Working with the Right People Makes All the Difference

The last few days, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend some quality time with Edward Mphandi, the headmaster at Mazembe Primary, where we are constructing our block. I am so glad he is our headmaster. He has been such a pleasure to work with. From taking time a few days a week to teach us the local language, to organizing the students to clear some land for a school garden, and, most recently, organizing the local villagers to prepare bricks for the classroom block we'll be building next year (20,000 bricks and counting. They plan to be finished preparing the bricks before I leave). In my time here, I've learned that working with the right people makes all the difference in the world between success and failure. I am so glad that we have the pleasure of partnering with Edward and the community of Mazembe to help improve the quality of education for this and future generations.

Tonight, Denis Chilimba is coming into town for a few days, as I introduce him to the community of Mazembe. If all goes well, he will become the director of a Community Development Program we plan to roll out next year. Denis is a headmaster down in Zomba (a good 12 hour bus ride away, of which he's on right now, at 2am). Denis is an incredible person as well. He is currently the headmaster of the highest ranked primary school in the country, with a passing rate of 100%. In a country where the majority of primary schools are passing at best 25% of their students, Denis has fought hard to get government funding, and fought even harder to keep his students in school where they have the opportunity to better their own lives. He is currently planning on leaving Zomba, the city he has lived, worked and grew up in his whole life (and where he quite literally has tought about everyone in town over the past 30 years), to oversee our community development program because he believes in what we are doing.

I am excited about the potential to bring Denis on to mentor Edward and direct our programs here year round. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work with these incredible individuals who are giving so much of their time and effort to see their children have a brighter future.

As for the classroom block, it is nearly finished, with plastering and roofing being done this week. I hope to see it with the finished coat of paint before I leave. (Pictures to come tomorrow)