We woke up and went to breakfast at 8:30 am. Most of us shared stories of waking up at various hours of the night (most alongside their roommate). For breakfast, there was a variety of food including bread, fruit and cereal. Soon after, Brother Banda arrived in a truck where most of us piled in the back after Christina said our group prayer.
When we arrived at the school, Brother Banda once again welcomed us and introduced us to Brother Jim, who had graduated from Iona and has spent 4 years in Africa, in Zambia and South Africa. Brother Jim spoke with us for about two hours and spread so much knowledge that he called his "biased view," but I think most of us respected it as honest and true. What I recall most from his talk was the peace he spoke of in Africa, specifically Zambia, as opposed to South Africa. I'm sure everyone has different moments they remember, but I found his genuine respect for how blessed he felt, humbling from someone who sets out to help others.
At the end of our talk with Brother Jim, we broke up for coffee, water and snacks and met again with Brother Banda. We received our tentative schedule for our stay, which I think everyone was excited about. There's so much each day that I can't wait for in new experiences. We then watched a short video with Brother Banda about Zambia and the "millennium goals" for Zambia coming up in just a few years. Our discussion after the video consisted of many topics, including the copper resources, HIV/AIDS, and women's education. I thought this was a great follow up to Brother Jim's talk because I personally reflected on the statistics he spoke about, such as 1/3 of the children at St. Edmund's are orphans and he related that to the research that should go into the social implications. Another idea that I believe struck many of us was the endless resource of copper, yet the poverty levels have not decreased (Also, the program Brother Banda spoke about in regards to male attitudes toward women was very intriguing).
After this talk at about 1 pm, we ha a lunch that consisted of chicken and beef pies and cole slaw. Lunch was followed by our group walk-throughs of Mazabuka. Bwallea was my guide along with Aly, Jess and Jeanne. We went on sand roads, saw the police station, walked on train tracks and through the main town in Mazabuka with little shops and many people. I personally felt that seeing the women and children pumping water and carrying it on their heads made this experience seem more real. When we got back to Tukale Lodge, it was time to relax. Many of us wrote in our journals, read our books and spent time thinking about the day. Dinner was at 6:30 and was filled with vegetables, chicken, beef, rice and Nshima--yummy!
"No matter how full the river, it still wants to grow" (Zaire).
-Julia Zorn, Class 2012
