Missionary Teacher

Dimuna Habeenzu was in the very first class I taught at George Benson Christian College in September, 2005. He recently visited Roy Merritt, and Roy sent out this report:

Dimuna Habeenzu has worked as a self-supporting missionary in North Western province for almost four and a half years.

He teaches school at Kabulamema—which means “There is no water” in the local Luvale language.

No water? The place sprawls a hill overlooking lush vegetation along the wide Kabompo River.

Dimuna and his college friend Joseph Moono have started two new congregations in North Western province, Kawanda and Manyinga. They revived a congregation in Kabompo.

“What is it like, Tongas preaching among Luvales?” I asked. “Are you welcome? Respected? Do you have problems communicating?”

“Luvales always welcome us Tongas,” Dimuna chuckled. “After all, we are cousins.”

Eureka School Graduates from the mid-1950s

From Roy Merritt.

Long, long ago, tiny Eureka boarding school operated here at Namwianga.

A few days ago, three of us got together again!

On the right is Yours Truly, the least educated person here.

In the middle, Dr. Anita Hobby Mitchell, still teaching and doing research at the medical school in Little Rock, Arkansas.

On the left is Dr. Phil Thuma, main doctor at Macha Mission hospital most of his life. Phil works with Johns Hopkins in malaria research, and has almost eradicated malaria in the area served by his institution.

Did you read that right? Yes!

Almost eradicated!

1. Mosquito nets don't prevent malaria because rural Africans live and eat outside. By the time they are ready to sleep, mosquitoes have already dined.

2. Sprays don't prevent malaria because mosquitoes become immune.

3. Prophyactics don't prevent malaria because the disease becomes immune to drugs.

So Phil does goes after malaria carriers. He tests everybody for malaria, sick or not, especially those living near quiet water pools. Then he treats everyone who tests positive, even if they show no symptoms. He has even developed a saliva test for malaria to overcome those who do not want their blood taken for religious or superstitious reasons.

Cynical scientific types told him his results were not reproduceable. So Phil went to work and proved them wrong. Two other campaigns in two different areas came up with similar results. Mosquitoes cannot transmit malaria if the people they bite do not have malaria parasites in their blood.

"Makes sense to me," I thought. "Maybe those fancy, highly paid scientists don't like being trumped by a humble missionary doctor out in the boonies."

Those scientists still were not convinced. "The problem is commitment", they said. "There are not enough people with your level of commitment to do the job on a national scale."

So "lack of commitment" blocks eradication of malaria in Africa, and prevents saving a million lives each year.

Phil is also attacking AIDS. More exciting research. As he spoke about his studies and results and plans I felt a tiny thrill of hope.

What he says is so obvious that it makes sense.

People cannot transmit a virus they do not have.

Phil advocates that we treat all HIV carriers, even if they are not sick. Present regulations forbid treatment of HIV positive people until their blood count drops to specific levels--until they are sick. "What other disease do we treat this way?" Phil asks. "Do we wait till a patient's lungs are half full of fluid before we treat pneumonia? Do we wait till gangrene has destroyed a man's toes before we go to work on his leg?"

Phil may have a key to end this plague.

His main problem?

Commitment.

A Teacher's Legacy

I am reposting a story from March, 2009, because I received a comment on the post just this week, and because it's good to remember that teachers leave a legacy--and sometimes we never know what that legacy is. Humphrey was hired by the government to teach in northern Zambia, and I have lost touch with him, but I hope that somehow he gets the word that he made a difference for one of his first students. Here's the original post. The comment is at the end.

Graduate Gives Back

Humphrey Syamate, a 2008 graduate of George Benson Christian College, exemplifies the best aspects of our training and sponsorship programs. An orphan with no one to support him, Humphrey came to GBCC under sponsorship and quickly distinguished himself in academics and leadership. Namwianga Secondary School recognized Humphrey’s potential and hired him to begin teaching math and science as soon as he finished his college courses.

