May 9, 2010

Today we set off on Kenyan Airways to cross the Zambia/Malawi border. We had to leave some of our belongings (and souvenirs) with our friends in Lusaka in order to comply with the KA baggage weight limits. Hopefully they will make it through the bus trip to Lake Malawi and rejoin us at the conference! We entered the country uneventfully and met up with Rotarians from the Lilongwe Club, including GSE Chair Hutch Mthinda. We deposited our bags at our host homes and headed for the evening Rotary meeting and presentation. Tomorrow the plan is for David to visit the embassy and the rest of us to tour Lilongwe in the morning, then we’ll hop on a bus for a five hour ride to beautiful Blantyre.

 May 7, 2010

Lake Kasiba was amazing! Many of us had never before seen a lake that wasn’t surrounded by lake houses and marinas. We picknicked by the clear water, admiring the fiery red dragonflies and watching the vervet monkeys play on the opposite shore. Most of the locals avoid the lake; there are many stories of supernatural happenings. Some say the lake has no bottom, and the spirits that live in the depths have grabbed swimmers and spirited them away, never to be seen again. It is said that fish caught in the lake cannot be killed and eaten, and misfortune will fall on anyone who tries.

May 6, 2010

 We arrived in Luanshya last night. In true Zambian fashion, we had an enormous amount of delicious food at a braai. We met the famous PDG Patrick Coleman and wife Sherri who offered extra support for our team. This morning we had the choice to either do something vocational or rest, and the Team did a bit of both. After lunch with our hosts, we gathered to visit Zamefa, a metal fabrications plant. We saw how the recently smelted copper is transformed into copper wire and then into power cables. Tomorrow we are going on a hike to Lake Kasiba; we’re all looking forward to that!

May 4, 2010

 A fabulous day! This morning, we toured a local underground copper mine (well, all of us but Robin, whose claustrophobia kicked in at the last second), experiencing two different shafts, the pump house and the winch house, which controls the mine shaft elevators. It was amazing to be inside the Earth that way, and we learned a great deal. If only I were able to post photographs! We all have a great respect for the miners; they work in extreme conditions – some areas of the mine are sweltering, some are partially flooded – and yet their attitudes are upbeat. They are proud to earn their living through hard work, and they could write the book on teamwork. In the afternoon, we had vocational activities. Dee went to a local hospital; Robin spent time with the TV station, David observed city government officials (and a truly hilarious retired attorney), Tamara visited the Sarah Rose Children’s Home, and I visited the local animal welfare organization. We all thoroughly enjoyed learning how our vocations are done here in Zambia. I think we’re all a little more appreciative of the facilities and technological advances back home that we take for granted.

We have all decided that Zambia is the Texas Across the Sea. Everyone is warm and friendly, and they all want to feed guests massive amounts of good food!

We then had a lunch meeting with the wonderful Ndola club, where we gave our presentation (we are old pros now); unfortunately a bizarre technical glitch shut down our power point midway through. The attendees were very kind about it, but we wish we had been able to do better for them, especially since they have twice now secured a projector for us to use.

Honestly, I think the lack of sleep and the constant schedule of Rotary Meeting and Rotary Projects is taking a toll. While it is wonderful to see the incredible work being done, the sheer amount of need is overwhelming, and we are beginning to feel more helpless than hopeful. We are (still) hopeful that soon we will have either a vocational day or something just for fun, like a safari, in order to get back in the proper mindset. For now, we are looking forward to an evening of fellowship with our new Ndola friends, who are hosting a progressive dinner for us.

In the meantime, your BlogMaster is still trying to upload photos! The Internet connection I have access to today is similar to dial-up and the connection times out while the photos are uploading, but take heart! We have photos, and they are fabulous, and we will share them as soon as we are able. In the meantime, check back on the previous posts periodically, as I am trying to fill in the gaps.

To all our loved ones: we miss you, love you and are thinking of you! Thank you for the kind words of support!

