And I'm Out...

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I find myself once again packing up and departing from Namumu for the States. As always, it’s bittersweet. I’m excited to head back and to see and spend time with my family and friends in the US. I’m sad to leave behind my family and friends in Mother Zambia. It’s always a strange time.

In fact, as of now I have already finished up and left Siavonga. I’m currently in Lusaka, tying up loose ends, typing this from a small internet café downtown. Tomorrow I’ll fly out, flying first to Johannesburg, South Africa and then on to DC.

Due to various circumstances I haven’t been able to blog nearly as much as I would have liked to lately. My sincere apologies. I’ve got a little time here, so I’ll try to catch you up to speed…

As always, I’d love to hear your comments and questions. If you’re so inclined, please don’t hesitate to post a comment or hit me with an email at ssc2x@virginia.edu.



The Kids:

Ahh, going away from my little Namumuans is always tough. Flying away to a land of plenty and leaving behind a gang of orphans and vulnerable children always makes me feel like a big jerk. But, it is comforting to know that they’ll continue to be taken care of.

As always, our kids in residence are getting three solid meals a day, more than can be said for a great many kids in the area. It’s not at all uncommon to talk to local kids who’ll tell you they’re eating two meals a day, or even just one. Some go the whole day with nothing. Some dine on porridge and nshima only (both slightly different versions of corn meal and water). So, while “budget issues” have led to our kids eating a simplified diet of rice, nshima, beans, cabbage and kapenta, they are certainly better off than they would be elsewhere.

School has started this week. They love school. The first week is a time where students clean the classroom and surrounding areas. They won’t start learning again until next week. Still, they’re excited to be back. Namumu Community School is going to take a bit more work than usual to straighten out, however. A storm blew the roof off (much like the latest Lil Wayne single) and we’re still waiting on a group from the local government to come and repair it. A local fishing company owner has been kind enough to assist with organizing repairs, though, and it should be finished soon. Just another nice example of local people helping us out…

And, while we’ve faced failure upon failure in other areas, the children’s computer training programs has been a complete success thus far. Around 25 kids have been equipped with some basic computer skills and can maneuver around Microsoft Windows and Word. Vinod has assured me he’ll keep rocking and rolling after I leave. He’s a good guy. I know he’ll keep working. Maybe one day each and every one of our kids will be computer savvy.


IGAs:

Fishing - I was also sad to leave our fishing operation behind. I’ve spent a great deal of time during the last two years of my life at the local harbor, monitoring sales, strategizing with other company owners and flirting relentlessly with the old lady fish traders (I’ve never claimed to possess a great deal of game, but, for whatever reason, what game I do have appears to be tailor-made for 40 to 60 year old Zambian women). I’m going to miss it all.

Our guys are catching well, consistently better than our neighbors. Kapenta prices remain high, and our boats continue to bring in profits for Namumu’s general operations. Mubita, my right-hand man, continues to work hard and well, though he has been out for a few days, sidelined by arthritis problems, so please, go ahead and pray for that. Personally, I think he just needs to man up, but I suppose we should pray anyways. Perhaps we should just pray that he mans-up.


Carpentry/Welding - This section has been a disappointment, to say the least. In fact, a decision has been made to close down the workshop indefinitely. Will we open back up in the future? Only time will tell.


Poultry - This section has also been a disappointment, I’d say, making small losses consistently ever month. While I won’t air out Namumu dirty laundry here and now, I will say that the management of the poultry section has been less than stellar. A poultry business is not rocket science. There are simple tasks requiring minimal effort and they simply aren’t getting done. I sure hope things can be straightened out in the future.


Gardening - Gardening continues to go well. We’ve cleared and plowed much of the open land and have planted long stretches of maize for this, the rainy season. We’ve planted watermelon and pumpkin, too. If the decent rains continue, it should be a good harvest.


I:

For now, while I may be done working at Namumu, I won’t stop working for Namumu or with Namumu. I’ll keep in touch with them and do my best to keep the IGAs on track (as much as one can from across the Atlantic). I’ll continue to work on project proposals from the States, working along with Vinod and a few other staff members, continuing to search for more funding. If all goes well (and they’ll still have me), I’m hoping to be able to once again visit friends at the churches supporting and partnering with Namumu, to discuss all things Namumu-related (thanks to all of you for bearing with me during a time when my life is in a constant state of flux).

Along with all that, I’ll be moving in a new direction here in the near future. Having decided to pursue a career in medicine, I’ll be starting school in June to knock out my pre-med courses in a year and then, if all goes well, I’ll be giving medical school a shot. It’s a long road, and who knows what might happen, but that’s the plan. If you’re so inclined, please pray for me, that organic chemistry won’t cause me too much physical, emotional or spiritual harm.

And, in the meantime, it looks as though I’ll be joining an up-and-coming group focused on delivering quality health care to the poor, both in the States and abroad, so if you’re interested and want to hear more or help out, please get in touch.

Well, gang, it’s been real. I thank God every day for the opportunities I’ve had over the past two years. What a ride. To all who have supported me financially and through prayer, thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I’m out…