literally a hole in the ground. 

     I have met so many kind people during my time here, and today was no different. Most of the moms who brought their babies were not much older than me, if not my age. The experience was eye-opening, as the whole trip has been. I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity, and I know it is one I will never forget. I am sad to be leaving Ndola tomorrow morning, but I know we will also have a great time on the safari!  

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Greetings! 

     As the girls stated above, we are about to leave a very special place filled with love and learning. We have had the great good fortune to have met these incredible, kind, fun, and giving Sisters and their students. 

     It has been a privilege to work alongside them and to witness their unending optimism and compassion in their tireless works of community outreach. It is an experience the Vis girls and their chaperones have voiced over and over again during the past week. 

     We have been told their will not be Internet access at the Kafue National Park Reserve where we are headed next to decompress and access our trip for the next few days. 

     So think about us, pray for our safe return, and thank you for following along with our journey. It truly did take a village to get us here! 

Ann Mattson, Kenzie, Amanda, and Rachel for Team Mutomo

Technology Challenges

Hi everyone! This is Katie!  So this is attempt number two attempt at blogging for me because the first time the computer died and I lost everything.  Due to the poor connection I am sorry to say that I will have to log out now, I hope everyone is having fun in Minnesota! Bye!!!
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Hello everyone! It's Maeve! We are having an incredible time in Zambia at the orphanage, school, and medical/dental clinic.  As Katie said the internet has not been working, so I am going to have to sign off.  We miss you all.   See you in a few days!
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Hi, this is Abbey! Sorry I can't write much, we've been trying really hard to make a post and it just hasn't been working out. We'll be sure to update all of you as soon as we can. See you next week!

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Hello all, 

     We have been experiencing what Zambians call "loadshedding". Loadshedding is when the goverentment shuts down the power to certain districts in a published pattern to conserve energy. It wreaks havoc with Internet.

     We are frustrated not to be be able to tell you in greater detail how amazing our experiences have been, but hopefully our journals will fill in the gaps! 

Ann Mattson, Katie, Maeve, and Abbey for Team Mutomo