Sorry for the lapse in updates, but your esteemed BlogMaster has not had Internet access at all! Even this log I’ve been keeping is not comprehensive, because I’ve had no electricity to power the laptop. And right now I’m on a limited time schedule paying for ‘net on my own dime at a local hotel, so I’ve got to post quickly, and I can’t post pictures from here! Still, something is better than nothing, right?

Today we gave a presentation at lunch, then headed to an elementary school that has 2600 students! They have to schedule them in shifts. We brought stickers and temporary tattoos for the kids, and their response was so enthusiastic you would have thought we were handing out iPods. Rotary helped this school to grow, and the government was inspired to assist as well. It is now mostly government-funded, including notebooks and pencils for the children. We also went to a clinic that is a project of the Rotary Club of Malbua Lusaka; they see about 7000 patients per month! The disease with the highest number of people affected is, of course, malaria, but they also see high numbers of people affected by cholera and HIV/AIDS.  Go Rotary! Tonight we are headed to a District Banquet. We’re told that we don’t have to purchase tickets, but they will make us work for our dinner. Sounds interesting!

27APR2010

Another busy day! We started the day off with a visit to the Umwana Kasembee project in Chilanga. They are home to many orphaned children, and to many success stories – children they have raised and educated that have gone on to University and good careers. I had a blast, because the children invited me to dance with them; there was a group of them playing drums, singing and dancing the entire time we were there. I danced my best, but every one of those children put me to shame! I am constantly amazed how upbeat the children are; it has been that way every place we’ve visited. We then shared lunch with the Rotary Club of Lusaka, and went to visit Old MacDonald’s Farm, a project involved in helping “Street Kids.” The MacDonalds are a perfect example of how one person (or in this case, two) really can make a difference. They started out helping one boy with his school fees, and now have 40 children living with them and/or going to school with their help. While both the MacDonalds work to support the children, they have managed to reduce costs by becoming largely self sustaining – they grow much of their own food, including produce, meat and coffee beans! All the children help with the farm chores, but their Mom makes sure their studies come first.

23APR2010

We made it!

10:00 PM or 22:00 hours

Each of us was taken to our host homes, allowed a couple of hours to “rest” and then to prepare for our Rotary Meeting with The Livingstone Club, which was held at a golf course – surprised to hear it? We had an enormous meal – all the food has been delicious thus far, and there are many vegetarians here.

2:40 PM (or 14:40, for those of you on military time!)

We got a beautiful view of the Zambian wild as we flew into the International airport, which was nice, because the second we got off the plane, it started pouring down rain – sheets of rain so thick we couldn’t see anything! Our wonderful hosts, who were there to receive us at the airport, exclaimed that it hasn’t rained here for more than two weeks (until we showed up)! Still, we all made it safe and sound (and so did our luggage, which we’re informed is nothing short of a miracle), which is the important thing.

11:00 AM – on African soil! Well, African tile, anyway.

As I type, we are sitting in the Johannesburg Airport, awaiting transport to our Zambia flight. I’ve been unable to access Internet, but I promised Tammy I’d keep up with our day-to-day activities as best I can without it. We’ve been traveling for three days now, and excessive turbulence made it impossible to sleep on the plane, so we’re all a little dazed and confused. We’re all also really looking forward to a shower!

The flight from DFW to London was packed full but fairly uneventful. The weather was beautiful in London, crisp, cool and sunny. We navigated the Underground like old pros, scurried around taking photos in the Westminster area for a few hours, then met a friend of David’s for a British lunch. We raced back to Heathrow and embarked on the most turbulent plane ride any of us have ever experienced – and that’s saying something! We’ve only been in Jo’burg about 3 hours, but we are already experiencing the relaxed attitude toward time (no rushing!) that Africans are reputed to have. For all of us accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the American rat race, this promises to be a real change, one we’re all looking forward to.

The team was joined by District Governor Randi Duckworth, PDG Bill Rains, PDG Jo Ann Parkman and, of course, GSE Chair Tammy Taylor, who was the highlight of the meeting with her happy dance and tears of joy, inspired by the final version of our Presentation. We brushed up on basic Portugeuse, reviewed our packing restrictions, and received some great last-minute advice from our DG.

