# 62 February 20, 2026. last day

This morning began with a presentation to the sisters of the Child Jesus who administer the Kacema Nusama (Good Shepherd Orphanage). They were given framed pictures of their founder Bishop Stephen Larue, Sister Theresa Nagosa the first Zambian sister in the order and Sr Bernadette Stuart the first Zambian superior general. They were restored by Port photographer Bob Martin who made an amazing job from some very old grainy pictures. The sisters were thrilled to receive them and they will hang in the orphanage.

Today was another work day with lots of activity. John and John finished their inventory of jobs that were identified as a priority. The pit dug earlier, to serve as a septic tank had its block work was finished. Charlotte worked in Mr.  Chisembe’s class and taught them card games to reinforce math concepts.  Betty Jane was back in the music room. She glowed as Kennedy, totally blind, and a student for two weeks played the tune Kumbaya on the keyboard. Another two-week student Ester played the drums. Both students were beaming with pride. The power of music!!!

The students were participating in a debate held in the multipurpose room. Students from nearby schools participated. There was a lot of spirited debate by some excellent speakers.  

Colleen’s student mentors have now turned in to student teachers. They now take the initiative to teach others and are getting to be very skilled players of cards, dice, dominoes and snakes and ladders. Today was challenge day as we tried out the chess game. An overview was given but decided to leave it to a more experienced players in the school staff. The braille Scrabble board was brought out for its initial game. We had a combo of braille and sighted Scrabble. It was Goodson (sighted student) and blind teacher Mr. Vincent. The game went on for about an hour with excellent moves on both sides.

Many students gave short talks on how they appreciate the materials brought from Canada. The materials donated are being utilized to the fullest and bringing great joy. 

ICC members had a visit from old friends, Gift Kabonde a nurse, who came in by bus to see us and Geoffrey Kabwe our driver from previous trips. It was so wonderful to see them both and catch up on news. 

Saturday, we have a very full day. We travel to Mporokoso a 7-hour journey in the school bus. Sr Marjory and Sr Agnes will travel with us and we have several stops along the way. 

Some little cuties in their new clothes.

Presentation to Sisters who run the orphanage.

Emanuel the plumber with two carpenters and the brick layers.

Shadrix and Goodson getting ready to make
 a memory game for the visually impaired.

Waiting their turn at the debate.

Computer teacher Dorothy

Blind children enjoying new braille learning supports.

The maize is ripe.

Snakes and Ladders

The chess attempt

Goodson and Mr Vincent learning Scrabble.

ICC members with Geoffrey

Charlotte, Winnie, Colleen, John MI, John G,
our little Sister Marjory and Betty Jane.

Loving those new dresses

Alice Chonga and Gift Kabonde.

# 61 February 19, 2026. Mansa

Mansa

Today was an early morning we were on the bus by 6:30 AM. We arrived in Mansa to visit with Bishop Patrick, meet up with the Rotary club and do some banking.

Our visit with Bishop Patrick and his staff was excellent. He’s very personable man and has a keen interest in the St Mary’s Special School for the Visually Impaired and spoke highly of the Sisters’ work. 

Our Rotary meeting was cancelled because a club member’s funeral was today. We went to the bank to sort out problems with US dollars we had brought with us.  In some banks they will not accept any US dollars minted before 2017 but in others it is no problem. Went to the Shoprite grocery store pick up some groceries, peanut butter and marmalade are universal products. 

We stopped at the Hungry Lion again for chicken to go.  After an early breakfast it tasted very good by 3:30.

It was a long trip 3 1/2 hours to Mansa, similar to going to Halifax. There are great perks travelling with the Sisters, when washrooms are scarce, we can always stop at a convent or at a drugstore run by the Sisters. We are guessing as well, the reason we get past all the road check points is because of the influence of the Sisters

There are no cities or big towns between Mansa and Kawambwa. The landscape is tropical savannah, which is trees, shrubs, and a lot of grassland. The homes are mostly made out of mud brick and thatched roof with a substantial garden all over their property. There are some brick houses with the tin roofs, but they’re outnumbered by the mud brick and thatch. We haven’t seen or heard any wild animals. They are fenced into game reserves.

The indication that we are near a village is more people and goats walking along the road. During the day there are many pedestrians going to and from market and school. In the evening it seems that the roadside, is used as a meeting place to chat and visit with friends and neighbors. Adults, children, small toddlers, goats, dogs, bicycles, motorcycles are by the side or on the roadway. Our driver Louis maneuvers through and around this crowd by beeping his horn continually while watching for sizable pot holes.  He is a great driver and we feel comfortable with him. 

