The Q Fund Blog

 What a day! When in Africa always expect a change in schedule. Dear Dr. Sakala and his lovely wife Betty had to go to a funeral. Funerals happens so often here that the  people making big money in Sub-Saharan Africa are the people who make coffins, and, the miners.

The day is absolutely stunning. Bright blue sky with puffy white clouds, clean crisp morning air turning to a comfortable warmth. Ndola is at around 5000 feet in elevation, the hill country. Only about 10 miles from the boarder of the Congo. Fortunately this year they missed the heavy flooding and I am told the economy is improving just a little.

Today the government has imposed sanctions on making the mines pay import taxes on all equipment brought in from South Africa and China as well paying taxes on the money generated from copper. It is a multi billion dollar enterprise, I think this is monthly! So you can only imagine the rage coming from the miners.
It seemed like a good idea to buy the 8 teachers brand new shiny bicycles. So I put a deposit on them.  Tomorrow we will go together to find the best fit and hopefully a basket and padlocks for safe keeping. The bikes will belong to Chimoza,  so if a teacher leaves, he or she must go without their most recent cherished possession.

I can not get over how happy and healthy the children all look, I noticed only one very tired looking 3rd grade boy. Titus our head teacher will take him to the government clinic today. That will take the remainder of the afternoon.

Debra one of our 8th graders has been invited to study in the US at a prestigious private girls school in LA called Marlborough, so she and I will visit a private Dr to begin the lengthy process of inoculations. Deborah’s feet have not touched the ground since she learned of this gift.  She still has a mother and is the top student at Chimoza. Last year we lost our most brilliant child to malaria, hence the desire to construction of a small clinic.

Titus and Ireen, when she is feeling better (she has malaria) will go to the Ministrant of Health and start the ball rolling on permits, might take a long time, or quite possibility a miracle will happen. Great news, when the clinic is build, the government pays for and supplies a qualified nurse. See there truly are mini triumphs that happen in Zambia

Off for a nap.   Chellie