Afterward we all paid a visit to the unofficial team mascot, Willard, who offered us his sage advice and tried to make a meal of the Team shirts. So now all that’s left is to finish packing, start taking our anti-malarials, and (hopefully) get the final trip itinerary before we go!

Alvin, Tamara, Willard, Casey, Robin, David and Dee!

The District 5830 GSE Team L-R, Back Row David Orr, Alvin Hawkins (Team Member Alternate), Second Row Robin Aaron, Team Leader Dee Bandel, Casey Plummer, Tamara Green, Front Row Peter Chishimba

With less than three weeks until departure, we’ve been scrambling to get packed, vaccinated and started on blogging! Special thanks go to Ryan Hardin for taking time away from his honeymoon to get us up and running! Pictured above are the members of the District 5830 GSE Team with Peter Chishimba. Peter is a District 9210 Ambassadorial Scholar, and he was our  honored guest at the Team Meeting Overnight. We’ll be visiting Peter’s home country of Zambia, as well as the countries of Malawi and Mozambique on our month-long journey! Before we headed out, we wanted to give you a little information about ourselves!

Team Leader Dee Bandel

Team Leader Dee Bandel is both a Registered Nurse and an entrepeneur! She works as an RN for her husband, Dr. Phil Bandel, and she also runs her own quilting shop, cleverly named “Sew Much More.” Dee and Phil live in Paris, Texas, home of the Texas Eiffel Tower (complete with giant red cowboy hat). They have two grown sons with families of their own, who have provided Dee and Phil with two beautiful grandchildren. They share their home with a beloved cocker spaniel named Bailey.

Dee and Phil have been active in Rotary for over thirty years, and Phil was recently chosen to be District Governor Nominee for 2012-13 ! That, along with two jobs, doesn’t leave much time for hobbies, but Dee finds time to design and create intricate quilts and attend quilt expos, and both Dee and Phil love to travel. They will be visiting China later this year. Dee is proving to be a very devoted , supportive and capable Team Leader, and the Team is grateful to have her.

David Orr

David is the Sustainability and Quality Assurance Coordinator for the City of Texarkana, Texas. He coordinates efforts on behalf of the city for energy efficiency and conservation of natural resources, and he also helps with projects ranging from the City Budget to the 2010 Census Campaign. David holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and remains a devoted Razorbacks fan.

David also enjoys volunteer work in his community, waterskiing, cycling and mountain climbing. He is passionate about social concerns in Africa, especially volunteering and supporting Amani Children’s Home in Tanzania. He is very close with his family; his brother Matt is also a traveling philanthropist, currently serving in the Peace Corps in the Ukraine. David can’t wait to get to Africa, but the Team knows he’ll be anxious to get back to the USA too – he’ll be marrying his beautiful fiancée, Laura Green, in August.

Robin Aaron

Robin Aaron is the Editor of the Bowie County Citizens Tribune/DeKalb News in New Boston, Texas, reaching 12,000 readers in and around Bowie county every week. In addition to her writing career, Robin works part-time in ministry with a youth organization in Queen City, Texas, called TRUTH.  She is also a graphic designer; her billboard creations have graced major Texas highways! Robin holds a B.S. in Communications from Texas A&M University, and she is also a graduate of the Texas Bible Institute’s Leadership Training Program.

In addition to all of this, Robin is also a musician and songwriter. She enjoys performing her original work, as well as leading congregational worship services. In the little spare time she has, Robin enjoys traveling, water sports, outdoor concerts and, in her words, “extremely amateur golfing.“

Casey Plummer

Casey Plummer works as a Veterinary Technician at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas. Her job includes general animal care, preventative medicine, radiology, dentistry, assisting in surgery and anesthesia, providing behavioral and environmental enrichment, neonatal care, and breeding of endangered species. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Tyler, and is currently back in school to obtain her RVT certification (only two semesters left!).

