#49 February 7, 2026 Arrival Kawambwa

February 7, 2026

This morning we were up bright and early for 6:30 mass. The sisters are such lovely singers and they keep beat with the drums. After our close call at the Addis Abba Airport, we left immediately after breakfast. Tobias made two trips to transport us and our luggage. We were good and early; our boarding passes were fine and our luggage was not overweight. The good start continued for the rest of the day.  Our flight left Lusaka and stopped over in Ndola, just before the Congo boarder, picked up some passengers and flew on to Mansa where Sr Marjory and Lewis were there to meet us.

We arrived in Mansa about 12:15, picked up Newman and we had a nice lunch from The Hungry Lion, (the Zambian version of KFC). We made a stop at the Priceline grocery store where Winnie picked up some groceries for her cooking classes, including butter (a rare commodity here).  

When looking on Google Maps, it shows Kawambwa just 173 Km away but in reality, due to impassible roads it really is a lot longer. probably two to three times longer. 

Many families have buckets by the roadside filled with their produce. They keep an eye on the traffic and run out if a vehicle stops. Sister Marjory bought large bags of kalebwe, which are white sweet potatoes, they are a favourite, next to mangos and pineapple.

On the way, we stopped at the 20-hectare farm belonging to the Sisters of the Child Jesus. It was about 4-5 km off the highway and reminded us of a wood road but Lewis guided the bus past all the deep ruts without scraping once. The farm is a testament to the farming and business acumen of the sisters and to the dedication of the people working the farm. Newman (Chalice representative), and the workers Moses, Morton and Gilbert are so excited about the work accomplished on the farm and the for future plans. Upon arriving we were greeted by Morton, Moses and Gilbert. The men live at the farm site for 6 months of the growing season. They plant, fertilize, weed, hoe and water the trees and plants. The tools they use are a large heavy hoe, rake, slasher and shovel, no electricity or machines. They water the crops from a 9 meter well they dug, by hand, next to a termite mound. The reason for the placement is that the soil near the mound is much more stable and won’t collapse when they dig it by hand. The well is just a hole in the ground with some logs over it with an opening to lower a bucket. This is how they water all their seedlings. This job takes a great amount of dedication and stamina. They spoke wistfully of a solar pump that would reduce a lot of the hauling of water by bucket, long distances. 

They live in a brick building; I believe they built. The bricks are made of termite mound clay and water, they are very much like sandstone and are cemented together with mortar. They each have a bedroom which are kept so neat and clean. They cook their own food, I’m sure nothing fancy, they had beans cooking for supper on a clay fireplace. 

The farm has avocado, casava, citrus, guava, maize, sweet potato, squash and pineapple. They have plans to begin planting pine trees and eucalyptus as well. They use the slasher, shaped a bit like a short blade metal hockey stick. It operates similar to a scythe, cutting the grass around all the tree seedlings. A remarkable example of true dedication to a job out in the sun. 

The produce from the farms will keep the schools sustainable, provide the children with nutritious food all year and train these and other workers in agriculture. They are true examples of dedicated employees and so excited about their hard work. 

We left home last Sunday, spent 21 hours of actual flying, finally we arrived at Kawambwa about 7:00. We were given a joyous welcome by singing sisters. Dinner with Sr Agnes, Sr Barbara, Sister Mary and Sister Marjory was a celebration with wonderful food, a special cake and delicious mangos. It is so wonderful to be back to a happy comfortable place where we can assist the children who already have life stacked against them. 

We just can’t wait to get started!!!

Mary take the wheel.

John Gillies and Moses in maise field

Departing Lusaka, Colleen, Winnie, Charlotte,
Betty Jane, John Gillies, John MacInnis

Bus taking us to Kawambwa

Zambian home

Newman buying roadside white sweet potatoes.

Gilbert with a slasher used to cut grass.

Moses and John Gillies in the maise field. 

Avocado and citrus trees in a field which the
fellows have slashed to remove the grass. 

Termite mound soil bricks

Sr Marjory checking on the fellows dinner.

Newman, Sr Marjory, John MacInnis
in the building where Moses, Gilbert and
 Morton live during the growing season.

John Gilles and Gilbert looking down the
9 meter hand dug well.

Moses in his bedroom

John MacInnis and Newman inside
the farm building.

These are the tools the workers use to farm.
Nothing mechanized

Another bedroom in the farm building

Farm building at the sister's farm

Moses, Gilbert and Morton

Zambian home

Our cake!!!

Charlotte, Betty Jane, John MacInnis,
Winnie, Colleen, John Gillies.