06/03/2011, 15:35

After a successful almost two weeks in Africa, I'm finally sitting down to recap what was an amazing and chock full trip to Mfuwe.

The Welcome
We headed straight to Chiutika Basic School on Sunday (with film crew in tow) to find students and teachers awaiting our arrival. The kids had practiced a welcome song for us in English and nervously sang as we listened with appreciation. When the choir got to belt out a local folk song in Nyangi, they really loosened up and the smiles came out. It was a warm welcome and we were especially happy to meet Victoria Kanyingi, the new head teacher at the school, who proved over the trip to be a huge asset to the school, a champion of girls education, and now a friend of SCALEAfrica.

The Classrooms
Seeing the new classrooms and library in use by the teachers and kids was a fairly emotional moment. Sometimes the distance is an abstraction, even for us, but to hear the students tell us that the they love being in those new rooms, that they can see/hear their lessons, that there is less distraction and more learning going on, was fulfilling and motivating.
What was also heartening (and not surprising) was to see the school teeming with children. When we first started at Chiutika, there were 1000 students and only 4 classrooms. Now there are 1600 students and 13 classrooms! As the school infrastructure expands and improves dramatically, more students that couldn't squeeze in before are making their way to school. This tells us there is a strong desire and necessity for more schools, more classrooms, and that there are many many kids waiting for that space to be built.

The Teacher Housing
It was great to see the two teacher houses going up, with the foundations completed and the walls and windows going in. The current teacher housing at Chiutika is a mixed bag of mud brick single room huts, cracked concrete block ranch houses, makeshift kitchens and grass screen pit latrines. That the teachers persist given how they are currently asked to live is a testament to their commitment to the school and the kids. All the teachers we spoke to were so grateful to see the new houses under construction, allowing them a humane and safe place to live. Our project manager, Geoff Renou, and his team are making great headway. Given that we are asking them to build to a new standard, incorporating daylighting strategies (there's no electricity) and techniques for proper ventilation, they've taken the challenge to heart. When we had our fundraiser last July, part of the appeal was to begin a teacher housing initiative. That our supporters participated in this appeal and less than a year later we're near completion on two houses is huge to us and to the teachers. So, thank you!

The Film
We spent Sunday afternoon at the school interviewing girls to be a part of our short documentary. Making this endeavor possible was Paul Stekler, Dean of the Film School at UT Austin, Miguel Alvarez (Director) and Iskra Valtcheva (Director of Photography) - all accomplished and inspiring filmmakers who were willing to travel half way around the world to help us connect the people of Mfuwe to our supporters. Our goal was to select a girl that demonstrated real potential and was willing to let us follow her from her home life to school in order to illustrate the many chores and challenges girls face in getting a basic education. After we narrowed it down to two great prospects we realized they were sisters! I don't want to give too much away here, but we all went away from that experience with Mercy and Beauty with a deep respect for their persistence, smarts, and fortitude. The film will be completed in time for the "world premiere" at our fundraiser in NYC in July, so we hope you'll come out to see their story.

The Chief
Sunday also included a visit to the home of Chief Mnkhanya, as Chiutika School is in his chiefdom and any trip to Mfuwe means an audience with the Chief. Over the last five years, he has been a great supporter of what we do and has mobilized his community to help us achieve our goals. As we waited for him to arrive back to his compound, we sat outside under a yellow oleander with the film crew and listened to Chilumba, our guide, detail the uses of various medicinal plants. We were so engaged, I was the only one that noticed the Chief ride by on his bicycle with his red ceremonial hat perched on head. Once inside, he graciously allowed us to film the rhythmic clapping and chanting greeting ritual and our discussions about the local schools. He helped us identify the schools that needed the most help and offered to support our further efforts in the valley. And, we always try to bring him something from New York, this time it was a Yankees cap - far less conspicuous than the red hat.

The Schools
The list of schools to visit in the valley was a long one. We spent the week traveling all over looking for a school that demonstrated both need and an active, engaged head teacher and community. Neither was hard to find. One school, Chitempha Basic School, is just down the dirt road from Chiutika. As Chiutika improves, many students choose to walk farther to go there, leaving Chitempha with less attention and a deplorable set of conditions - five classrooms, 500 students, crumbling buildings and bats nesting in the classroom ceilings. Still, the kids come to school, hoping to get an education and persisting despite the sad state of their school. This one really got to us and is a great candidate for our next set of projects. I'll post pics of Chitempha soon, so come back to the page to see what we're (hopefully) starting with.

The Next Steps
Now that we're back, the extent of the trip is just sinking in. We came away with a sense of accomplishment, coupled with a realization that the need is greater than even we imagined. Chitempha drove that home. The accomplishment part comes from seeing first hand what the buildings mean to everyone we work with. Their happiness is genuine and their appreciation demonstrated by their willingness to assist us in any way they can. When we let them know we hoped to bring back some local crafts to sell at our July fundraiser, we were given toys made from palm leaves, hand-woven baskets, jewelry - all made by the parents, kids and teachers at Chiutika. Some ingenious stuff! Guy and I are more committed than ever to continuing what we do through SCALEAfrica. Last year, we had a great event that made the successes of this last year possible. We hope you'll be able to join us for our second annual benefit on Thursday, July 28th at the Thompson LES pool terrace. If you can't be there, we hope you'll continue to support us with your ideas, words of encouragement and through the megaphone that is Facebook. Thanks to everyone for their participation in this effort, it's truly a collaboration and we couldn't get there without you.

Very best wishes,
Erinn and Guy