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.
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| Roads aren't so good |
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| Little Flower Material Clinic |
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| Sr Margaret Mary is thrilled to get the Hesperian books. |
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| Betty Jane with Little Flower Maternity Clinic staff |
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| John Gillies with child he and Cathy sponsor |
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| John MacInnis with Robert a sponsored child |
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John MacInnis with Memory a sponsored
child and her mother |
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| John Gillies with his sponsor child and his mom |
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Memory (sponsored), Betty Jane,
Robert, (sponsored) John MacInnis, Mom |
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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. |
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| The kitten picked Winnie as her favourite |
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| Lunch at the Sisters of the Child Jesus Motherhouse |
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| Meeting with Kasama Rotary president Leroy Nsfou |
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| ICC with sisters at Mother House Generalate |
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| Hard at work on the loaded down bus on way to Mporokoso |
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