In addition to his teaching duties, Humphrey now coordinates a math tutoring program for sponsored high school students. Humphrey trained George Benson college students to do the tutoring and then organized all the logistics of location and scheduling for the sessions at the secondary school. The college students are getting valuable teaching experience, and the high school pupils are thrilled to get some extra help in what for most is a difficult subject. Humphrey manages it all beautifully.

The training that Humphrey received at GBCC is now blessing the next generation of sponsored students at Namwianga.

Humphrey (far right) with the GBCC math tutors he trained

This week a former student wrote a comment:

I was once a pupil at the school from grade 10 to 11. I would love to congratulate this man for his outstanding job. He used to teach us mathematics during my time (2009), and I graduated in 2010. I was one of his best math pupils then. I liked his teaching dearly; as a result, I passed my high school with flying colors holding a distinction (1) in maths. I am now @ the university of Namibia studying financial mathematics (math+economics), heading to be an actuarial analyst.

Namwianga Youth Meeting

A guest post by Roy Merritt, long-time missionary at Namwianga.

Good Friday through Easter Monday this year Namwianga is hosting the national youth meeting for churches of Christ in Zambia.

Zambians call unmarried people “youths”. Here you are a boy or a girl till you marry. I married at 49, and a youngster grinned congratulations at me, “Sir, at last you are a man!”

Namwianga youths worked hard to prepare for the crowd, digging pit latrines, hauling firewood, hanging lights, moving benches and desks into the quadrangle, and hauling this enormous tarp over Georgia Hobby’s sturdy flambouyant trees.

I hear there are about 1,500 people in this picture.

Lots of sermons, songs, drama, group discussions -- communion service lasted two hours . . .

One of the youths came over to visit me this afternoon.

Kathi and I sort of adopted Dennis Zuze and his twin after their parents died. They were sharp little rascals, and we popped them into grade 8 here at Namwianga when they were only eleven years old. Now they work in the copper mines at Chililabombwe, near the border with Congo.

Dennis came along with the Copperbelt youth, and told us he plans to sponsor one of the orphans in the Haven.

Determined to Succeed

During our years in Zambia, I heard many heart-breaking stories from students who came to apply for sponsorship. But the story of Aaron touched me once again with the reality of how hard life can be for the children of poverty.

Ellie Hamby tells Aaron's story: Aaron comes from a village not too far from Namwianga. His parents abandoned him when he was young, and he survived by staying in the village and getting help from whatever source he could find. In 1998 Aaron was bitten by a Cobra and had to have his leg amputated. He is a very determined young man, and against all odds went to the village school and did well by studying hard. The only way he paid for his education at a government school was to go around begging for help with his school fees. I was in Zambia last August and met Aaron for the first time. He walked five miles on his crutch from the town of Kalomo to Namwianga Mission. He came to me to ask for help with his school fees for a government school in Kalomo. I asked him why he hadn't applied to Namwianga, and he said his scores were just a few points below the required score. I asked him how he was doing in the government school, and he said he was one of the top students and did much better than other students who had higher scores. He carried a letter in his pocket from the school to back that up. The church leader from his village said he was a strong Christian man and was very active in the local Church of Christ. When I asked Aaron if he would like to come to Namwianga, he responded with tears in his eyes and said that would be one of the best things that had ever happened to him.

Aaron is now at Namwianga Christian High School. A generous sponsor has agreed to pay for his education, and I am sure he will do well.

There are others with stories of need--perhaps not quite as dramatic as Aaron's, but many students have no chance of getting an education without help from someone. If you are interested in sponsoring a student at Namwianga, please e-mail me at dlgregersen@mac.com

George and Jason Head for First Grade

George and Jason are first graders now! They are shown here ready for their first day of school on January 17. Note the spiffy uniforms--I love the sox especially! Jason was already reading a few words last June, so I know he's ready for this new challenge. George will keep the teacher laughing by his antics. A whole new adventure begins for these two!

This photo was sent to us by James Mwale, the new housefather at the orphanage. We appreciate him for helping us stay informed about these two special guys.

