Help Sponsor My Environment Club

Greetings! All is well here- I’m working hard and playing harder. Work is a good challenge and I’m never bored. The most newsworthy thing in my life (besides recently hitting the quarter-century-mark!) is that I made a visit last weekend back to my village in Mufumbwe. It was so perfect to be back in the village where life is relaxed, you wake up to the roosters and the cool dawn, and where the nshima is better. It was an affirming yet short visit. I was treated as a very honoured guest (meaning my village mother killed a chicken for the occasion!) and I slept in their house. All my family around the village are doing well. My boys are becoming young men and my favourite baby is about to become a big sister. I’ve been out for three months already and taking all into consideration, my projects are continuing well. Most especially is the environmental education club at school. A group of smart motivated pupils and I started back in January to be able to make another trip to the national park in the district.

Here’s where you can help them and me!

I’d like support to take a group of 12 pupils a teacher and myself on an overnight trip to West Lunga National Park this July. Locally called Jivundu park, it’s one of 19 National Parks in Zambia. (Most of you know how much I love national parks…) In WLNP you can still find hippos, crocodiles, puku, impala, and other antelope. Most of the bigger game has been poached as the region’s dominant tribe are culturally hunters. WLNP is also home to many beautiful bird species, and the gorgeous confluence of the Lunga and Kabompo rivers. WLNP is however almost entirely inaccessible to the members of the small-scale farming community where I lived. Giving my pupils an opportunity to visit what’s nearby in their own country is something they deserve. This chance to see real crocodiles and hippos (animals they only know from pictures in school books) and to learn invaluable environmental and conservation lessons is a chance they deserve.

Here’s how I’d like your help.

Please sponsor one of my pupils! $25 will cover all costs for each pupil. These are costs such as park fees, transportation, food, and fuel for a ride on the park’s 2 speedboats. We plan to take an evening boat ride and lesson, then an early morning walk to see animals when they’re most active. Who can you help sponsor?

(Picture is on Facebook)

Sillah (far left in camo), Sandra (in blue in the back), and Martha (red shirt to my left) are cousins in gr 7,9, ad 8 respectively. Sandra is a very promising student who’s taken on some club leadership. Sillah is hilarious, and Martha is quite clever and asks to learn about many things.
Angela (orange tank top) is in gr 7 and sells fritters with her mother at the village market after school. No one knows how many fritters I bought from her in two years-too many!
Royce (in the back with arms around her friends) is doing gr 9 and is one of the school’s most promising students even with the challenges she faces. (Shh! She’s a favourite of mine!)
Xenia (far right in a blue sweater) is a tall girl in gr 7. She appointed herself as my official kiLunda language teacher.
Justina (middle row, left) is Angela’s best friend and also in gr 7. Maybe she came late, but she always came to club meetings.
Womba (licking her lollipop) is an amazingly determined gr 9 pupil. She wants to become a journalist. (ssh! She’s another favourite)
Mary (in white with a lollipop) is writing gr 8 and lives with her aunt. She always has a smile and is a very friendly girl – and crazy good at Go Fish!
Eric (in front) is a very hard working gr 9 pupil. He works to pay his own school fees each term and still finds time to be a clown in my pictures.
Musangu (not pictured) wants to be a pilot and is a very smart gr 9 pupil.
Joseph (not pictured) is also a very hard-working gr 9 pupil. He was shy at first about joining the club, but knows a lot about the importance of conservation and enjoys learning more.
Any support will be greatly appreciated and well thanked. Please contact me about which pupil you’d like to support. dickeybeth@gmail.com. My parents have agreed to help in keeping this simple, they’ll accept the support and then forward on to me here. Thank you very much.