Apology and info update

A quick post to apologise about the fact that I haven't updated my blog however I will be uploading all the information in hindsight and keep up to date with it from now on - promise!

Finally got my luggage!!!!

After my suitcases decided they wanted to see more of Amsterdam and didn't make it on the flight to Lusaka (Zambias captial) with me I was told that they would arrive at 8.15am this morning. So me, Moses and Angela went back to Ndola (from Kitwe where i'm staying it's an hours drive each way) to find that they hadn't arrived on that flight either!!!!!!!!!! So we tried speaking to someone and they couldnt tell us anything, neither could the next person or the next until finally someone rang up Lusaka airport and found that my bags were there and would leave on the next flight. Hmmm.

So instead of wasting fours hours waiting for these bags we went to the international trade fair in Ndola where loadddssss of people were selling things at different stalls and shops, they came from all sorts of different countries.
Some pics:

 Angelas beautiful dress that I want a copy of made for me!

Then went back to the airport and (YAYYY!) my bags arrived! So after four days in the same clothes I think everyone was grateful about that.

Housemates

Angela has decided that I will be far too lonely to stay in this house by myself so her daughter and niece have come to stay with me :)

Their names are Mulumba and Ennika and they are the two cutest girls alive!

This is my bed:

And my living room:

Travel

After my first flight got delayed by some stupid people who decided to get off the plane because they had missed their connection (making everyone else remaining on the plane miss theirs) my original 24 hour trip turned into 48!!
I met two others on the flight from manchester who were also travelling to Zambia so we teamed up and made sure we all got to the right places.

 Their names were Pauline and Jack and Jacks friend ended up helping me sort out a place to stay in Lusaka and paid for the taxi there - thank you Jacks friend!!!

I FINALLY landed in Ndola where Moses, Angela, her daughter and niece came to pick me up (without my luggage as of course it never made the connection in amsterdam!) and we went to get some food and water for me for the next few days.

Leaving today!

well, starting my journey which will take over 24 hours but still SO excited none the less!!!

Got my maleria tablets yesterday

they only set me back £180!!!

Giving blood today...

to find out what my blood type is, bit of a complicated way of doing it but it means i'm doing something beneficial as well!

Justgiving page

Here is my justgiving page>

http://www.justgiving.com/sammyinzambia
(opens in a new window)

it has some more information about what I will be doing and if youre feeling nice donate! and you can leave a message saying what you want the money to go towards eg, school supplies, food for a sick child etc.
Thank you :)

dates have been sorted for my trip!

I leave next friday(!) 29th June and get back Saturday 8th September. So excited I cannot describe!

Year 5 children almost finished with their posters!

 Some pictures of the children hard at work!

Class at Brookburn Primary today

Me, Dave Evans and Richard Strittmatter went to the school to introduce an art project that I will be continuing for 5 weeks. Two classes of Year 5 pupils will spend their friday afternoons working in groups of four on an educational banner that Dave and I will take out to Zambia with us in June to give to the schools out there.
The children were all very excited about getting started and straight away got busy planning their banners, we should have 14 in total by the end. A couple of groups are going to base their banner on Manchester, some will do a big alphabet and there are various other ideas such as World War 2, Nature, Buildings in England and a 'what I like...' banner.

Some pictures of the kids planning their work...

Assembly at Brookburn...

ended up being in front of 200 children instead of the 60 I thought it would be! So was quite nervous by the time it was my turn to speak, but it all went well and we've arranged to go back into the school on friday afternoon to do a class with the year 5s. It will be the first of quite a few classes so that I can build up a relationship with some of the children before I go out to Zambia.
Ahh its so exciting!!

Preparation for assembly at Brookburn Primary School

Met with Richard Strittmatter today to decide what content the assembly will have and who will say what. It'll go something like this -
On monday morning Richard, Dave and myself will go to Brookburn Primary School and give an assembly to around 60 Year 5 children to tell them about the previous trip as well as my upcoming trip to Zambia. Dave will start us off and introduce us as he was a governor at, and one of his children still currently attend, the school. Then Richard will go through a few pictures and explain them, then i'm going to tell them about my blog and what I plan to do whilst out in Zambia.
This will deffinitely be a first for me and I can still vaguely remember being in primary school watching an assembly, so to now be giving one is quite exciting!

Daves blog whilst he was in Zambia

http://zambiamac.wordpress.com/

 His mascot was snowy the penguin (his sons toy) who got to see some amazing sights and meet some wonderful people in Zambia. Dave is a fellow member of MAC who went out to Zambia with two others in March this year.

Potential mascot for my trip

How about this cheeky little monkey?

Deliveries arrived today!

Anything I might (but hopefully won't) need for first aid in Zambia.

MAC meeting today...

was good! Decided which maleria tablets I should use and everyone seemed to endorse the idea of a mascot for taking round with me in Zambia (will put up a post soon on that). Also arranged a meeting for Dave Evans, Richard Strittmatter and myself to prepare our assembly(!) that we are presenting to the children of Brookburn Primary School on the 14th May.

Generally, everyone agreed to the proposals for projects in Zambia that Dave E, David W and Richard S came back with from Zambia a few weeks ago. And we are all very excited to start getting them under way!

jabs...

just had my Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid Fever vaccinations. Two down, five more to go!

Meeting with head of Brookburn Primary School...

this morning was great, a really lovely woman and I am very much looking forward to working with her further. I am very excited about some of the things we’ve been discussing such as me going into the school to work with the children and set up connections between them and the children over in Zambia. We also spoke about different funding projects and raising awareness – it’s all looking good!

meeting today...

went well. David Evans, Richard Strittmatter, Carolyn Harrison and myself met up for lunch to begin discussions about my trip. We covered all sorts of details including what things (visa, vaccinations) I need to arrange in the near future.
Also we arranged for me to accompany David Evans to his meeting with the head of Brookburn Primary School (Chorlton) as they are very interested in getting involved and have previously donated a large number of football shirts which MAC have already given to children in zambia.

First post!

In just under two months I will be flying to Lusaka, Zambia to work for two and a half months on behalf of the charity Manchester Aid for Children (MAC). I will be updating this blog whilst there about the work I will be doing and the people I will meet. Thanks for reading, sammy.