Inverness County Cares in Zambia

Saturday, February 28, 2026

# 70 February 28, 2026. Waterfall

The rainy season is happening in earnest. It poured all night and torrential rains all afternoon. The red sandy soil with few rocks, reminds us of PEI and absorbs the rains after a few hours and the puddles disappear. Thunder storms almost every day and black clouds move in rapidly and suddenly it is raining.

In between the rain storms we travelled by bus to Kapumo waterfalls where a self-educated mechanical and electrical genius Mr. Charles Mubanga Mumba and his family have harnessed the waters of Kapumo Falls in Mporokoso and established a mini hydroelectric power station which meets the electricity needs of their local community. His other innovation also includes a pressure pump which pumps water from Kapumo falls to his fish ponds, gardens and for household needs. He is very proud of the medal presented to him by the Zambian president, Hakainde Hichilema.

We did a walk around of the school grounds to see how the repairs were progressing. The painters have put on a first coat in some classrooms, are building shelves and windows are being repaired. The chicken house is being readied for the 200 meat birds. The grass in the chicken run is slashed and a path cleared to the coop. We are extra careful about long grass since we learned that there are cobras and black mamba snakes in the area.

Taylor we met at the market today.

New turbines for the waterfalls electric project.
This is Isaac.

Prototype of water wheel made from a tractor wheel.

John MacInnis and Charles the inventor.
Betty Jane in Background

Winnie with the type of hoes used in the fields.

Inside the water turbine house.

Checking out the paint job in classrooms

Fine looking chicken house.

Friday, February 27, 2026

# 69, February 27, 2026 Stove

Everyone working today, the trades people are busy working on the repairs and improvements around the school. Today was the students’ wash day and lots of clothing was spread to dry on the bushes and the grass.

John and John were connecting with the glaziers, carpenters, welders and electrician. The workers removed, what we think was the oldest artifact in the convent. It is an ancient wood stove installed by the White Sisters of Africa, who built the convent in the late 40s. Sr Ruth and Matilda were happy to see it go and enjoy the extra space. In the second kitchen ICC has purchased three new burners to make the electric stove in the second kitchen fully operative. The slashers cut back the tall grass and weeds surrounding the hen house running yard for the 200 meat birds ICC has purchased for the school.

Charlotte taught in Grade 6 and Winnie worked in the kitchen making mashed, roasted and potato pancakes, the latter being the favourite.

Betty Jane was working in her music room with eager students. Colleen, Winnie and Charlotte participated in the games. The students are now at a level where they can teach others and play without much support. Sr Deodata joined us today as we played Crazy 8s, Dominoes, Snakes and Ladders, Spoons and we aren’t sure who was more enthusiastic and competitive, Sister or the students.

Sr Matilda was busy all morning making African Polony or chickanda. It is a traditional Zambian delicacy made from boiled, pounded, and cooked terrestrial orchid tubers, often mixed with peanuts and spices. Known as "African polony" due to its dense, sausage-like texture, it is a popular, nutritious, plant-based protein snack.

Lots of paint and other supplies

The panes of glass John and Goodson brought from Kasama.

New mattresses

Sr Deodata is a card shark.

Grade 10 boys very serious about Crazy 8s

Sr DeoData enjoying a rousing game of Uno.

Mr Millar joining in with the fun.

Sr Matilda making African Poloney. It consists
mainly of groundnuts (peanuts), seasoned with Chicanda,
soda and salt. She cooks it on the charcoal burner and then
roasts it in the oven or over charcoal brazier.

Chicanda bulbs

Mushrooms similar to our chantrelles, sourced locally.

Margaret, Earnest, Charity and Samson.

Wash day at St Odilia's.

The most marvellous man we have ever met.
His NAME is Marvellous!!
One of the grade 12 students is called Wonderful.
Love the names.

Emanuel, Prince, Soboma, and Leonard learning scrabble.

The Zambian Pied Crow looks like it is wearing a vest.

Stove removal, before and after

Thursday, February 26, 2026

# 68, February 26, 2026, John's Trip to Kasama

This morning John MacInnis, Sr Auxillia, Sr. Barbara, Goodson and a driver left at 5:20 AM for Kasama. They were picking up window panes, mattresses and various other articles.

They have hired a glazier, carpenter, plumber, welder, mason and a painter to do repairs and some jobs at the St Odilia school.

Winnie was in her Home Economics class and she gathered all the ingredients needed for a chocolate cake. He class is always popular and she had a full house, boys and girls. It turned out very well and was devoured in no time.

John Gillies continued his inventory of areas which need attention in the school buildings and grounds. Colleen and Charlotte worked on games with Grade 9 students. Today dominoes were the first lesson, followed by some dice games, snakes and ladders and UNO. These games are excellent for reenforcing math skills and understanding of math concepts. Colleen also worked with teachers, Mr. Miller and Ms. Memory on active learning strategies in the classroom.

Later in the afternoon three year nine students, Saboma, Prince and Leonard, asked for help learning Backgammon. After 3 or 4 YouTube instructional videos they were on their way. These young people are a joy to work with. They have such great interest in the activities and are always eager to help others. They will all be excellent mentors.

At 8:30 PM John MacInnis, Goodson, two students and a driver arrived back from Kasama. Sr Auxillia caught a ride back with the parish priest. The bus was bursting at the seams, loaded with 30 mattresses, a load of window panes, paint, spare tire, five people and other articles. It was a long but very productive day.

John's arrival back in Mporokoso

The bus was packed tight.

Sonoma, Prince and Leonard learning to play Backgammon

Snakes and Ladders with Ms Memory

Snakes and Ladders

Winnie's cooking class.

Dominoes

Glazier cutting the glass panes for the windows.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

# 67 February 25, 2026 Soccer

This morning Josephat our driver picked us up at 7:00. It isn’t too long a walk but the roads have a lot of muddy slippery spots. Our usual breakfast fare includes wonderfully ripe avocados, eggs, porridge, bacon, tomatoes and fruit. After this we all went off to our work assignments. Winnie made pizza and had a very full classroom of many more boys than girls, eagerly waiting for it to come out of the oven. Before she was able to put it in the oven the predictable happened, the power went out. She had to take the pizza to the convent to cook. It cooked well there and Winnie took it back to the students who were patiently awaiting a slice. The sisters also want one for them, so she will be making another. Betty Jane went to her music classes and was met by her crowd of enthusiastic students. They are brilliant and catch on so quickly, some are already talented singers, Blessings, a blind student is a perfect example, she sings like a song bird. John and John met with the trades people to discuss the tasks that need to be addressed. They also had a meeting with Sr Auxillia, the school principal, where they set priorities on what work she wanted done at the school.

Charlotte and Colleen met with the student mentors, 14 very bright Grade 9 students. They at first reviewed the previous games played yesterday and three new ones, Memory, Pyramid Solitaire and the best game so far, Spoons. It turned out to be very boisterous and exciting with teachers and students competing and exclaiming loudly as they won or lost. Real math in action and a prime example of active learning. When the students finished Colleen did a lesson for teachers on the Progression of learning to read and write. The Zambian Education has brought out a new curriculum with an emphasis on active learning. Charlotte went on to teach a Grade six class of 43 students, English grammar. Lunch included the rooster and hen; we heard protesting loudly in the morning and some very tasty doughnuts.

After lunch we gathered in a room with the students and distributed the gifts donated by Canadian supporters. It was a joyous time, they received sunscreen, hats, tooth brushes, pencils and sun glasses. The last piece was the team uniforms sent by Dalbrae Academy. The boys’ soccer team enthusiastically accepted their team singlets, shorts and soccer balls. We followed them to the sports field to watch a game.