Casey also has a part-time job teaching Beginner English Riding Lessons at the BCXR Horse Center in Troup, Texas. She loves horseback riding and other outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming and SCUBA diving. When indoors, you can bet she’ll be reading – she generally has four or more books going at once! She shares her home with a talkative Amazon parrot, a boisterous Shepard-Malamute mix and numerous turtles and fish. She’s also the BlogMaster for this trip – keep your fingers crossed for good Internet access in Africa!

Tamara Green

Tamara Green is a Licensed Social worker who specializes in geriatric healthcare. She works at the Clarksville Nursing Center in Clarksville, Texas. The CNC provides care for the elderly who are no longer able to live alone, arranging transportation and mediating family issues, among other services. Tamara is a hometown girl, born and raised in Northeast Texas; she attended Texas Tech University and currently resides in Detroit, Texas.

Tamara also volunteers with several local community organizations and charities. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and scrapbooking. Tamara also loves to spend time with her pets – her twenty animal companions include a tiny chihuahua, a turkey, and a pet Boer goat named Willard – the unofficial mascot of  the Team.

The five of us hope all of you will keep up with us on this amazing journey, and keep us updated on life back in the states via the Comments posts. Right now we’ve got more work to do in preparation for our last meeting prior to departure, but we’ll update you soon!

I know that was a question on a lot of Rotarians minds……….will you join Rotary?  I can’t speak for any of the guys (simply because I don’t know the answer) but for me, the paper work has already begun!!  Rotary has indeed changed the lives of millions across this planet and it has changed the life of this 26-year-old living in po-dunk Paris Texas!!

I can not thank each Rotarian involved enough for what you have done for us!!  Keep doing what your doing, its working!!!

And thank you all for following our blog during this spectacular journey of “Team India”!!!

-Kari Daniel

Team India made it back home safe and sound on Wednesday February 3rd!  After an exhausting trip we were all happy to be home but already missing all our new friends that we meet all the way from Hosur to Delhi!

Our last stop for the Rotary portion of our trip was Pondicherry!  On our way to Pondicherry we stopped for a Repulic Day (Feb 1st) Celebration!

Several different schools from the area were there for one large celebration and each school had its own performance.  Just like all the other dance performances we had seen before, this one blew us away!  The talent that every child has in India is just incredible, and the costumes were awesome!!

Republic Day Dancer

After the celebration we went for lunch with the district collector for the area and meet some of the Freedom Fighters!  These are the men and women who peacefully “fought” with Ghandi!

Team India w/Freedom Fighters

Our fist day in Pondicherry we went to a wedding for a Rotarian’s son.  It was real interesting for all of us to be able to sit and watch all the traditions that take place during a traditional Indian wedding.  They will start the day before and go through the  night….we were only there for the morning portion of the ceremony.

The Bride & Groom

After the wedding we visited a place called Auroville……which was one of the many Highlights of the trip for me!!  Its a village in which 55 countries are represented and they live a VERY eco-friendly lifestyles, which was a HUGE attraction for me!!  Cars (for the most part) are not allowed in most areas of Auroville so we were able to walk without worrying about traffic and surrounded by trees!  The shops they in the village were full of products that were made by the people living in Auroville and a lot of it was made with natural products (leaves, clay & recycled stuff)!  Since our shop sales all eco-friendly and handmade products this was obviously,in my eyes, absolutely incredible!!  At the center of Auroville is a Golden dome called the Matrimandir, which is a symbol of the Divine’s answer to man’s inspiration for perfection.  Nantha, one of the Incoming India Team members, was the perfect guide for us that day since he had lived in Auroville for 2 or 3 years!

Team India at the Matrimandir

We also got to do a lot of shopping in Pondicherry, and the shopping was INCREDDIBLE!!!  Being the only girl there the guys had to put up with my shopping…and I did a lot!  Clothes for me and my family back home….suvinors and bangles…oh the bangles……..  If there were bangles close by everyone knew I was going to stop and check ‘em out!  Even our host began joking with me when we saw bangles…..I could have filled up an entire suitcase with those things!!!!  But Enough about shopping………

One day, during our Pondi visit, we traveled to an outlaying city are participate in a Global Warming Walk a college was doing!  I wish I could remember how far the walk was but I’m not really sure…  We had a great time and enjoyed the time outside to just walk and interact with the students.  I even got to do a few round-offs down the street :-)

