#63 February 22, 2026. Trip to Mporokoso

We left Kawambwa at 6:30 in the morning on the bus with driver Louis,  Sister Agnes and Sister Marjorie. The bus was loaded down just enough room for us. It’s a long drive and we can’t take the shortest direct road because of the rainy season. Some more direct routes are impassable due to the heavy rain so we have to take the long way around. Even these roads although fine in some areas they have long stretches of no pavement and areas with large deep potholes. Louis our driver is a master maneuverer and is busy dodging, people, potholes and suicidal chickens and goats.

We passed through a lot of mostly uninhabited land on a savannah plateau. There are a few villages but more spaced out that near Kawambwa. The homes from Mansa to Kawambwa are mostly thatch roofs and mud brick. In this area there is probably an equal mix of thatch and metal roof homes.

We stopped in at the Little Flower Maternity and Pediatric Hospital run by the Sisters of the Child Jesus. We met Sister Margaret Mary, who was near tears when we presented her with the large bag of medical supplies. The new hospital is just opening and they have to work with the people to help them understand it is better to have a baby with medical professional on hand rather than at their home without trained personnel. 

We went down to the Tetekela School where we met John; John and Cathy Gillis’s sponsored child. We also met Robert and Memory who are sponsored by supporters in Judique. They all received some gifts from their sponsor. 

We were happy to see Goodson our old friend and Richard, a new Chalice member when we arrived at the Generalate, Mother House of the Sisters of the Child Jesus). There we met with superior general Elizabeth. She had arranged for us to have a meeting with the Kasama Rotary club president Leroy Nsfou and after a wonderful lunch, we met with him. It was a most encouraging meeting. He would like to work with us in cooperation with St Mary’s VI (Visually Impaired) School and The St Odilia Special VI School and Canadian Rotary clubs. We’d like to improve the eye care access at both the schools. This is step one in in a long process of coordination of organizations to provide help for the children.

We presented the sisters with six framed photographs. Two were Sister Bernadette Stewart the other was Teresa Ngosa and a two of their founding father Bishop Stephen LaRue.

After the meeting we climbed on a now a very full bus and left for Mporokoso about a 2 to 3 Hour Drive. 

The roads are wicked, it seems the heavy rains have eroded large portions of the asphalt and created wash outs especially near the rivers. The rainy season torrential rains every day creates havoc with the roads. We arrived about 7 PM just after dark, to a very joyous welcome with many familiar faces. 

Roads aren't so good

Little Flower Material Clinic

Sr Margaret Mary is thrilled to get the Hesperian books.

Betty Jane with Little Flower Maternity Clinic staff

John Gillies with child he and Cathy sponsor

John MacInnis with Robert a sponsored child

John MacInnis with Memory a sponsored
child and her mother

John Gillies with his sponsor child and his mom

Memory (sponsored), Betty Jane,
Robert, (sponsored) John MacInnis, Mom

Presenting Sister Elizabeth the superior General
of the sisters of the Child Jesus with  photos restored
and coloured by photographer Bob Martin of Port Hood.

The kitten picked Winnie as her favourite

Lunch at the Sisters of the Child Jesus Motherhouse

Meeting with Kasama Rotary president Leroy Nsfou

ICC with sisters at Mother House Generalate 

Hard at work on the loaded down  bus on way to Mporokoso

# 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.