O’Connell School in Dublin has had an immersion link with Zambia since 2005, which has resulted in five visits to the African country over the years. Here the pupils and teachers who embarked on the latest trip this past February share their thoughts and reflections
O’Connell School in Dublin has had an immersion link with Zambia since 2005, which has resulted in five visits to the African country over the years. Here the pupils and teachers who embarked on the latest trip this past February share their thoughts and reflections
We were all very nervous as we arrived at school, the meeting point for our send-off on 1 February. We were nervous because we had no idea what lay ahead of us. We were also conscious of everything that we had to bring and we were running through our checklists to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything.
Conor Grey’s brother had gone on a previous Zambia Immersion Project (Zip) trip and he had told us loads about it, but it was still very nerve-wracking. He told us that it was going to be “the best trip of our lives” and that made us feel a little less nervous and more confident.
It’s now customary that all the students and teachers going to Zambia assemble in the school for a big send-off given by the rest of the school – and this year was no different. All our teachers and friends were hugging us and wishing us well. We all had so many emotions running through our heads, but it felt so exciting and amazing.
As we left for the airport in the school minibus, some first year students were waving the Scoil Uí Chonaill flags and wearing the school jersey. It made us feel so proud that we were now representing our school and were seen as role models for our younger students. On the way out to the airport, we realised that there was no going back – we were Zambia bound!
Early the following morning, our plane touched down in the capital Lusaka. Most of us were very tired as we hadn’t slept on the flight – the lure of uninterrupted movies and free cola kept us awake!
We stepped off the plane expecting a ‘barrier’ of heat but because it was still early in the morning, it wasn’t that hot – and more surprisingly, the countryside was actually quite green and luscious.
Driving into Lusaka, we all just stared out the window taking in all the sights. We noticed that all the local people walking on the roads were staring back at us, but we didn’t feel intimidated or threatened by it.
We were soon eased into Zambian life with a trip to the Irish Embassy (complete with tea and chocolate biscuits!). Claire and Barney of the embassy staff made a presentation to us about the work they do in Zambia and they were interested in the work we planned on doing in Mongu in the country’s Western Province. We had never been inside an embassy before, so it was an exciting way to start our trip.
But any of us who thought this was going to be some sort of holiday were greatly mistaken once we got to Mongu. After an epic nine-hour bus journey from Lusaka, we went straight to work on our various projects, which included the Cheshire Home for disabled children, run by the Presentation Sisters; the Limulunga pre-school and building project, run by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate; and the Namushakende pre-school and mother-and-baby clinic, also run by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate. We were up each morning at 7.30am in order to have breakfast and get ready for work at 9am sharp.
In Limulunga, our tasks were to teach the children basic English and to entertain them during their break. Because they were so young, it was very difficult for us to engage them at first. This is when we realised the hard work teachers do every day in order to teach us. We had to use chalk to write or draw different things on little blackboards, like a house or a fish! During break, we had to play with them and keep them entertained with games such as Bulldog or Cat and Mouse.
In the afternoon, we helped with the construction of blocks for a new building. This was really hard work, especially in the Zambian heat. We were guided by an Irish builder called Peadar who taught us how to make cement, lay floors, make concrete blocks and insert mosquito nets into window frames. Peadar and his wife Rachael were a real inspiration to us all because they have devoted their lives to helping people in the developing world.
In the Cheshire Home, we worked with a volunteer physiotherapist called Elaine. Here we did either hydro-physiotherapy with the children in the swimming pool, or we were given some muscle-building exercises to do with a group of children in their playground. One afternoon, we performed a concert for the children – we sang songs, did some dances, played the tin whistle and did a ‘cup’ trick
that we’d learnt. The children also did some party pieces. One girl sang a song about disabilities that was genuinely beautiful. She also sang ‘Amazing Grace’. Another girl called Mondé did a little dance, then we all joined in together to do a dancing game. Even the teachers got involved!
In Namushakende, we had a range of jobs: working in the pre-school, helping the nuns with their gardening and visiting local villages to see the work being done by the nuns there. On one occasion we met some HIV/Aids patients at the mother-and-baby clinic. It was really harrowing to see what this awful disease can do to people. Thankfully, there is a new drug available that can help in the fight against Aids, and the nuns make sure that it is made available to all who live with the disease and that they take it every day.
We also presented some of the women with some basic rations of sugar, salt and rice. They were very grateful for them and sang us a song in gratitude. We all had serious respect for these people because, even though they live with such a terrible ailment, they were always in such high spirits. And we also had great respect for the nuns for the work they put in. They’re truly inspirational.
The Zambian people are some of the friendliest on the planet. Everywhere we went, they were so welcoming and always smiling, and had a traditional way of shaking your hand that helped you to relax and feel welcomed. The students we met, particularly in St John’s Secondary School, were so well mannered and even greeted us with a song. Meanwhile, the young pre-school students always greeted us with a high-five!
When we arrived in Livingstone, near the famous Victoria Falls, we noticed a lot of street traders and we bartered with them. They wanted us to swap for their goods, but they weren’t intimidating about it. We were also really shocked that they knew basic Irish words and phrases like ‘Dia Duit’ and ‘Conas atá tú?’ This was a real eye-opener for us all.
All of us were all surprised at how happy the people in Zambia are, especially given the huge poverty that they have to endure. In Ireland, we give out all the time about stuff, but we don’t know true hardship like those in Zambia do. The most noticeable difference between us and them was the poverty.
We visited some local villages and witnessed first-hand how they live their daily lives. They live in mud shacks without running water or electricity. Some of them might have a makeshift bathroom, but more often than not, there are no sanitary facilities at all. They also have very few items of clothing and tend to wear the same thing every day. We couldn’t imagine having to do that!
We also met students and teachers who have to walk long distances to get to school, some without having had any breakfast. They have such a desire to get on in life, and they are so aware that education is their only way out of the poverty trap, that they are willing to make huge sacrifices. It made us so thankful for what we have back here in Dublin, especially as we don’t have to pay for our education.
The eight of us talked a lot about what we missed when we were in Zambia, and we all agreed that family, friends and loved ones were top of the list. What made it even harder was that our phones didn’t work in Mongu, so we couldn’t even talk to people back home. Thankfully, Mr Canning’s phone worked, so we all got one phone call each back home.
We didn’t realise how much we relied on our phones and the internet until we could no longer access them. Most of us missed our own personal space and having to take 11 other people’s feelings and thoughts into consideration on a daily basis. Everything we did was based on teamwork, and towards the end of the trip, we were all just so tired. Living, working and staying with the same 11 people for 18 days does take its toll on you, but thankfully everyone got on really well and we were respectful of one another.
While we all had a great time in Zambia, we were all really happy to get back home on 18 February and were greeted by all our family and even some teachers at Dublin Airport. And Conor’s brother was right; it was the best trip of our lives.
O’Connell School pupils Conor Gray, Jordan Gray, Dean Murphy, Valentin Cocis, Stephan Yao, Graham Fitzpatrick, Leon Myler and Daryl Preston were accompanied by teachers Mary Shanahan, Emer Campbell, Damian O’Brien and Kieran Canning.
