It works!

Danica here, finally! I've had Internet access but was experiencing browser problems with Blogger. So, where to begin?! Last week seems like ages ago- I have been through KC, DC, London, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Livingstone, Lusaka, and now Ndola in Zambia. Physically travelling is not so fun for me, so I am glad we are in Ndola for 6 days.

On our day trip exploring London between flights, I rode my first subway- the Underground! It was cold and grey outside and everything reminded me of Harry Potter. We were able to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Parliament and Big Ben, and the Royal Horse Guard. I ate fish and chips for lunch and a tart as a snack...When in London!

In Johannesburg, we visited a lion park and were able to pet lion cubs, feed and pet giraffes, and see a whole field of different animals- zebra, gazelle, giraffes and ostriches!

In Livingstone, we visited Victoria Falls (my second visit) and it was as breathtaking as I remember. Truly beautiful.

Yesterday in Lusaka, we traveled to a highly developed community school called Chikumbuso that was very inspiring to us in our goals for the Health Ed Connect schools. Our tour guide, Mama Gertrude, told us her incredible personal story while showing us their library (complete with laptops!) It had a profound effect on me, and I know that this experience will be both joyous and heartbreaking for me, and I'll have to process it in a positive way.

We also met with Samantha Chula, the director for the Room to Read program in Zambia. It was founded by a man who worked with Microsoft and left the corporation to follow his passion in educating youth in extreme poverty. They have two focuses, literacy and the girls program to keep girls in school because they have drop out rates due to pregnancy and caring for the home. I took 7 pages of notes, so I definitely found a lot of their ideas interesting, especially their theory on teaching in a mother tongue till 4 or 5, then teaching in English,

Ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kafwe center at Chipulukusu and worship service- after a half hour walk there due to the tremendously poor road conditions (many, MANY potholes.) Update you later!