Award Winning Students

Patricia Machalele and Sylvia Siachalinga won awards at a recent JETS (Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists) competition.

Four area schools sent students to present projects and compete in quizzes. For the second year in a row, Patricia won first place for her Village Development project. Patricia produced a natural medicine to ease coughs and throat pain, especially in cases of tuberculosis. Patricia used her grandmother’s recipe to create tablets from cassava powder, mweeye leaves, and red wild spinach.

Sylvia Siachalinga (left) won second place in the Math and Science Quiz division. Students had to answer questions orally in spelling bee format. Subject matter included all areas of math and science.

A Little Nostalgia

My new job as a second grade teacher in Carthage keeps me busy grading papers every night. My usual work station is the couch where I wrap an afghan around me and often watch TV as I grade. It's a long way from the days at Namwianga when I graded by the light of my headlamp during power outages and listened to the crickets and bats outside the window.

Update on Jason and George

James Mwale, the new "dad" at Eric's House orphanage, wrote us a note this week to tell us that Jason and George have now graduated from preschool and will start first grade in January. The photo above was taken when I was at Namwianga in June. Jason loves all things school-related: coloring, writing letters, counting, and he's even beginning to read. George is the social one and not quite as academically oriented. Jason is determined to make a student out of him, however, and loved to tell me, "Nana! He's not coloring it right!" as he frowned in disapproval.

I'm Back!

I apologize to any faithful blog readers who are still checking for updates. I have started a new teaching job that is consuming most of my waking hours. I love the work, and I love my sweet second grade students, but right now I have very little time or energy left to blog. I hope to get back into blogging about Namwianga eventually, but for the next few months you can expect only occasional postings.

Here are a few updates:

Meagan Hawley and Louisa Duke spent last weekend here with us. Long-time readers know that Meagan and Louisa worked with us at Namwianga from 2006 on. They became like family to us, and we shared experiences with them that bonded us in ways only other missionaries can probably understand! Meagan is now teaching middle school in Edmond, Oklahoma, and Louisa is a physician's assistant at a clinic for low-income children in Fort Worth. We had a fabulous weekend with them, laughing and crying our way through years of memories and sharing the struggles of re-adjusting to life in the US. It was a blessing that I will treasure.

Jason and George are having their own adjustments at Eric's House. Roy and Kathi Merritt are retiring from full-time parenting in the orphanages. They have built a house next to Eric's House and will still be very involved in the work, but they will no longer be the mom and dad for Eric's House. James and Leah Mwale have moved in and are now in charge. I haven't heard how things are going for them, but I'm sure Jason is giving them lots of advice about how to run things and George is smiling his way into their hearts just like he does with everyone else.

George Benson Christian College held its graduation ceremony in late September. One of our sponsored students, Muyano Siabalumbi, was honored with a Distinction, the highest academic honor a student can receive. She is shown in the top photo. Muyano is now teaching at Sinde Mission. You may remember her as one of the teachers of whom the headmistress said, "They have transformed our school!"

Hanna Boyd, pictured in the lower photo with Jason and George, grew up at the Brentwood Oaks Church in Austin, our sponsoring congregation. Hanna is now spending a semester at Namwianga with the Harding in Zambia program. It has been a thrill to read her blog posts about her experiences and to see Zambia and Namwianga through her eyes. I hope to put some of her posts on the blog in the future.

Thanks for your patience as I learn how to manage this next challenge of dividing my time and my heart between ministries on two different continents!

Great Articles About Zambia Medical Mission

David Ramsey, 2011 Zambia Medical Mission team member, is a columnist for the Colorado Springs Gazette. After this year's trip, he wrote a feature article on Zambia Medical Mission which highlighted the 12 ZMM team members from Colorado Springs. This article was featured on the front page of this morning's Sunday paper. There are actually two articles, and you can click on the links below to read them.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/stands-124387-day-miles.html

http://www.gazette.com/articles/zambia-124389-colorado-springs.html

Thanks David for the excellent articles.

Informative Article on Zambia

Here is an interesting article about Zambia's political and economic situation.