We saw two large transport trucks off the road. The signal that a vehicle of in trouble is branches on the road to alert other drivers. One was just parked back end in the ditch with cab across one lane of traffic and the other totally on its side and they were removing its load. Quite a village attraction, everyone was there. We returned back to Kawambwa at 6:40, 12 hours after departing in the morning.

These ladies were selling cassava and little bananas

Love how these ladies can balance a package on their heads

Baby on her back and bag on her head.

Taxi anyone?

Winnie Rankin, Betty Jane Cameron, John MacInnis,
Bishop Patrick, John Gillies, Charlotte Rankin,
Colleen MacLeod, Sr Marjory, front Sr Agnes.

With the bishop.

#1 truck off the road, not sure how
 he managed that maneuver. 

Alice and Gift

The Johns and Sister Marjory
 bringing dinner from the Hungry Lion.

Louis our driver.

On the way back trying to pull the loaded
truck back on the road, with another transport truck.

Second truck off road, this one on its side.
The whole village came out.

The roadsides are crowded with pedestrians.

Betty Jane and Sr Agnes facilitation first aid course.

How to tie a. sling.

#60 February 18, 2026. Ash Wednesday

This morning we all went to our respective assignments. John and John were in communication with the trades people who are doing repairs, painting, setting up the stand for the water tanks and digging a large put 8 feet deep. The soil here is all hard packed red sand with very few rocks, just a few in the top layer. The men dug all day and by the evening they had disappeared from sight, when looking over the top. All this digging was done with a large hoe and shovel. 

Winnie was in the kitchen with the students baking up some very tasty cookies which they found too sweet in comparison to their sparse use of sugar. Charlotte was helping Mr. Chisembe and introduced the braille cards to some of the students. Betty Jane facilitated a first aid class for the students and house parents giving them insights on how to respond in an emergency and also how to handle everyday occurrences.

Colleen worked with her student mentors and they learned three more card games. These young people are remarkable. They catch on to the games very quickly and are able to explain them to others after a few rounds of the game.

Ash Wednesday mass was at 4:30 -6:30 PM. Lots of singing by the choir, clouds of incense and the church was overflowing...maybe more listening outside than those inside.  

Betty Jane in her music studio.

Winnie in the kitchen

Making cookies, the children found them sweet
compared to the sparse use of sugar here.

Happy bakers

Checking out the electric like being laid under the road.

Happy children with sunscreen donated by
Inverness County Cares supporters

The braille scrabble boards needed frames to
keep the sections together. The brothers
made us just what we wanted.

Three of the four pieces of the braille scrabble
board on the tray made by brothers..

Photos of the founding mothers and father of the Sisters
of the Child Jesus. Bob Martin (Port Hood) enhanced the photos
 and made a wonderful job. The brother's carpenter
shop made the lovely frames. 

Everyone pitches in 

The students have chores

Digging the hole

Evans and his orientation class, (Primary) 

Student mentors learning a new game

Pit is getting deeper with just a big hoe and shovels. 

# 59 February 17, 2026, Nchelenge

Today we went by bus to Nchelenge to visit the St Paul’s Hospital Eye Clinic which is run by the Little Servant Sister of Mary Immaculate.  These ladies and the sisters of the Child Jesus are remarkable people. They can accomplish so much in difficult circumstances, and all the while remaining positive and cheerful.

St Paul’s is the eye clinic where the students from The Kawambwa school go for eye care. We were able to meet the eye clinic team and gather information that will help us search for some solutions to the difficulties encountered where eye care is concerned.

We met Sr Bridget the hospital administrator and had a short tour of the hospital and Betty Jane was able to visit the obstetrical unit. It is a 250-bed hospital 400 student nurses.  We met Dr Christina from Switzerland and three midwives from Switzerland who are here under an agreement to provide volunteer services.

We were invited for tea at the convent and had a refreshing cup of Kawambwa tea and delicious cake. On the way home we picked up two students who needed a ride to school.

 It was about an hour drive through the lush green countryside. Every house has a garden lawn and the crops are thriving with all the rain. They use raised beds and cultivate them well. We stopped roadside and bought some Casava roots as well as boiled groundnuts (peanuts).  The roads near town were crowded with pedestrians and goats. 

The main type of roadside dwellings we saw today

Beautiful lawn gardens

Every so many kilometres we reach a roadblock.
It is for trucks carrying a load and to check
licence and insurance.

Charming, strong ladies carrying packages  on their head. 

Visit with hospital administrator Sr Bridget.

Meeting with eye clinic staff

Betty Jane and Charlotte by a termite hill.

Zambian pineapples are the very best.

Groundnuts for a snack

John's casava roots

Tea with Sr Bridget

New born, 

Naomi, Dr Christina from Switzerland and Betty Jane.

Student nurses.