Kari & Paul w/Global Warming Students & Banner

The same day we visited an Aids Facility that cared for young children that are HIV positive.  Each of us were able to interact and play with the children during our visit!  The priest at the facility is originally from France and one of the ladies working with the children is originally form Texas! The children at the facility were amazing!! They were so excited to show us the boats they were making on their beds (they tucked their sheets into the top bunk to make a little hammock like swing on the bottom bunk) and started interacting with us immediately!! I got to hold and briefly play with a baby girl that was just learning to walk, Matthew took pictures with one boy, Paul played cards with a few, and James taught a group the “hook ‘em horns” sign!

Paul and the boys from the Aids Facility

James & the Boys "Hook 'em Horns!!"

We all walked away with yet another amazing memory!!

Kari Daniel

Nagapattinam Rotary Meeting

Paul's Vocational Day, a meeting with a district manager of the government bank

These past few days in Nagapattinam have been amazing, we’ve seen a lot but at a nice steady pace where we were able to enjoy some free time a bit too. This is the first beachfront city we have stayed in and the beaches here are beautiful, one interesting thing though is that you can see cows freely roaming the beach. John and I were fortunate enough to stay in a home that was a quarter mile from the beach; I could see it from the window in my room.  Everyday that I have stayed here I have woken up early and walked on the beach at sunrise, this morning I met a fisherman who told me he got back from Singapore a few months ago, where he worked for 4 years in a plant nursery, he let me take a photo of him with his uncle’s boat. My first morning walk was with VGR or Major, a really nice man that has made sure our trip was a success and comfortable, he is the GSE team leader going to Texas, we also ate at his home tonight, it was great. Another time we went to the beach, Kari and I decided to be brave and go for a camel ride, it was very interesting and a bit painful, for the both of us, bamboo isn’t real comfortable we discovered, haha!

Fishermen with their colorful boat

Kari and I riding a camel on the beach

An Indian girl showing us a traditional Indian dance.

Our first day here we visited a school where they put on a huge welcoming event for us along with several performances by the students. After they were done they had us each go into separate classrooms full of students to interact with them for about a half hour, we all completely enjoyed that. My students asked me a lot about my feelings and thoughts about India, one girl stood up and asked me what’s my favorite thing about India, I told her that it would definitely have to be the people, and it really is, I have been so impressed with the friendliness and hospitality of India, actually we found out that one of the mottos in India is, “guests are like gods,” and they truly live up to that motto.

A group of students showing us the more modern Bollywood style dance

The Catholic Basilica of Nagapattinam

Nagapattinam is also known as the holy city because there are three major worship centers here from each of the major religions in India,Hinduism, Catholicism/Christianity, and Muslim. We visited the major cathedral and the major mosque, which is the second largest in India after the one in the Taj Mahal. It was a first time for all of us, the Muslim priest was a Rotarian who guided us through the mosque, it was very interesting and new for us and we completely enjoyed it. A young Indian man named Mani who we call Money, has been such a great help guiding us around the city and taking care of us.  He also took Kari and I to yoga classes, at 5 in the morning! They were great though!

We learned that this city was hit hard by the tsunami in Dec 2004, over 4,000 people died, mainly people from the small fisherman villages that were located on shore. My host father was at the beach with his three children and seven of his in-laws, who had never seen the beach before, when the tsunami hit, he told us the painful story with tears in his eyes as he described what it was like to lose all three of his children at once, along with all his in-laws. He told us because of lack of communication and facilities he brought his three children to the cemetery and buried them himself. It was a story unlike I’ve ever heard but he said his faith in Jesus and God gave him hope to carry on, and now God has blessed him and his wife with two more children of their own and they have adopted 20 children who have lost their parents in the tsunami and take care of them all at their home. It has been such a pleasure for John and I to get to know these children, they are all so beautiful, and it’s going to be hard to leave them all.

Some of the children that have lost their parents in the tsunami that my host parents care for

- Matthew T Rader